Eczema, or dermatitis, is a term that refers to several different types of skin swelling that affect nearly 15 million people in the United States alone. Eczema is not particularly dangerous or contagious, however it is itchy, annoying and without treatment can spread across your skin and become quite unpleasant.

The causes of eczema are not well known, however genetics, diet, allergies and stress have been shown to have an affect on the occurrences of eczema. If you have sensitive skin for instance, you may find that certain substances such as nickel (often found in buttons on jeans) can irritate your skin and cause inflammation.

Some soaps and body creams are more likely to irritate sensitive skin than others, so it is advisable to test them on smaller patches of your body to assess a reaction before using them all over. Sometimes a mild soap such as Dove that doesn't have an alkaline base will produce the best results for people with particularly sensitive skin.

Classic eczema skin symptoms include redness in the skin, often on the face and legs. The skin can become itchy and inflamed, and can be accompanied by painful cracks in the skin. Other cases of eczema leads to skin that oozes and actually becomes crusty.

When eczema skin itches, it can become nearly impossible not to scratch it. Using a mild soap to wash the affected area often helps. Oil of Olay skin cream can provide relief, as can Neem anti-bacterial creams and oils. If over the counter treatments are not strong enough, consult a dermatologist. Eczema can be quite easy to clear up with the prescription creams that are available today.

So, how can you help to manage your own outbreaks of eczema? Keep a journal of any eczema symptom that you may encounter. For instance, when you first feel itchy patches of skin or notice inflamed skin on your face or body, make a note in a journal. Was the weather particularly dry? Did you just finish a particular activity or have a stressful day? Did you just eat a particular type of food that is unusual in your diet? Then on a regular basis keep track of any changes in these symptoms.

Once you have begun taking a cream or ointment, keep another journal in which you describe the results. Have the symptoms improved? How long does it take for the patches to clear up? Do they actually get worse? After you stop applying the cream, how long does it take for the symptoms to reappear?

If you are using prescription cream for your eczema, keep a record of what you take and when. Is it producing faster results than the over-the-counter creams? Are there any side effects? Keep track of when side effects occur and how severe they are. Having this information handy will help your doctor prescribe the treatment that best addresses your overall health.

Setting up journals like the ones described here is easy to do. You can use a paper worksheet, a computer word processing program, or even a spreadsheet program like Excel.

You owe it to yourself to take an active role in managing your own health. Eczema flare-ups are easy to treat if you attend to them quickly. However, failing to deal with the problem can allow the eczema to spread making it much more annoying and time-consuming to get rid of. You need to use every tool at your disposal to make sure you get the best results possible.