Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic condition that affects the skin. It is not contagious; an affected person won't pass it to another. The word dermatitis means skin's inflammation. The term atopic refers to a group of diseases where there is usually a genetic tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. In eczema, the skin turns extremely itchy. Scratching produces weeping clear fluid, redness, swelling, cracking, and finally, crusting and scaling. As some children with eczema grow older, their skin disease is alleviated or disappears altogether, although their skin usually remains dry and easily irritated. In others, eczema will still be an important problem in adulthood.

The cause of eczema is not known, but the condition seems to appear from a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Children are more likely to develop this disorder if allergic conditions like asthma or hay fever affect, or have affected, one or both parents. While some people outgrow skin symptoms, approximately three out of four children with eczema go on to develop hay fever or asthma. Environmental factors can bring on symptoms of eczema at any time in individuals who have inherited the atopic condition trait.

Eczema is also linked with a failure of the organism's immune system: the system that recognizes and helps fight viruses and bacteria that invade the organism. Scientists have found that patients with eczema have a low level of a cytokine protein that is essential to the healthy function of the organism's immune system and a high level of other cytokines that produce allergic reactions. The immune system can become confused and produce dermatitis even when there's no major infection.

In the past, specialists believed that the cause of eczema was an emotional condition. We now know that emotional issues, such as stress, can worsen the condition, but they are not the cause the condition.

Also, a wide range of skin care products include preservatives. Patients who are allergic to one of such preservatives can have either widespread or localized dermatitis. Antigen-avoidance lists that facilitate patient education about what chemicals to avoid can be acquired from the manufacturers of patch test allergens. With these printed guidelines alone, patients must read skin care solution labels carefully, searching for the names of the allergens as identified by patch tests as well as for any synonyms and cross-reactors of these allergens. After the identification of an allergen, a nurse can play a vital role in helping patients understand their dermatitis and its treatment. Nurses are in a perfect position to spend time educating patients about how to discover the sources of certain allergens and, subsequently, how to avoid them.

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