Eczema is a widespread skin condition that affects different parts of the body. It typically starts with the skin becoming oozing, scaly, blistering, brownish, red and very itchy. Atopic eczema is one type of eczema. Atopic eczema is also referred to as atopic dermatitis. Atopic refers to the skin becoming inflamed and can also include the nose and the linings of the lungs. Atopic eczema like other allergies is often hereditary. Other allergies that are often passed down are asthma, hay fever and sensitive skin. It is common that if one person in the family has atopic eczema, then other family members (sisters, aunts, fathers, mothers, brothers and uncles) will also have the same or a similar skin condition.

Atopic eczema is extremely common throughout the worlds population with around three% of the population in the US affected and 10% of infants worldwide affected by this particular skin condition. Atopic eczema can occur at anytime in some ones life, but it is more common in young adults and babies. Approximately 65 percent of people who suffer from atopic eczema develop symptoms before their first birthday. The most common areas of breakout are on the forehead, ears, neck, arms and legs. It usually starts in one place on the body and then spreads to other areas.

There is no know instant cure for atopic eczema, however there are several treatment plans than can be used to combat the eczema. If you visit your doctor or dermatologist, one of the first things that they will suggest is a change of lifestyle. Your lifestyle may not be the primary cause of the atopic eczema, but it may be contributing to the common flare-ups and may also aggravate the blisters and lesions that you are trying to get rid of. The doctor or dermatologist will often perform an allergy test to determine if you are coming into contact with any known allergens on a regular basis. These can include soaps, detergents of scented creams and lotions. Sufferers of atopic eczema will often have extremely dry skin. This may be caused by the eczema or may be a result of it. A regular mistake made by some sufferers (often woman) is to increase the amount of and number of creams and lotions they use on their skin. The mistake that they are making is using the popular scented and fragranced creams rather than unscented types. These types of creams and lotions can often trigger other allergies.

If you visit your doctor or dermatologist, they will often supply you with a list of creams or lotions that you can apply to your skin that will ease the itchiness and soothe any burning sensations. You may be able to buy some of these over the counter, but some may be prescription only based drugs depending on the severity of the eczema. To treat your atopic eczema correctly it is important to see your doctor or dermatologist in the beginning stages of the eczema. The sooner you start a course of treatment the sooner you will start to recover. Importantly, do not stress about your eczema as this is a key contributing factor to many cases of eczema.