Definition

Many of you will have heard or read the term “dermatitis/eczema” in magazines, television or internet. But most people are not sure what this word exactly means.

Dermatitis is very often related to itching and dry skin, but can show a range of other symptoms as well.

Dermatitis is an inflammation of the upper skin layers. The inflammation leads to the appearance of small blisters, which are itching and are visible as small red dots. If these blisters become or are scratched open, a clear fluid – lymph - is discharged. After that, the skin dries out and scales off.

If you examine your hands thoroughly, you may find some areas with the described skin condition. These “mini dermatitis” are usually not very troublesome, but they may start to trouble you when larger skin regions are affected.

Here you find a few images of forms of dermatitis for illustration:

The hands are frequently affected, as they are exposed to a high number of different strains. This is not astonishing if you imagine what your hands touch during the day! In the morning, you wash your hands and use water, detergent and a towel. Then you prepare and eat your breakfast, touching plates, cutlery, bread, cheese, milk, cereals etc. If you go to school by bicycle, you get in contact with your keys, the metal of your bicycle, the leather or plastic of your school bag; and at school you’ll touch paper, pencils, books etc.

Dermatitis can occur at any age. In babies, it tends to appear in the face, in working people on the hands, and in older people the skin of the body is often generally dry and shows some changes in skin condition.