What Is Eczema?
Eczema is an allergic skin disease that commonly begins during childhood. The skin disease can vary from mild to severe and can affect any part of the body. It is a common disease that affects over 31 million people in the United States.
The most common signs that indicate you might have eczema include patches of dry skin, itchy skin that can be red and painful. If a person scratches their skin, it can become scaly, flaky and thick.
Experts are still not sure what the exact cause of eczema is, but suggest that certain factors might contribute to it. These include:
- Having a family history of eczema, asthma, or allergies
- Lack of a specific protein called filaggrin [2]
- A person’s home and work environment
- Whether a person has exposure to pollution, stress, smoke, or chemicals
Up to half of the people with moderate to severe eczema also experience other conditions such as hay fever, food allergies, and asthma.