What is Eczema

For so many people Eczema is a fact of life. At present, there is no cure for the skin condition, even though it is not contagious and very rarely infectious and with careful attention we can control the symptoms reasonably well. Eczema does not distinguish on the basis of age or sex. It affects people starting from the youngest and ending with oldest and sometimes everyone in between them.

Atopic Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis

There is also no gender discrimination for causing the eczema. Across the globe, Eczema is one of the most extensive skin disorders. Eczema prone skin is dry, itchy, red, swollen and very sensitive. From mild to moderate to sever, eczema can take any form. Atopic Eczema which is also known s atopic dermatitis is one of the most common kinds of eczema and in the United States this kind affects approximately one in every eight children under the age of five per year.

Babies are also very much prone to develop atopic eczema (an estimated thirty percent) although many do outgrow the skin problem, often by the time they are toddlers, two or three years old, while others will leave it behind as they enter their school Years.

Child Eczema

Known as child eczema, the symptoms of eczema are carried by some children from their teenage years to their adulthood, many children who still have eczema in their adult life often have mild or moderate symptoms as opposed to severe. Beginning years of a child’s life is more prone to eczema than it will be in the later stages down the line.

Causes of Eczema: Allergens or Food

In some incidences, it is also held that eczema be caused by sensitivity to certain kinds of foods and/or contact allergens such as for example, dust or mold. By sweating or overheating as well as exposure to the extremes of hot or cold temperatures also allergenic forms of eczema can be made worse.

Allergenic and Non-Allergenic Groups

Even though, there are a number of types of eczema, it generally broken down into the allergenic and non-allergenic groups. Caused by the allergies, allergenic eczema is theorized by health experts that it has a family connection, as does such other disorders as hay fever and asthma. In general, people prone to eczema are more likely to have other disorders as well.

Types of Eczema

Allergic forms of eczema include

• Atopic Eczema (the most common type by far)
• Allergic Contact Eczema
• Irritant Contact Eczema

Non-allergenic forms of eczema include

• Infantile Seborrhoeic Eczema (also known in layman’s terms as cradle cap)
• Adult Seborrhoeic Eczema (ex: - dandruff)
• Varicose Eczema (which generally affects older individuals and is particularly bad around the ankles)
• Discoid Eczema.

In the flare-ups, high levels of stress are believed to play as are fluctuating hormone levels in women (such as during the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy and during menopause). When it comes to the matter of eczema flare-ups low humidity is also sometimes a factor.

Moisturizers for Eczema

Eczema can be managed as best as possible by using moisturizing twice a day and using emollient creams and lotions (that don’t contain any fragrance or alcohol); by avoiding irritants that could make it flare-up such as harsh detergents, chemicals, or materials such as nickel; by not allowing oneself to become overheated or too stressed and by wearing clothes that are made of predominantly cotton fabric.