Serious skin conditions affect around seven million of people in the UK alone.
They can cause significant emotional distress as well as physical discomfort.
What is it?
Eczema or dermatitis is a group of inflammatory skin disorders that make the skin dry, itchy, flaky, red and sore. In more severe forms the skin can become broken and weep or bleed.
The different types of eczema have very different causes and treatments, making their correct diagnosis important. None are contagious.
The commonest is atopic or allergic eczema, which tends to run in families and is linked with asthma and hayfever. Many children grow out of this type of eczema, but adults can have it too.
Other types include:
Contact dermatitis - caused by irritants to the skin such as nickel or detergents
Seborrhoeic eczema - cradle cap in babies and a severe form of dandruff in adults
Varicose eczema - typically found on the legs and is caused by poor blood circulation
Discoid eczema - circular patches of eczema on the body
Who gets it?
Eczema is common in childhood - up to a fifth of children of school age have eczema. It also affects one in 12 adults.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom is itch. This can be so severe that it keeps the individual awake at night. Itching will make the condition worse. Lesions can be sore, hot, red, dry and flaky. They may weep or bleed and can become infected. Scaly areas of skin may form in places that are scratched regularly.
Eczema can appear anywhere on the body but is often found in the skin creases of the elbows and wrists and behind the knees. In babies, lesions typically appear on the cheeks.
What is the outlook?
Eczema is never cured but it can be managed. Sometimes it is possible to prevent flare-ups of eczema by avoiding the things that make it worse. For example, this might be avoiding contact with certain detergents or skin irritants like nickel.
Wearing clothing made of cotton rather than synthetic fibres and avoiding itching the skin can also help.
Factors such as stress and changes in hormone levels (during a woman's menstrual cycle) may also contribute to flare-ups.
Mild eczema may resolve itself or only require minimal treatment. Severe eczema, however, can cause extreme discomfort and distress and may even need to be treated in hospital. Treatment will help but the eczema may persist.
How can it be treated?
Emollient creams, lotions and soap substitutes, help avoid flare-ups by preventing the skin from becoming too dry. They can also help lessen the itch and discomfort.
Steroid creams and ointments can be used to reduce the inflammation by dampening down the body's natural immune response. If these do not work more potent steroids can be given as creams or oral tablet on prescription. Other immunosuppressant creams and tablets, such as tacrolimus, are available with a prescription as an alternative to steroids.
Antibiotics may also be required if the skin has become infected.
For some people with eczema, ultra violet light treatment is useful.
Eczema or dermatitis is a group of inflammatory skin disorders that make the skin dry, itchy, flaky, red and sore. In more severe forms the skin can become broken and weep or bleed.
The different types of eczema have very different causes and treatments, making their correct diagnosis important. None are contagious.
The commonest is atopic or allergic eczema, which tends to run in families and is linked with asthma and hayfever. Many children grow out of this type of eczema, but adults can have it too.
Other types include:
Contact dermatitis - caused by irritants to the skin such as nickel or detergents
Seborrhoeic eczema - cradle cap in babies and a severe form of dandruff in adults
Varicose eczema - typically found on the legs and is caused by poor blood circulation
Discoid eczema - circular patches of eczema on the body
Who gets it?
Eczema is common in childhood - up to a fifth of children of school age have eczema. It also affects one in 12 adults.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom is itch. This can be so severe that it keeps the individual awake at night. Itching will make the condition worse. Lesions can be sore, hot, red, dry and flaky. They may weep or bleed and can become infected. Scaly areas of skin may form in places that are scratched regularly.
Eczema can appear anywhere on the body but is often found in the skin creases of the elbows and wrists and behind the knees. In babies, lesions typically appear on the cheeks.
What is the outlook?
Eczema is never cured but it can be managed. Sometimes it is possible to prevent flare-ups of eczema by avoiding the things that make it worse. For example, this might be avoiding contact with certain detergents or skin irritants like nickel.
Wearing clothing made of cotton rather than synthetic fibres and avoiding itching the skin can also help.
Factors such as stress and changes in hormone levels (during a woman's menstrual cycle) may also contribute to flare-ups.
Mild eczema may resolve itself or only require minimal treatment. Severe eczema, however, can cause extreme discomfort and distress and may even need to be treated in hospital. Treatment will help but the eczema may persist.
How can it be treated?
Emollient creams, lotions and soap substitutes, help avoid flare-ups by preventing the skin from becoming too dry. They can also help lessen the itch and discomfort.
Steroid creams and ointments can be used to reduce the inflammation by dampening down the body's natural immune response. If these do not work more potent steroids can be given as creams or oral tablet on prescription. Other immunosuppressant creams and tablets, such as tacrolimus, are available with a prescription as an alternative to steroids.
Antibiotics may also be required if the skin has become infected.
For some people with eczema, ultra violet light treatment is useful.
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