Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis in medical terms, can cause itching, dry skin, rashes or spots. Although it is not contagious, it is a condition that reduces the person’s quality of daily life and disturbs the person. Eczema, whose treatment is not known to be long or difficult, is an extremely common inflammatory skin disease. These negative changes in the skin weaken the protective feature of the skin, which helps preserve moisture and defend the skin against external factors.
Eczema, which occurs due to irritating allergens, products such as bath bubbles, shampoo, soap, detergent, or factors such as cold weather, humidity, pollen, mold, and dust, can also be caused by a type of bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. Some conditions that cause the skin to react and deform are as follows:
- Genetic reasons
- exposure to air pollution
- Skin care or makeup products
- Food-related allergies
- Cold weather
- Weakness in the immune system
- Moisture
- Anxiety
- Stress
There is more than one type of eczema. Atopic eczema is one of them and generally occurs due to environmental, genetic and immunological factors. Another type of eczema is seborrheic dermatitis. Although the cause of this type is not fully explained, it appears mostly in the oily parts of the skin. Asteatotic eczema is more common in the elderly and occurs due to frequent baths and the decrease in the oil needed by the upper layer of the skin.
Contact eczema is expressed as a chronic reaction. Some cosmetic products or cleaning materials that trigger eczema can cause this type of eczema to occur. Numular eczema, which is a type of eczema mostly seen on the arms and legs, manifests itself as coin-sized and itchy round spots. Gravitational eczema, another type of eczema, is also seen in the elderly and people who have to work standing.
What are the symptoms of eczema?
Various types of eczema can present with different symptoms. However, in general, itching is found in all types of eczema. Apart from this, eczema symptoms are as follows:
- Dark spots on the skin
- hardening of the skin
- Edema in the legs
- Dry skin
- Cracking in the skin
- Itching
- crusting on the skin
- Feeling of extreme sensitivity on the skin
- Scratch-like marks on the skin
- skin shedding
Is eczema contagious?
Although eczema is considered contagious by some people, it is one of the non-contagious skin diseases. In order to diagnose a person with eczema, eczema symptoms must first appear in that person. If eczema is suspected, a doctor who specializes in this field should be seen immediately.
Some tests can help diagnose eczema and determine which type of eczema is seen. Doctors perform a test called a patch and a physical examination to diagnose this disease. When allergenic conditions occur in patch tests, an evaluation is made by dermatologists and a diagnosis is made based on the test results.
Symptoms of eczema can be seen on the hair, hands, feet or skin in different parts of the body. For the treatment of eczema, which is mostly seen on the hands, some medications other than cortisone are recommended to suppress the immune system. Wet dressings or local corticosteroid ointments are other treatment methods that can be used if doctors deem it appropriate.
Is it possible to protect from eczema?
It is known that eczema, which is quite common around the world, generally occurs due to stress. There are some precautions that can be taken to protect against eczema. These importance can be listed as follows:
- The frequency of bathing should be regulated without ignoring the seasons.
- Neutral soaps should be used.
- The living area should be ventilated frequently.
- Stress should be avoided as much as possible, and activities such as walking, running and swimming should be done with the doctor’s recommendation.
- You should not drink less water than the amount of water that should be consumed during the day.
- It is important to eat healthy.
- You should sleep regularly.