Signs of eczema can appear as early as 2 months after birth

Eczema symptoms vary widely depending upon a person’s age. Generally, eczema is a condition that causes reddened, irritated and itchy skin, sometimes resulting in cracks, flakes and even lesions. Baby eczema or atopic dermatitis is the most common form and is usually found in newborns and infants.  In babies, these symptoms can manifest themselves from 2-6 months after a child is born.

In babies, eczema usually shows on the forehead and cheeks, forearms and legs and on the neck and scalp while in older children it also appears on the insides of knees and elbows. In grownups, baby eczema symptoms can include blisters with oozing and crusting and even ear discharge or bleeding. Because eczema causes itching, scratching the skin can produce raw areas leading to lichenification or thickened skin.

Aside from baby eczema or atopic dermatitis, there are other types of eczema which manifest their own individual symptoms. Among these are contact eczema, seborrheic eczema, nummular eczema, neurodermatitis, stasis dermatitis and dyshidrotic eczema.

The symptoms of nummular eczema are round patches of irritated skin that get very itchy. They usually appear on the arm, back, buttocks and lower legs and become crusted or scaly. Nummular eczema is not very common, comes and goes, and occurs mostly in old men with a history of atopic dermatitis, asthma or allergies.

Neurodermatitis is a type of eczema that starts in a specific part of the skin with an itch, as from an insect bite. When scratched, the skin becomes very irritated and inflamed. It finally turns into scales found on the head, wrists, forearms and legs. Neurodermatitis occurs mostly in adults and affects women more than men.

The symptoms of stasis dermatitis are irritated skin on the lower legs. The condition is recognized by itching and discoloration on the skin of the legs. As it progresses, stasis dermatitis can cause blisters, skin lesions and ulcers. Afflicting older people, stasis dermatitis is found in almost 7% of people over fifty years old. This condition is sometimes referred to as varicose eczema because it is related to problems with blood circulation in the legs.

Dyshidrotic eczema symptoms appear as irritations and clear blisters on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. More common during the spring and summer months, it affects up to 20% of people with hand eczema.

Causes of most types of eczema are still unknown. However, identifying eczema symptoms correctly can greatly help in finding the right treatment for the condition that is available.