Eczema Causes - Understanding them Better

Many of you might be aware of a common skin problem occurring in infants and small children called Eczema. For those of you who are not aware of this condition, Eczema is a type of dermatitis that affects certain areas of the skin in the body. The most prone areas are the head and neck areas as well as areas like ankles, knees and the elbows. But, are there different types of eczema and what are the eczema causes?

Although symptoms of the various types of eczema might be quite similar, there are many forms of eczema. Of these, the most common types are the atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, xerotic eczema and the seborrhoeic eczema. There are various other rarely occurring types of eczema, some of which are discoid eczema, dermatitis herpetiformis, dyshidrosis, neurodermatitis, autosensitization and venous eczema.

Although the exact causative factors for the various types of eczema is not quite well understood, many postulations to the possible etiology have been described.

Atopic eczema is one of the most common types of eczema that has been known to occur. Although the causative factor is thought to be due to allergens, it is believed to have a hereditary origin. The symptoms in this condition are more often seen in the head and neck area along with areas like knees, elbows and the buttocks.

Contact dermatitis is believed to be due to exposure to certain allergens or skin irritants. Allergens may include pollen, dust mites, dander, poison ivy, etc while skin irritants are usually from occupational hazards like exposure to chemicals.

While xerotic eczema is more often seen in older people with symptoms worsening due to changes in the weather, seborrohoeic dermatitis is more often seen in infants due to drying of the scalp area.

Discoid eczema also tends to worsen in the cold seasons and is observed as round rashes with oozing. Dyshidrosis is seen more in the palms and soles as tiny vesicles (bumps) and this is more during summers.

Dermatitis herpetiformis is associated with another condition called celiac disease and symptoms usually subside with changes in diet. Neurodermatitis present with a single area of thickened skin and is usually caused due to scratching out of habit.

Autosensitization is a type of eczema that sets in due to any infection from bacteria, viruses, fungi or even parasites. The symptoms generally disappear once the original infection is treated. Venous eczema is seen in patients with some disturbances with the circulation of blood. Examples of circulatory problems where this kind of eczema is generally seen are edema and varicose veins.

While most types of eczema has no total cure, some eczema causes like autosensitization and seborrhoeic eczema can be totally cured. Even though there is no total cure for many forms of eczema, the symptoms seen can be kept minimal by following many lifestyle changes as well as by taking certain preventive measures and treatments.