What causes eczema?
Co-author: Acid Chemical Peel. Eczema is a term used for a set of health conditions that make the skin become inflamed or irritated.
The most common type of eczema known is called atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema. What does atopic mean? Well, atopic indicates a group of diseases with an often inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. This means that the problems are rooted in a genetic background and most of the time inherited. Nevertheless, eczema causes still remain unknown from many points of view, although the tendency is to associate them with the living environment and the genetic predisposition.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the number of patiens with atopic eczema is growting presently affecting 9% to 30% of the U.S. population. It is typical in young children and infants. Without the necessity to go further into the investigation of eczema causes, many infants get rid of the problem by the time they turn one, yet, there are people who continue to experience recurrences throughout their entire lives.
Nevertheless, with appropriate treatment, disease control becomes very efficient. The exact eczema causes remain a mystery, but it is believed that the occurrence of the condition is in connection with an overactive response of the body’s immune system to a bacterium that normally lives on the skin or to an irritant factor in the environment. Moreover, it seems that in families where someone suffers from allergies or asthma, chances are higher for other family members to get eczema. Hence, eczema causes could definitely be genetic.
The surrounding environment may contain the trigger of an allergic reaction under the form of eczema, and this over-sensitivity could be counted among eczema causes. Therefore, exposure to rough or coarse materials for some, cold or hot sensations in others’ cases, as well as the direct contact with pets, and chemicals in the household may lead to outbreaks of this condition. Besides all these, it seems that eczema is also favored by upper respiratory infections and colds. Stress is known to deteriorate the health condition even further, contributing to an aggravation of the eczema. Even if the disease is not contagious, people who suffer from eczema may never get cured completely; treatments do keep it under control, but the problem could outburst after years of recession.
Sent by: Acid Peel, Pankrella Christina.
