Eczema

what is eczema?

Eczema is a group of conditions that make your skin inflamed or irritated. The most common type is atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema. “Atopic” refers to a person’s tendency to get allergic conditions such as asthma and hay fever.

There’s no cure, but most people can manage their symptoms by getting treatment and by avoiding irritants. Eczema isn’t contagious, so you can’t spread it to another person.

eczema symptoms

Eczema looks different for everyone. And your flare-ups won’t always happen in the same area.

No matter which part of your skin is affected, eczema is almost always itchy. The itching sometimes starts before the rash. Your skin may also be leathery, red, dry and/or cracked.

types of eczema:

• Atopic dermatitis:

This is what people are usually talking about when they say “eczema”.

• Contact dermatitis:

Nearly everyone gets this at some point in their lives. It happens when your skin comes into contact with something that causes a rash.

• Dyshidrotic eczema:

This happens when your skin doesn’t protect itself the way it should.

• Nummular eczema:

People who have this type get round sores, often after a skin injury like a burn or insect bite.

• Seborrheic dermatitis:

This happens in areas of your body with lots of oil glands. When it’s on your scalp, it’s called dandruff.

• Stasis dermatitis:

This type happens in people who have poor blood flow, usually in the lower legs.