Live Life Team
Eczema is a relatively common skin condition in which the upper layer of the skin becomes red, blistered, crusty or scaly. It can also sometimes cause oozing, thickening and pigmentation, though not all these effects will be present in every case of eczema.
As with psoriasis symptoms, the cause of eczema is not yet fully understood by the medical profession. It has been observed that there is a tendency for it to run in families, along with other conditions such as asthma and hay fever.
But while the cause isn’t clear, the mechanism of the condition is known. The skin of people with eczema does not function properly as a barrier and doesn’t prevent irritants and allergy-causing substances from affecting the body. Some people will experience flare-ups of eczema throughout their lives, while others will outgrow it, but as with psoriasis symptoms, there is no cure for eczema.
Eczema symptoms have some similarity to psoriasis symptoms, but vary widely, often depending on the age of the person experiencing the condition.
It is relatively common in infants. Most people who experience adult eczema experience it before the age of five and up to half the children who have eczema go on to have it as adults, although the adult symptoms are significantly different.
In infants, eczema takes the form of rashes that are most common on the scalp and cheeks. These rashes often blister before beginning to ooze fluid. The rashes can cause intense itchiness, which may prevent the infant from sleeping and parental vigilance is required to ensure that the infant doesn’t scratch their eczema patches and cause skin infection.
The symptoms in children over the age of two are more varied. Commonly, rashes occur behind elbows and knees but may also be seen on the neck, ankles and wrists. These rashes can turn bumpy and can change colour, becoming lighter or darker. In some cases, the rashes thicken into knots through a process called lichenification.
As eczema sufferers age, they will commonly experience periodic flare-ups of their skin condition, but between these episodes, their eczema will appear to improve. In adults, the common symptoms include rashes at the elbows, knees and nape of the neck. Rashes can also occur on the neck, face and eyes, along with other parts of the body. Eczema rashes in adults tend to be drier, more itchy and scalier than in children, in some cases sharing some similarity with psoriasis symptoms.
Even among people who experienced eczema as a child but no longer have flare-ups; it is common to suffer from skin that is excessively dry or easily-irritated, along with patches of eczema on their hands, and eye problems. Eczema can be a distressing condition, particularly for children, but the appearance of eczema-affected skin can often depend on how often an affected individual scratches it, and whether it develops infection. Scratching can also increase inflammation and exacerbate itchiness, which can lead to the eczema symptoms appearing significantly worse.
