What is eczema?
Eczema is a common skin condition which usually first presents in childhood, affecting 1 in 5 children in the UK. It often runs in families and can be associated with other allergic-type conditions (also known as atopic conditions) such as hayfever, food allergies and asthma. Eczema can be variable from person to person, affecting different parts of the body and with different levels of impact on the individual.
What causes eczema?
Your skin is a natural barrier which protects you from the outside world whilst also keeping the moisture in. In eczema, the barrier doesn’t work as well as it should, allowing moisture to seep out and things from the environment to get in. This results in skin which is dry, inflamed and itchy due to a loss of moisture and irritation from particles in the environment.
Click here to watch a video on what eczema is and its symptoms
The skin in eczema is usually itchy and dry, and if severe can cause difficulties with sleeping and participating in regular activities. Sometimes the skin will bleed due to scratching, and over time the skin can become thickened due to repeated scratching.
Often these symptoms fluctuate, with episodes called ‘flares’; sometimes flares occur due to exposure to a trigger, at other times there is no clear cause.
Eczema can affect anywhere on the body, but typically is found in the joint creases in children, for example the knees and elbows. In babies it often begins on the cheeks.
