Eczema triggers could be in the pollution we breathe, doctors say : Short Wave : NPR

Atopic dermatitis is the most common inflammatory skin condition globally. Research suggests air pollution, especially from industrialization and wildfires, may be helping drive a rise in the condition.

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Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Atopic dermatitis is the most common inflammatory skin condition globally. Research suggests air pollution, especially from industrialization and wildfires, may be helping drive a rise in the condition.

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn has adult-onset eczema. They’re not the only one. Up to ten percent of people in the United States have it, according to the National Eczema Association — and its prevalence is increasing. Despite its ubiquity, a lot about this skin condition remains a mystery.

In this encore episode, Chinn sat down with Raj Fadadu, a dermatologist at the University of California, San Diego, to ask: What is eczema? What triggers it in the first place? And might climate change make it worse sometimes?

If you liked this episode, check out our episode on the science of itchiness.

Interested in hearing more about climate change and human health? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we’d love to hear your feedback! Also, follow us! That way, you never miss another episode.

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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Hannah Chinn, Rachel and Rebecca checked the facts. Kwesi Lee was the audio engineer.