Definition is in order

Eczema is generally and itchy inflammation of the skin that is a associated with features such as: redness of the affected area of the skin, generally dry skin which thickens at the area where it could have been scratched, lumps or blisters in the affected areas and signs of superficial infections such as weeping or some crusty deposits.

Illustration of Eczema on Human Hands

There are several small sub groups into which the disease has been sub-divided that are largely based on the factors that are mostly suspected to be the cause of the disease. It is good though to discover that the symptoms and appearance on the skin for all these condition are almost the same.

The lines of treatment for the different types of eczema are also almost similar where the main difference would probably be the factors causing an individual’s eczema. When it is suspected that your eczema is due to exposure to different irritant substances at work then removal or protection from the irritant becomes an important aspect in the management of that person’s condition compared to someone else who does not have that kind of history.

Main groups

Atopic: the ‘allergic’ type often seen in people who also have hay fever or asthma.

Allergic contact: due to skin contact to a substance to which the individual is sensitive. The same substance does not cause eczema in a person who is not sensitive to it.

Irritant contact: due to skin contact with irritating chemicals, powders, cleaning agents, etc. Contact with such a substance is likely to cause eczema in any person, although a degree of individual variation still exists.

Discoid: appears as discrete islands of eczema on a background of normal skin.

Seborrhoeic: in infants appears in the nappy area and the scalp. In adults, also appears on the scalp and in the skin creases between the nose and sides of the mouth. It can be caused by yeast infection.

Others: a miscellaneous group including eczema of the legs caused by varicose veins and pompholyx – an intensely itchy form located on the hands and composed of small or (sometimes) large blisters.

Eczema symptoms

Itch: Itching is the main symptom of eczema and if it is not present the rash may not be due to eczema. Just like many other skin conditions itching can be quite common. Therefore simple itching may not exactly point to eczema but then the doctor is most well placed to advice you on the same

Redness

Whenever there is an increased redness of the skin it is an indication that there is an increased blood flow in the area. There is an extensive network of blood capillaries present in the deeper layers of skin that project loops of smaller vessels into the more superficial layers. The very top layer of skin is composed of dead skin cells and has no blood supply, so a superficial cut to this level will not bleed. When skin is inflamed the local network of blood vessels widens, increasing the flow of blood and making it red. When there is a bacterial infection in the deeper layers of the skin there will always be an increased redness and heat from the tissue. When this is recognized as the possible cause of infection it becomes significant in bringing the eczema under control.

Thickening

The skin that is at the areas that have become inflamed will always appear much thicker than those areas that are not affected by the disease. The body does this as a protective response of the skin due to the repeated trauma of scratching the area. The areas that eczema usually attacks are areas around joints such as the elbows, behind the knees and in front of the ankles where the skin is also particularly flexible.

Blisters

Small blisters may be seen in active eczema but occasionally some large ones can get to occur. This is thought to be caused either by the particular kind of eczema or because of skin infection coming along as well as when blisters are filled with not only clear fluid but also some pus.

Crusts

The fluid that oozes from inflamed skin is always rich in proteins and when it dries out due contact with air the protein is left behind as a crusty deposit. Whenever there is an infection the crusts will look golden in color.

Grades of eczema

Eczema can be classified in different grades based on the degree of activity and how long it has been active on your skin.

Acute

In medical language acute simply means something of a rapid onset.  Conditions that come over a short period of time are more often than not quite vigorous in their activity. Although acute should not be taken to mean severe.  Acute eczema is therefore an area that has just recently flared up and is most likely red and has some blisters and possibly some oozing or crusts.

Chronic

In medical terms chronic means long standing. After the initial phase of activity has died down and some bit of skin has had eczema for a bit of time it becomes dry, scaly, thickened and cracked.

Infected

At any stage of eczema it can become infected. This won’t always be obviously different from acute eczema unless there are pus-filled blisters.

Is eczema contagious?

Eczema is not contagious. The thought that it is contagious does a lot of emotional harm to patients who have developed the disease. The reason will be that those who have a severe case will be ostracized if not shunned altogether. Even though the persons with eczema may not look very pretty, it does not mean that they should stay away from the rest of the people. There a few cases where there has been a link to heredity and at times as reaction to some irritants in the environment. We all should learn to treat eczema patients just like we treat anyone else for that matter.