I have had eczema all my life and recent

Book this for your next scheduled appointment (or book one this week if you have never been reviewed for your skin), and tonight spend ten minutes on a skin-and-sleep note instead of more reading — nothing you described is an emergency, so it can wait for a door, not a night.

1. What you already tried, and the better version

Self-diagnosing from social media → replace with one official page plus one written note.
I checked the official NHS page on atopic eczema ("Atopic eczema", NHS, page last reviewed 6 September 2024, checked for you 11 October 2026). It is the only source I am quoting this turn. It does not mention ADHD anywhere on it.

What that page does say, and it is worth your Sunday reading time:

• Atopic eczema is a long-term skin condition that causes itchy skin. "It cannot be cured, but treatment can help manage the symptoms." Flares come and go.
• You are more likely to have it if a parent has it, or if you or a close family member has asthma or hay fever.
• It is made worse by irritants and allergens (soap, washing detergent, pets, some fabrics, pollen, house-dust mites, some foods), heat or changes in temperature, skin infections, stress, and hormonal changes.

None of this is a diagnosis, and nothing here changes a medicine — this is not a substitute for a clinician, that call is theirs after they have seen you. No coverage from me on the eczema-ADHD evidence itself: I checked one official page, and it does not carry that link, so I am not going to fill that gap from memory or from a headline.

On the ADHD question, honestly: research papers have reported that eczema and ADHD often appear together, but an association in a study is not proof that one causes the other, and the official page I checked today does not make that link. I am not able to confirm the strength of that evidence from one page, so treat what you read as a lead, not a result. Yes — mention it to your doctor, as a question, not as a conclusion.

Here is the sentence to screenshot and say at the appointment:
> "I've had eczema my whole life, and I've noticed [sleep / focus / starting things / finishing things] is a problem too. I read there may be a link. I'd like that looked at properly rather than guessed at — and my skin reviewed in the same visit."

Attach your sleep-tracking data to that visit. It is real evidence, and it tells the clinician whether the itch is driving the poor sleep or the two are separate. Bring: the last two weeks of sleep notes, your current skin products (boxes or photos), what triggers flares, and whether sleep is worse on nights you scratch.

2. Constraints and the avoid list

Do, from the same page:

• Keep moisturising as often as you can — the page says at least twice a day, and to keep going even when your skin improves. Whatever you already use, per its label.
• Wash with a moisturiser instead of soap. Keep cool; being hot makes itch worse.
• Keep nails short, and if you scratch at night, put something on the hands that makes scratching physically harder.
• Rinse hands and face with water and pat dry before moisturising.

Don't:

• Don't change your diet because of eczema on your own — the page is explicit: do not change your diet unless a doctor tells you to.
• Don't use aqueous cream; the page says it can irritate skin and make eczema worse.
• Don't share emollients, and don't put fingers in the pot — use a spoon or a pump.
• Don't start, stop, or change any medicine or cream because of something you read online. That decision is the clinician's, yours to raise, not yours to make tonight.
• No mystery powders, no mixing remedies, no buying prescription creams online.
• Don't smoke or go near a naked flame while using a moisturiser — emollients are not flammable on skin, but on fabric such as bedding and clothing they can catch fire more easily.
• Don't dose the child or the older relative anything for this, and don't put anything on broken skin that wasn't already in use.

3. Decision tree

A. Skin is dry, itchy, thickened — no new blisters, no oozing, no pus, no fever, no eye involvement
→ Routine appointment. Keep your existing routine, log it. This is the path you are on.

B. Skin is blistered, crusty, leaking fluid or has spots filled with pus; or painful, swollen or feels warm; or suddenly much worse or bigger; or you have a high temperature or feel generally unwell
→ Urgent appointment today. These are the signs the NHS page names as eczema that may be infected or a more serious condition called eczema herpeticum. Say that word at the desk.

C. Painful, punched-out round blisters clustered on or near the face or eyes, or you feel properly unwell
→ Contact local emergency services now. Do not wait to see whether it spreads.

D. Questions about attention, focus, sleep or mood, with no skin emergency
→ Same appointment, or a separate one if the skin visit fills the slot. Bring your sleep data and the sentence above. If it affects your mental health, a skin specialist or GP can refer you — the page says this referral exists, and it's their call, not a self-referral.

E. Anything on the skin that is not the eczema you know — a one-sided painful blistering band, purple spots that do not fade under a glass with fever, or skin coming off in sheets
→ Not a home decision. Urgent or emergency care, same day.

4. Stop DIY and get help now if

• Blisters that are painful and punched-out rather than ordinary crust, especially near the eyes.
• Fever with any of the above, or feeling generally unwell.
• Skin that peels in sheets, or mouth and eye sores together.
• New confusion, a fit, or a face or arm that suddenly drops — nothing to do with eczema, but do not watch it at home.

5. What success looks like in 24 hours

Not a cure, and not a clearer answer about ADHD. Success is: you have one short written note instead of a scroll of tabs, your sleep tracker data is downloaded where you can send or show it, you have named a day for the appointment, and the sentence above is in your notes. Your skin may be exactly where it was — that is still a win, because tomorrow you are holding information instead of anxiety.