Eczema: Brief Version

What is eczema?

Eczema is a skin problem. Your skin may:

• Itch.
• Feel dry.
• Flake or scale.
• Look red.

How does it happen?

You may get eczema when:

• There is a change in the weather or humidity, especially when it gets dry.
• You eat some kinds of foods.
• You take some kinds of medicines.

If you have asthma or hay fever, you may get eczema often.

What are the symptoms?

If you have mild eczema, you may have patches of dry, scaly skin on your arms or legs. It may itch.

If the eczema is bad, you may have painful itching. You may itch on the:

• Fronts of your elbows.
• Backs of your knees.
• Face.

It may bother you to:

• Be touched.
• Wear scratchy fabrics, such as wool.

Eczema often gets worse in the winter. Indoor air can be very dry.

How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider will:

• Look at your skin.
• Ask about your history and your family's history of rashes.
• Ask about other problems like allergies or asthma.

How is it treated?

For mild eczema:

• You may not need any treatment.
• You can try 1% hydrocortisone cream. You can buy this at the store. Put it on the area 2 to 4 times a day.

Severe eczema can be harder to treat. It can help to:

• Use antihistamines prescribed by your health care provider.
• Use steroid creams prescribed by your provider.
• Prevent dryness by putting moisturizing cream or ointment on your skin.
• Reduce dust mites in your home.
• Get allergy shots.

How can I take care of myself?

Use antihistamines. Antihistamine pills can help you itch less.

• Some antihistamines will make you sleepy, so it is best to take them at bedtime.
• Some antihistamines do not make you sleepy, so you can take them day or night. These medicines may cost more.

Use steroid creams. Steroid creams or ointments can help your rash and itching. Your health care provider will tell you how to use this medicine. Do not use the cream more often than your provider tells you.

Be sure to use medicines exactly the way your health care provider prescribed them.

Put cream or ointment on your skin. Use moisturizing cream or ointment, rather than water-based lotion, many times a day.

Do not bathe a lot.

• It can make eczema worse.
• Water makes your skin dry.
• Take sponge baths between baths or showers.

Reduce dust mites. Some people who have bad eczema may be allergic to dust mites. These very tiny bugs:

• Live on skin flakes and dust.
• Live in bedding, carpets, drapes, and in furniture.

You can buy special covers for your bed and pillows. There are other things you can do so that there are fewer dust mites in your house. Talk to your health care provider about it.

What can I do to prevent eczema?

To prevent mild eczema, you may need to:

• Stay away from some kinds of foods.
• Stay away from some kinds of medicines.

Severe eczema is an inherited problem. We do not know how to prevent this kind of eczema. Because it may flare up when you are stressed, it may help to try to lower the stress in your life. When a flare-up happens, remember that most of the time it will go away soon.