Eczema

Eczema (from Greek ēkzema, "to boil over") is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The epidermis is the outer layer of the skin.

Eczema is a skin disease that makes your skin dry with a red or pink color to it. It becomes irritated very easily. The person's skin may start to fall off. The person may get a rash, and skin may ooze fluids (liquid will come out from the area). If a person has eczema, the person's skin might itch and turn a lighter color in the area. Eczema is common in creases of the body (i.e. on the backs of knees, on your eyelids, in between your fingers). It worsens with extreme temperatures, so it is most common during the winter and the summer. The extreme heat can make you sweat which will irritate the dry spots. The extreme cold will dry your skin out even more. It also can become irritated from a quick change in temperature. For example, if you are outside on a summer day and come into the air conditioning.

Eczema can last for a most of a person's life, but there is a good chance you will out grow it before you are eighteen. If you do not outgrow it by the age of eighteen, the odds that you will have it for the rest of your life increase. The good thing is, even if you do not outgrow it symptoms usually lessen the older you are. The worst breakouts are usually when you are very young. Some babies are born with eczema and deal with it a lot during their first years of life.

There are three different kinds of eczema: atopic, contact dermatitis, and neurodermatitis. No kind of Eczema is contagious. If a person's relatives have Eczema, that person is more likely to have it, too. For example, if your father grew up having eczema there is a high likelihood you will have it during your lifetime.

There are some foods or medicines that can start eczema. A lot of children who are sensitive to dairy or gluten will find this leads to eczema flare ups. Also, if you have an allergic reaction to a food this can cause hives which can sometimes turn into an eczema irritation spot.

There are medicines that can help eczema hurt less. There is a medicine called hydroxyzine that is commonly used to treat it. This prevents people from itching their eczema during their sleep. There is also a new product on the market called Dupixent. This is an injection one must give to themselves once every other week. It helps to lessen the dry skin and rashes that come with eczema.

Eczema can also be treated with lotions and ointments. It can be treated with over the counter lotions such as Eucerin, Cera Ve, or a cortisone ointment. There are also prescription steroid creams that will help the eczema spots. These are typically just stronger cortisone ointments. Also, using Aquaphor on very dry spots can help them from drying out further. In some extreme cases, people might find it necessary to receive an oral steroid or steroid shot to lessen their irritation. Bathing with hot water will make Eczema rashes worse.