Eczema

Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a disease of the skin wherein in most cases rashes may appear in the affected parts. Atopic dermatitis is also referred to as Atopic eczema. But eczema is no single disease, it is actually a general term that is used for a number of skin ailments that affects a large section of the population requiring eczema treatment. As per estimates, as many as 10% of the total population in the US and beyond as well is reportedly affected with eczema (forms of eczema). When we consider it in numbers, we come across a figure of 15 million people in the US alone who suffer from some type of eczema. And that is quite a high figure. Apart from adults, even kids (actually the disease happens mostly to infants) are affected by this skin disease. Kids who suffer from eczema often see that the disease goes away naturally as they grow older, and that is a relief still eczema treatment should be looked into.

Interestingly, it has been seen that those in whom there is a family background of eczema, the disease is more likely to happen. Many of these people fall pray to environmental agents, and this condition is known as atopy. This is also thought to be due to heredity, wherein those having allergic rhinitis, asthma or eczema are likely to pass it on to members of their families. Due to this frequently, eczema in many cases come with other diseases such as hay fever and asthma.

Symptoms Of Eczema

The symptoms of the disease tend to differ a lot in extremity from one person to another. For how long the symptoms of eczema may last can also differs to a great extent. However, the most common symptoms of eczema are the rashes that look red in color and are extremely itchy in nature. Now why do these rashes itch? Experts are saying that there are certain triggers that actually cause the rashes to itch. Now these triggers may vary from one person to another. But the usual triggers include detergents, juices of meats and fresh fruits, sweating, animal saliva, dust and even some soaps. Respiratory infections can also act as a trigger. Another common trigger is excessive stress both at home and at office. These triggers cause the rashes to spread and also cause them to itch.

Other symptoms of eczema include inflammation of the skin and blisters. The skin also becomes scaly and dry. Many people having this skin disease end up scratching the skin (since they become itchy), and when they scratch the affected skin, the texture becomes leathery. There may also be flaking and crusting of the skin. In some extreme and advanced cases, eczema may also lead to bleeding and oozing of the rashes and the inflamed portion of the skin.

The symptoms of eczema are usually noticed in the wrists, the neck and the face, ankles, knees, the bends of the elbows and also in the upper chest region. However these are not the only parts that can be affected, as the symptoms of eczema are seen in other areas as well.

In colored people, the symptoms affect pigmentation, and so, the portions of the skin that are affected might look darker or lighter. On the other hand, among the fair-skinned people, the skin first looks red, and then it becomes brown.