If your skin sometimes itches and turns red, you might have eczema.
Eczema also comes in a few other forms, with each type having its own set of symptoms and triggers.
Atopic Dermatitis
This is the most common form of eczema, starting in childhood, and often getting milder or going away by adulthood.
Symptoms Include:
The rash in the creases of your elbows or knees, skin turning lighter or darker, or getting thicker or more.
Contact Dermatitis
If you have red, irritated skin caused by a reaction to substances you touch, you may have this condition. Contact dermatitis comes in two types: Allergic contact dermatitis and Irritant contact dermatitis.
Symptoms Include:
Itchy skin that turns red, burns, and stings, itchy bumps, fluid-filled blisters and more.
Dyshidrotic Eczema
Dyshidrotic eczema can cause small blisters to form on your hands and feet and is more common in women than men.
Symptoms Include:
Fluid-filled blisters on your fingers, toes, palms, and soles of your feet and skin that can scale, crack, and flake.
Hand Eczema
Eczema that affects only your hands is called hand eczema if you work in a job like hairdressing or cleaning.
Symptoms Include:
Red, itchy, and dry hands that may form cracks or blisters.
Neurodermatitis
Neurodermatitis is very similar to atopic dermatitis, causing thick, scaly patches to show up on your skin.
Symptoms Include:
Thick, scaly patches that form on your arms, legs, back of your neck, scalp, bottoms of your feet, that can be very itchy, especially when you’re relaxed or asleep.
Nummular Eczema
This form of eczema causes round, coin-shaped spots to form on your skin. It looks very different from the other types of eczema, and it can itch a lot.
Symptoms Include:
Round, coin-shaped spots may form on your skin and itch or become scaly.
Stasis Dermatitis
This condition happens when fluid leaks out of weakened veins into your skin, causing swelling, redness, itching, and pain.
Symptoms Include:
The lower part of your legs swelling up, during the day when you’ve been walking with your legs aching or feeling heavy. You may also have varicose veins with itchy skin.
Treatments Include:
Eczema often comes and goes and you might need to try different medicines to get rid of the rash.
- Antihistamines can control the itch.
- Corticosteroid cream or ointment can reduce itching.
- Calcineurin inhibitors reduce the immune responses that cause red, itchy skin.
- Antibiotics can treat skin infections.