Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a skin disease that can occur for various reasons and manifests itself with symptoms such as redness, itching, swelling, and vesicles. It is one of the most common skin diseases in society. Although the exact cause is unknown, it is thought to be triggered by allergies and stress. The symptoms of eczema can vary depending on the type.
The most basic symptoms of eczema are redness and itching of varying intensity. Depending on the dryness, flaking, rash and cracks may also be seen. For this reason, the skin should not be itchy and should be adequately moisturized in order not to cause irritation.
Eczema, which develops regardless of age and gender, usually begins in childhood, but there are also cases that begin in adulthood. Eczema, which is usually seen on the hands and feet, can also be seen in other parts of the skin. Eczema is a disease that is possible and easy to treat. However, the treatment should not be delayed; Because cracks may occur on the skin that shows signs of eczema, which disrupts the integrity of the skin, and then bacteria can enter the skin and cause an infection.
One of the most frequently asked questions is “Is eczema contagious?” is the question. However, there is no need to be afraid at this point. This disease, which occurs on the skin surface and can be disturbing in appearance, is not contagious.
What Are the Symptoms of Eczema?
The symptoms of eczema, which can usually be seen on skin surfaces such as hands, feet, legs, face and scalp, may vary from person to person. General symptoms include redness, itching, vesicle formation, scaling and burning sensation. In particular, itching may increase at night and become uncomfortable for patients. In such cases, skin irritations and injuries may occur due to scratching.
In the initial stage of the disease, the patient complains of small blisters containing water on the skin. In acute eczema, this is accompanied by discharge, while in chronic eczema more flakes are seen. Eczema can be easily distinguished from other skin diseases such as psoriasis by the blisters it forms on the skin.
What are the conditions that cause eczema?
Among the causes of eczema, genetic factors and exposure to allergic substances to which the skin is sensitive are the most observed conditions. People working in work areas exposed to chemical substances and in dusty environments are among the risk groups for eczema.
If eczema has developed due to allergic reasons, there will be no improvement as long as the patient continues to be exposed to these substances. For this reason, the patient should detect the allergen and avoid even a short contact with it.
Stress has negative effects on the skin. Its effect on eczema is that it increases the severity of the disease; stress causes symptoms to worsen. In such cases, trying to reduce the stress in daily life will help keep the symptoms under control.
Where Does Eczema Occur on the Body?
Eczema can be seen in any part of the body, but it has been found to be more common in some regions. Among these regions, the first thing that draws attention is the hand.
The organ that is most exposed to substances that dry the skin such as soap and that comes into contact with dusty surfaces the most is the hand. Therefore, eczema is very common on the hands. Although eczema may start in one hand, it may tend to spread to the other hand or other areas. Since it is a constantly used skin surface, it may cause more discomfort.
Another organ where eczema is common is the foot. The same symptoms are seen on the feet as with eczema in other parts of the body. However, unlike other areas, the symptoms of eczema may take a long time to pass, as the feet can stay without air for a long time. For this reason, care should be taken to ensure that the foot is airtight and not sweaty. It is recommended to choose socks and shoes that will provide ventilation.
The face is an area where eczema can be seen. Eczema can be seen on only one part of the face, or it can spread to the entire face. If eczema has occurred on the face, it should be kept in mind that the cosmetics and creams used while taking the patient’s history may cause it, and it should be ensured that the patient uses creams that will not harm the skin.
Eczema, which can also be seen chronically on the scalp, is a type of eczema called “seborrheic dermatitis”. Although this type of eczema causes rashes on the scalp, these rashes should not be confused with dandruff. As with other eczema, it has a relationship with stress and dryness on the skin surface caused by cold weather in winter. Special shampoos and conditioners may be recommended by the doctor.
Another area where eczema is seen is the ear. It usually occurs with complaints of redness, itching and ear sensitivity. It is mostly caused by irritation of the area. Being on an oily skin surface, it differs from the types of eczema seen in other regions. It can be easily treated with an eczema cream recommended by a dermatologist.
What Are the Types of Eczema?
Eczema is medically treated with different classifications.
According to this, the types of eczema are:
Asteatotic Eczema
It occurs due to a decrease in the amount of oil in the skin for various reasons. These reasons include aging and seasonal changes. The incidence increases with advancing age, as the oil content of the skin decreases. In addition, it has been determined that the incidence of the disease increases due to the increase in dryness in the air during the winter months. In this type of eczema, dryness, flaking is observed on the skin with the reduction of the oil layer and cracks may occur on the skin.
Atopic Eczema
Itching, redness and scaling are among the symptoms of atopic eczema. It can start on the face and spread to the hands, arms, legs and trunk. It is also known as baby eczema, as it is mostly seen in infancy and childhood. This disease, which can recur even if treatment is applied in infants, may disappear spontaneously in later ages.
