Eczema Basic Causes, Symptoms & Treatments Eczema is the generic term used to name a group of medical conditions that show the skin being inflamed or irritated. The most common of this group is atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema. Atopic is used to refer to a group of diseases that comes with a tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. More than that period and the skin darkens and becomes leathery. Things get worse once irritant contact dermatitis has developed. Exposure or contacts with even mild substances (baby shampoo or even water) can irritate the skin and make the condition real bad. Causes There are more than 3,000 allergens known to cause allergic contact dermatitis. Atopic means conditions where someone is sensitive to allergens like pollen, molds, dust, animal dander (fur and feathers), and some food. Dermatitis is the inflammation of the skin. Victims 65% of the population develops atopic dermatitis during the first year of their lives, up to 90% until the age of 5. These can also help boost the body s immune system. Babies are at a high risk of developing allergic disorders due to the bacteria on their digestive tracts, that is why it will help if even while they are still at their mother s womb, they will be able to take in sufficient probiotics supplements. Not all people are safe to take these supplements, especially children with immune deficiencies. You won t even be able to buy the medicine if you do not have the prescription. This is especially true with certain types of eczema, which are being treated by corticosteroids. These medicines can have serious side effects, one of which is the thinning of the skin. And the drug would not even cure the skin problem, just help control it and at the very least manage the outward effects. Diagnosis Doctors usually look for a rash, and ask for the medical history of the patient and those of close relatives. The search is the presence of a history of atopic dermatitis, asthma or hay fever from everyone. To learn if the patient has allergic contact dermatitis (another common eczema type), doctors conduct patch testing.