Do I Have Eczema

Eczema is known as the itch that rashes. This means that the itch comes first and the scratching ultimately leads to a rash. If you have eczema, ask yourself the following:


1. Do you suffer regularly from dry skin?

2. Do you or anyone in the your family have a history or eczema, asthma or hay fever?

3. Do you find that you initially have an intense itch followed by a rash?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, chances are you have eczema.

Eczema is characterized by a relentless itch and often intense inflammation. It may coincide with crust, scale, thickening of the skin, altered skin color, cracking and small blisters.

Crust occurs when the skin begins to leak serum. As that serum dries it turns into a crust.

An eczema rash will often appear scaly. Scale can take on several different appearances. Scale might look like dry cracked mud. Or it may appear like peeling skin, much like what occurs when someone experiences a severe sun burn. Scale may appear crumbly around the eyes.

Skin that is continually scratched will respond by thickening as a measure of protection. This is not a permanent state. If the area is left alone (avoiding further scratching) the skin will return to its normal state.

Altered skin color occurs when constant scratching begins to affect the cells which produce melanin. This may causes cells to either overproduce pigment or suppress pigment. Consequently, the eczema suffer may find themselves with patches of varying skin color.

Cracking occurs when the skin is so severely dry it cracks and bleeds.

Blisters are more common with a specific type of eczema, but can occur with any eczema. Blisters are often sign of infection.