Gravitational Eczema
It is a disease that usually accompanies varicose veins. It can be seen in people who have a high risk of varicose veins and who work standing up, and its incidence increases in older ages. The disease manifests itself with the increase in blood pressure in the area of varicose veins, and the increase in pressure on the skin and irritation of the skin.
The main symptoms include swelling in the lower legs or ankles, varicose veins, leg pain, itching, redness, scaling and dryness, which disappear during sleep and appear during the day. If left untreated, there is a risk of it becoming chronic.
Contact Eczema
This type of eczema usually only affects the area in contact with the allergen. Examples of allergens are cosmetics, paints, cleaning agents, various industrial substances and poisonous plants. In order to prevent this type of eczema, it is necessary to detect the allergen and cut off contact with it. Contact eczema can be short-term and temporary, or it can be long-term and recurrent.
Nummular Eczema
It is a chronic disease characterized by circular and multiple lesions on the skin. These spots are in the form of itchy and fluid-filled blisters. As the fluid in the blisters drains, the skin may become dry and crusting may occur. It is usually seen on the hands, arms and legs.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
The causes of seborrheic dermatitis, a type of chronic eczema, are not fully known. Also known as ear eczema, this type of eczema is mostly seen on oily skin. However, the place where it is seen is not limited to the ear, but can also be found on other oily skin parts of the body. For example, ear, scalp, chest area, nose edges can be shown. It is known that stress is especially effective in the emergence of the disease.
Stress Eczema
Stress is one of the important factors that cause eczema. In order to prevent eczema caused by stress, stressful environments and situations should be avoided.
Eczema Diagnosis
Eczema is a disease that is not difficult to diagnose in terms of symptoms. The diagnosis of eczema is made by anamnesis (patient history), physical examination, skin prick test and patch test.
anamnesis
When taking the anamnesis, known as the patient’s history, information should be obtained especially about the personal care products, cosmetic products, soap, detergent or other chemical substances that come into contact with the skin of the person. For diagnosis, the patient’s history should be supported by physical examination findings such as itching, redness, and fluid-filled blisters.
Patch Test
If there is a suspicion that the cause of eczema is an allergen, patch test is applied. Patches containing more than one allergen substance are adhered to the patient’s back. After 2-3 days, it is checked whether the skin shows an allergic reaction to the patches removed.
Skin Prick Test (SPT)
This method is applied to the inner surface of the forearm. Certain allergenic substances are dripped onto the skin and a scratch is created with the help of a sterile lancet. Substances that cause redness and blisters after waiting for a while are defined as allergens.
Eczema Treatment
At the beginning of the questions that come to the mind of eczema patients, “How is eczema treated?” is coming. If there is a clear problem such as allergen substance or stress that causes eczema, these should be eliminated first. It is necessary to use chemicals, cosmetic products and all kinds of cleaning products that come into contact with the skin carefully. It should be noted that the products to be used in daily life are suitable for eczema. Apart from these, there is no treatment that prevents the formation of eczema or completely destroys the disease after it occurs. Instead, symptomatic treatment is applied. By applying treatments to reduce symptoms such as itching, redness and blisters with various creams and medications, the patient’s quality of life can be increased and conditions such as infection can be prevented.
Skin moisturizing creams or creams and lotions to strengthen the skin to prevent the skin from drying and cracking and preventing damage.
applicable. Some creams containing steroids can be used for itching and redness on the skin surface. In cases where locally applied creams cannot be effective, methods such as oral or intravenous corticosteroid administration and phototherapy are used. If there is an infection due to the crack, antibiotics can be treated, and for itching, antihistamines can be used to treat it.
What Can Be Done for Eczema?
Although eczema may seem like a simple disease, it is a disease that can cause discomfort to the patient and reduce the quality of life with itching.
In cold weather that can dry the skin, moisturizing the skin before going out can be effective in preventing eczema, especially in winter. However, it is necessary to maintain the moisture balance of the skin at all times, not only in winter months. For example, the skin should be moistened to prevent the dryness that soap and shower gels may cause after bathing.
Water consumption is also important for the skin to maintain its moisture balance. Drinking enough water and maintaining a healthy diet not only contributes to the prevention of many diseases, but also helps keep eczema under control.
To prevent eczema, it is recommended to minimize contact with dusty surfaces or harmful chemicals. For this, people who come into contact with such substances frequently for work or for various reasons should wear gloves.
If eczema has developed, patients may need to follow some additional recommendations in addition to continuing to follow the above precautions. For example, in order to avoid irritation on the skin and to prevent cracks, the areas with eczema should never be itchy.
The doctor’s recommendations should be strictly followed. Medications to be taken orally or creams to be applied to the skin should be used in the amount and frequency recommended by the doctor.
For early diagnosis, a doctor should be consulted before the disease spreads and progresses.