Introduction
Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It is a long-term, or chronic, condition.
Atopic eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is the most common form of eczema. It mainly affects children, but can continue into adulthood.
Atopic eczema commonly occurs in areas with folds of skin such as:
- behind the knees
- on the front of the elbows
- on the side of the neck
- around the eyes and ears
See Atopic eczema - symptoms for more information.
What causes atopic eczema?
The exact cause of atopic eczema is unknown. However, it often occurs in people who get allergies ("atopic" means sensitivity to allergens).
Atopic eczema can run in families and often occurs alongside other conditions such as asthma and hay fever.
See Atopic eczema - causes for more information.
How common is atopic eczema?
About one in five children in the UK has eczema. In 8 out of 10 cases, atopic eczema occurs before a child reaches five years of age. Many children develop it before their first birthday.
The number of people diagnosed with atopic eczema has increased in recent years. This could be due to changes in lifestyle or environmental factors that cause eczema, or because healthcare professionals are now more aware of the symptoms.
Males and females are affected equally. There is some evidence that eczema may be slightly more common in people from African-Caribbean backgrounds.
Outlook
Atopic eczema can vary in severity. Most people are only mildly affected and have small areas of dry or red skin, which are occasionally itchy.
Other people have more severe symptoms, such as cracked, sore and bleeding skin.
A person with atopic eczema usually has periods when symptoms are less noticeable, and flare-ups when symptoms become more severe and require additional treatment.
Atopic eczema clears up or significantly improves in many children as they get older. In about 53% of cases, atopic eczema clears up by the time a child reaches 11 years of age, and in 65% of cases it clears up by 16 years of age.
Severe eczema often has a significant impact on daily life and may be difficult to cope with physically and mentally. However, many different treatments can be used to control symptoms and manage the eczema.
See Atopic eczema - treatment for more information.
Other types of eczema
Other types of eczema include:
- circular or oval patches of eczema that usually affect adults (discoid eczema)
- eczema that occurs when the body comes into contact with a particular substance (contact dermatitis)
- eczema that occurs on the legs, usually around swollen and enlarged veins (varicose eczema)
- red, scaly patches that can occur on the sides of the nose, eyebrows, ears and scalp (seborrhoeic eczema)
