Is It Possible To Outgrow Eczema?

Is It Possible To Outgrow Eczema?
By Lisa Davis

Eczema is a chronic condition characterized by dry, red,
swollen and extremely itchy skin. is not contagious but
it is believed to have a hereditary connection. Research has
identified the common trait that most of the time atopic
dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is inherited from
one or both of an individual's parents. If a person has one
parent who suffers from eczema, they have a one-in-four chance
of developing the condition. If both parents have eczema, the
likelihood is increased to one-in-two chances. Most individuals
who have two parents who suffer from do indeed develop
the skin disorder. Additionally, many people who develop eczema
also have a genetic tendency to develop other allergy-related
health problems such as hay fever and asthma.

Approximately thirty percent of infants will develop eczema.
Luckily, many will outgrow it by the time they reach three to
five years of age. In babies, it generally first appears between
the ages of four to six months and it begins with the appearance
of a red rash that might ooze fluid. It then spreads to the
cheeks and the forehead and sometimes continues to the baby's
arms and legs. In the most severe of cases, a baby's entire body
may be covered with the skin disease. When a baby has cradle
cap, or infantile seborrhoeic eczema, a great deal of scaling
appears on the scalp although it does not itch.

Some infants are not lucky enough to outgrow their eczema; they
carry it into their childhood years. For those who are
predisposed to develop it for heriditary reasons, but did not do
so in their infancy, they have the potential to develop it
anytime between the ages of two and four years of age. In
typical bouts of childhood eczema, the rash first appears behind
the knees, the

ankles, in the creases of the elbows and
sometimes will even affect the child's face, neck and ears. It
is generally very itchy and subsequently requires a topical
steroid cream. Childhood normally disappears sometime
between the ages of ten and twelve, although some children
continue to suffer from it well into their teenage and adulthood
years.

Adult atopic often begins during a person's twenties. In
this case it often continues throughout the majority of a
person's life. It is normally characterized by large spots of
itchy, swollen, red, and oozing skin. Adult tends to
affect people in the wrists, elbow creases, neck area, behind
the knees and the ankles. Sufferers of adult often see an
improvement during middle age, particularly in their forties or
fifties. Atopic rarely begins in senior citizens. There
is another form of that shows itself in older people; it
is called varicose eczema. This kind of afflicts the
ankles and is, for the most part, a result of poor circulation
to the legs.

Despite the fact that many children outgrow their eczema, they
commonly have a lifelong tendency to have skin problems. These
problems include hand dermatitis; dry skin that chaps and gets
easily irritated; skin infections like staph, yeast infections
and herpes simplex, like cold sores, and eye problems such as
cataracts and eyelid dermatitis.

About the Author: Lisa Davis contributes to several Internet
magazines, such as http://ruvek.com and http://byvak.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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