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The Unrelenting Hindrance of Chronic Itching
The unrelenting hindrance for people recovering from major burns is the chronic itching. For survivors of acid attacks, the scratching becomes more of a nuisance by the interference of daily activities. Burnt scar tissue does not retain the natural oil glands found in normal skin, and as a result of either a lack of hydration, lubrication, or both, the scar remains dry and thus prone to scratching. With the persistent post-burn itching, wound healing is often compromised and the constant need for relief can become overbearing for survivors living in hot climates. Dr Imtiaz, Medical Officer at the ASF-Bangladesh (2005 – 2009), speaks further about the distress this causes many survivors:
“The physical condition, it’s itching, itching in the night; every time this reminds you that you were attacked by acid. It will go on a lot. So it is the beginning when I give them plastic surgery. After time passes, usually after 5 years, they don’t come. Only a small percentage. They don’t come because either they have adapted with their scars or there is nothing more we can do in form of surgery. But the suffering will go on. You can talk to survivors working here – it itches everywhere. Normal skin itches anyway, it is worse for burnt skin.
In the summer heat it is very difficult. In villages there is not always electricity for fans, so that is a horrible situation. We keep patients here sometimes during the hot months. One person had 65% acid burn and it was a miracle that he survived. He was praying to us not to send him to his house because of the unbearable heat, so we let him stay for 2 months as he was in the process of rehabilitation and at this time we were training him to walk with his walking stick with his new blind state. So this is the reality.
And if you are a woman in Bangladesh you have to do everything, whatever in the home needs to be done you will have to do. Even if you have itching burns, you have to do it. Sometimes the husbands threaten that if they do not do the work I will marry another one. So she has to do it – there is no mercy in doing this work. You are not spared from doing this and that; you are not spared of the cooking. If you have an acid burn and go near fire it becomes very hot and irritable. It will itch lots more.”
Posted on August 10th 2009 by Test Member in Blog
