6 Early Warning Signs of Eczema You Shouldn't Ignore

Your skin, in addition to being the largest organ of the body, works to perform its complex set of tasks with three layers of tissue: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. Your epidermis makes up the outer layer, and its upper layer, also known as the stratum corneum, acts as a defense barrier from external threats to keep you healthy.

Acting as a line of defense means you’re constantly exposed to threats, and illnesses like eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, can compromise how well this barrier performs that task. To determine if you have this skin disorder, we need to gather more information about the illness, examine its causes and risk factors, and learn the signs that indicate it.

Residents of Clarkston and Pullman, Washington. struggling with the signs of eczema or other skin problems can find help with Drs. Walter Williams, Lindsey Goddard, and their medical team at the Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center.

Eczema basics

This non-contagious chronic skin condition inflames the stratum corneum and reduces your skin’s ability to retain moisture, which makes the skin barrier in its uppermost layers far less effective. It’s common enough that 31 million people in the US deal with it, and infants are prone to developing it (though many outgrow it over time.

Atopic dermatitis happens more frequently than the other types and starts as early as two years old, but you can experience this illness in several ways, and you can have multiple types at a time:

Contact dermatitis: a reaction from things you touch, which can be allergic or non-allergic

Dyshidrotic eczema: also called pompholyx, causes hand and foot blisters

Seborrheic dermatitis: commonly occurs on your scalp, called cradle cap in infants

Neurodermatitis: also called lichen simplex chronicus, this causes intense itching in one to two patches

Nummular eczema: produces round, coin-shaped spots that can last several years

Stasis dermatitis: common in people with poor blood circulation and often happens in the legs and ankles

Causes and risk factors

Research is ongoing to uncover the overall cause of eczema, but several factors can affect whether you’re likely to have it, varying by type. This research includes a family history of the illness, exposure to various environmental triggers, and stress. Moreover, a combination of these issues can also cause it to occur.

Common environmental triggers of this condition include fabrics (wool, latex, synthetic fabrics), metals (copper, cobalt chloride, chromium, nickel, and gold), pet dander, cockroaches, insect bites or stings, cigarette smoke, pollen, dust mites, mold, and temperature changes. Stress can also trigger outbreaks, and various fragrances are known to trigger eczema.

Symptoms to look for

You should get your skin looked at if you’re dealing with signs of eczema, such as:

Dealing with excessive dryness or itchiness, often with scaly patches
Developing rashes on your skin
Discoloration of skin
Rough, leathery patches of skin
Swelling and inflammation
Crusting or oozing on your skin

Having one symptom could indicate several conditions, but if you have multiple symptoms, you should make an appointment with Drs. Williams, Goddard, and the team at Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center today to have it checked out.