Atopic dermatitis symptoms

Information on Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a common medical condition which affects the skin. It affects a large number of people and in most cases it is actually chronic. It may also be referred to as atopy, dermatitis and eczema. There is the so called atopic dermatitis triad which includes eczema, hay fever and asthma. It is a well known fact that atopic dermatitis is hereditary in most cases. The most common signs of atopic dermatitis include itchiness and skin rashes. Dermatitis is actually an inflammatory condition which affects the skin. The word atopic means that the medical condition runs in the family.

Atopic dermatitis involves extreme itchiness, inflammatory conditions, dryness of the skin, scaling, crusting, weeping, cracking, redness and swelling. Atopic dermatitis may affect people from all age groups but it usually occurs in infants and children. It is not uncommon for dermatitis to be reoccurring in some cases. There are numerous different types of factors which can contribute to the occurrence of atopic dermatitis and those include cold weather and other environmental factors, new skin creams or other products, exposure to harsh detergents and soaps, seasonal allergies and dry skin. Contrary to some beliefs and misconceptions, it is very important to note that atopic dermatitis actually is not contagious.

Eczema

Atopic dermatitis and eczema can easily be confused because they share many common signs and symptoms. Atopic dermatitis actually includes eczema, along with certain other medical conditions. There are various different types of eczema. Contact eczema is localized and it involves burning sensations, itching, redness and several other similar types of symptoms. Another type is called allergic contact eczema and it involves an allergic reactions accompanied by redness and itchiness of the skin. Another common form of skin inflammation is called seborrheic eczema which is characterized by oily and scaly patches of skin which can occur at any part of the body. It is also sometimes referred to as dandruff.

Nummular eczema is a painful medical condition which involves round isolated patches of highly irritated skin. Another different type of dermatitis is known as neurodermatitis. It characterizes the condition in which the patient keeps picking at the skin which causes the occurrence of skin rash. Another medical condition called stasis dermatitis is characterized by skin irritation which commonly occurs in the lower portions of legs. It is usually related to vein congestions in the legs and other similar circulatory problems.