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Eczema is another term for dermatitis. In mild cases, patches of the skin are hot, dry and itchy. In more severe cases the skin can be broken, scaly, and weeping or bleeding. In babies, eczema often occurs on the face but in older children and adults, eczema occurs more often on elbows, knees, wrists, ankles, and on the hands. People who have eczema as a child often grow out of it.

Eczema is a common condition in which the immune system becomes over-active. It is not contagious and is not spread to other people. The two most common types are atopic and contact dermatitis.

In atopic eczema the red, inflamed patches may ooze fluid and form itchy crusts. Atopic eczema is believed to be hereditary, and people with this condition are usually sensitive to a number of allergens or irritants, which cause the immune system to over-react. Atopic eczema is by far the most common form of eczema, and is especially common in children. It often appears in a baby's first few months of life, but it can also appear at any age.

Common irritants that can trigger atopic eczema include wool, animal danders, feathers, dust mites, tobacco smoke, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, and hot and humid or cold and dry air. Eczema symptoms can also be triggered by emotional stress, anxiety or other psychological factors. The eczema can also disappear for no apparent reason. People with atopic eczema often also develop asthma or hay fever.

The second common form of eczema is contact dermatitis, which can be caused by an allergic reaction or by contact with a skin irritant. Contact eczema is not hereditary. Triggers include various chemicals, and metals such as nickel (in earring posts, for example). Other triggers are synthetic materials, dyes and perfumes. The best treatment for contact eczema is obviously to avoid contact with the known irritant.

There are many less common types of eczema. Seborrhoeic eczema affects the head and produces similar symptoms to dandruff in adults. In babies this condition is known as "cradle cap", and causes dry, flaking, non-itchy skin, especially on the head. Varicose eczema affects the ankles and lower legs of elderly people, and is caused by poor circulation. If untreated, the eczema patches can develop into leg ulcers. Discoid eczema (or nummular dermatitis) is often mistaken for ringworm, since it causes coin-shaped patches of reddened skin that may clear in the center, making the rash look like ringworm.

Eczema cannot be cured, but there are many treatments to

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