Eczema is a group of skin-related diseases characterized by allergy caused inflammation on the skin. Dermatitis is a broader term for eczema. The word eczema gives a meaning of “to boil over.” Skin appears itchy, scaly, dry, and rashes appear in the form of patches on the skin. It usually begins in childhood and may last throughout life. About 20% of the population is somehow affected by eczema.
Complications associated with eczema are scaly skin, pain, asthma, skin infections, and allergic reaction to environmental pollutants.
In eczema, your skin becomes super sensitive to any stimulus. Usually, the autoimmune attacks make our skin hypersensitive towards environmental allergens. Our skin becomes sensitive and itchy. On repeated scratching, leaky skin is observed. This ruptured skin due to scratching allows more allergens to attack, and thus the cycle continues.
Skin rashes are more common in children. While itchy, scaly, and dry skin is prominent in adults. In children onset of eczema is on the exposed areas of the body like face and scalp. In adults, the attack is on flexor surfaces of the body like the back of the knee, front of the elbow, and extremities.
Frequent hand washing also triggers the disease as it causes the skin to be dry, which results in itching.it is clinically diagnosed with the help of appearances like rashes, redness, itching, dry, and scaly patches on the skin, when the skin can ooze and peep out, as a result, blisters forms.
It is a genetic disease, and people of every age are susceptible to it, especially children. Male and females are equally affected by eczema. The severity of its nature and complications increases with the advancing age. The exact cause of eczema is unknown; however, it can be due to genetic and environmental exposure. Immune dysfunction also plays a very critical role in eczema.
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Eczema is of many types: atopic dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis stasis dermatitis, and nummular eczema. All these types are differentiated on the base of triggers, physical appearance, severity, and type of allergens.
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition in which the immune system becomes hyperactive. Common symptoms are cracks, itching, and weepy rashes on the skin. Contact dermatitis occurs when a person gets in touch with an irritant or allergen. These allergens can be detergents, paints, skincare products, animal products, and pollens. Common symptoms are burning, swelling, and crust formation.
Nummular eczema is a very common and severe type of eczema with coin-shaped spots on the body. Common symptoms are itching, wet, and sore spots on the skin.
Stasis dermatitis is a condition caused by improper blood flow in veins. The pressure in veins lets the fluid leak out from the body. Common symptoms are redness, swelling, and pain.
A good thing to know is that eczema is manageable, but it is always not easy for a person to get rid of it. A person suffering from eczema should take a bath daily, frequently moisturize the skin as skin becomes dry and scaly, and should avoid irritants.
Food items like dairy, eggs, honey, and peanut can also act as an allergen to many people. Eczema has become a social stigma, and the affected individuals are found depressed and low in confidence.
Whenever you see a person with eczema, don’t be over conscious as it is not a contagious disease, you will never catch this by physical contact with that person. Based on the knowledge, you should know what type of eczema you are having. Rather than developing social stigma, you should go for proper treatment.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!