Eczema is a category of skin disease that is characterized by inflammation, itching, dry scaly skin, and in severe cases, small fluid filled blisters and insomnia. It is the most common skin disease in children today. Mild cases of Eczema are a little worse than a tendency toward dry, itching skin. Severe cases can effect the whole body, can be intensely itchy, uncomfortable, and even have an effect on the person in a psychological manner due to self- consciousness.
Eczema sufferers have acute flare-ups or relapses of their hronic disease that can be annoying, itchy, and very uncomfortable. Eczema is not a contagious skin disease, but it does effect around 1 in 10 people. Its causes arent fully understood yet, but eczema seems to occur in people with family or personal history of allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, food allergies, icthyosis vulgaris, and keratosis pilaris. Eczema has always seemed to be a genetic skin disease, but until recently the researchers have been unable to identify a specific gene involved in the passing n of eczema.
Now, doctors believe they have found a gene that causes eczema, but since it is not present in all cases of eczema, they believe that there is more than one gene that can cause eczema. Also, a maternal pattern of inheritance has been discovered. Doctors and researchers believe that this maternal inheritance pattern is due to modification in the immune responses in utero, or via breast milk. There is no way to absolutely cure eczema although, many treatments have been found to be effective.
Now, with the wonderful discovery of one of the genes that may cause eczema, who knows what will happen. They are working on ways to permanently rid people of eczema all the time, but knowing exactly where the instructions on how to create the disease are located make finding a cure more likely. There are many things that can trigger or worsen cases of eczema. The number one cause of eczema flare-ups is emotional stress. Anger, frustration, anxiety, family hostility, rejection, and guilt can complicate the problem of eczema.
Irritants such as soaps, solvents, and laundry detergent can provoke it also. The only way to keep irritants from triggering eczema is to avoid them by using substitutes like a non-soap cleaning agent. Allergens in food and the air can also cause eczema to flare-up. Dietary management and air purifiers can help keep allergens under control. Infections of both a viral and bacterial nature can cause eczema to relapse. When the immune system is weak from illness, eczema sufferers are more prone to break outs of greater seriousness and discomfort.
