Eczema is the name for a group of conditions that cause the skin to become red, itchy and inflamed. There are several types of eczema: atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, nummular eczema, seborrheic dermatitis and stasis dermatitis.
Eczema is very common. And in many cases, it's also manageable.
Living with eczema can be an ongoing challenge. The word "eczema" is derived from a Greek word meaning "to boil over," which is a good description for the red, inflamed, itchy patches that occur during flare-ups. Eczema can range from mild, moderate, to severe.
It's most common for babies and children to develop eczema on their face (especially the cheeks and chin), but it can appear anywhere on the body and symptoms may be different from one child to the next. More often than not, eczema goes away as a child grows older, though some children will continue to experience eczema into adulthood.
Adults can develop eczema, too, even if they never had it as a child
Healthy skin acts as a barrier to retain moisture and to protect the body from environmental challenges. Any factor that disrupts the ability of the skin to act as an effective barrier can lead to the loss of moisture, causing dryness and the entry of allergens, irritants and bacteria, which can result in inflammation and infection.
Potential causes of eczema are:
• Factors that cause the skin to become dry, which in turn affects the skin's barrier function
• Genetic mutations that affect the skin's barrier function
• Immune system dysfunction causing an unwanted inflammatory response in the skin.
Certain substances or conditions called trigger factors can cause eczema to flare (ie: become worse). These trigger factors can be:
• Irritants such as soaps and detergents, wool, skin infections, dry skin, low humidity, heat, sweating.
• Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, moulds or foods.
• Emotional stress.
The most important thing to remember is that eczema and its symptoms are different for everyone. Your eczema may not look the same on you as it does on another adult, or on your child. It may even appear in different areas of the body at different times.
Eczema is usually itchy. For many people, the itch is usually only mild, or moderate. But in some cases it can become much worse and you might develop extremely inflamed skin. Sometimes the itch gets so bad that people scratch it until it bleeds, which can make your eczema worse. This is called the "itch-scratch cycle."
• Dry, sensitive skin
• Red, inflamed skin
• Very bad itching
• Dark colored patches of skin
• Rough, leathery or scaly patches of skin
• Oozing or crusting
• Areas of swelling
- Preventative measures for Eczema
The following may help alleviate the symptoms and prevent future outbreaks of eczema:
• Use pure cotton or cotton mixtures instead of wool or synthetics
• Do not use soap. Instead add bath oils to bath water and use emulsifying ointment or a water dispersible cream instead of soap
• Avoid enzyme detergents and fabric softeners when washing clothes as these can irritate the skin
• Avoid foods that are known to provoke allergic reactions such as peanuts, eggs, seafood, milk, soy and chocolate (After consulting your dermatologist)
• Direct use of antiseptics and solvents should also be avoided
• Environmental factors, such as heat, sunlight and cold can irritate the condition. If this is the case, protect the child from them or avoid them as much as possible
• Use a humidifier in winter and summer
• Moisturise the skin. Washing with water alone rapidly results in drying, but adding oil to water will moisturise dry, eczema-prone skin effectively. Discuss with the dermatologist what is available. It may take some time and experimentation to find the best product for you.
• Bandages can be used to stop scratching at night. Cotton mittens can be especially helpful
• Fingernails should be kept short to decrease the damage caused by scratching.