Types of Eczema

Eczema or dermatitis is a broad term used for many skin inflammation problems. When treating this skin disorder it's important to be armed with information so that you can get proper treatment for this irritating skin condition.

There are different types of eczema with atopic dermatitis being the most common of them all. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition which is believed to be caused by an abnormal response of the body’s immune system. This type of eczema tends to fun in families and comes and goes. Symptoms of this eczema include itchy and inflamed skin.

It's important to discover what type you have to get the proper eczema treatment.

Contact eczema is another type characterized by redness, itching and burning that is confined to a specific area, an area that has had contact with an irritant, a cleaning substance, an allergen or some other trigger. Because this is a contact type skin condition, it’s often referred to as allergic contact eczema.

Seborrheic eczema has no known cause with symptoms that include oily, yellowish, scaly spots on the scalp or face and sometimes this eczema can be found on other parts of the body. An example of seborrheic eczema is cradle cap in babies or dandruff.

There are some suggested triggers for this type of eczema including weather conditions, oily skin, emotional stress and infrequent shampooing. A fourth type of eczema is nummular dermatitis which develops as irritated spots in the shape of a coin. This type of eczema is usually found on the arms, back, lower legs and buttocks. Nummular eczema can be very itchy and often becomes crusty and scaly. Like atopic eczema, this type is also considered to be a chronic condition.

These are four types of eczema, there are others including stasis dermatitis, neurodermatitis and dyshidrotic eczema.

To learn more about eczema and its various types, symptoms, possible triggers and available eczema treatments, take some time to browse a few of the many eczema related websites on the Internet. There are plenty of medical sites hosted on the Internet that are equipped to answer any questions you might have regarding the type of eczema you might be suffering from.