Eczema Causes
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 refers to 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 prevalence of atopic eczema is growing, and it affects 9% to 30% of the U.S. population. Small children and infants are the most most exposed to atopical eczema. 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 right form of treatment, disease control becomes very efficient.
The exact eczema causes are not known, but studies indicate that the problem results from an over-reaction of the immune system to some chemical irritant factor or to a bacterium that normally lives on our skin. 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.
Among eczema causes, one that may also be considered in the case of patients who suffer flare-ups of this itchy rash, is the patients’ reaction to certain substances or conditions in the surrounding environments. Therefore, exposure to rough or coarse materials for some, cold or hot sensations in others’ cases, as well as getting in contact with household products (soap, detergents, etc) and living near animals may cause an eczema outbreak. 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.
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