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Atopowe Zapalenie Skóry (AZS) a Egzema - Różnice, Podobieństwa i Sposoby Leczenia
Can you get eczema as an adult?
Adults can get any type of eczema, including atopic dermatitis (AD), which many people consider a childhood disease.
AD and the eyes
In adults, atopic dermatitis (AD) often develops on skin around the eyes.
Some adults who have AD had it as a child. It’s possible for AD to go away in childhood and return years later. When the AD returns, it’s often much milder.
For some children, the AD never goes away, so it’s a lifelong disease. This happened to Peter Moffat, the award-winning writer of the British TV series Criminal Justice. You can read about how AD affects his life by going to: Adults with eczema too often suffer in silence
Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis
The most common symptom of atopic dermatitis is itching, which can be severe. Other common symptoms include:
- Red, dry patches of skin.
- Rashes that that may ooze, weep clear fluid, or bleed when scratched.
- Thickening and hardening of the skin.
The symptoms can flare in multiple areas of the body at the same time and can appear in the same locations and in new locations. The appearance and location of the rash vary depending on age, however, the rash can appear anywhere on the body. Patients with darker skin tones often experience darkening or lightening of the skin in areas of skin inflammation.
Infants
During infancy and up to 2 years of age, it is most common for a red rash, which may ooze when scratched, to appear on the:
- Face.
- Scalp.
- Area of skin around joints that touch when the joint bends.
Some parents worry that the infant has atopic dermatitis in the diaper area, however, the condition rarely appears in this area.
Childhood
During childhood, usually 2 years of age to puberty, it is most common for a red thickened rash, which may ooze or bleed when scratched, to appear on the:
- Elbows and knees, usually in the bend.
- Neck.
- Ankles.
Teens and Adults
During the teenage and adult years, it is most common for a red to dark brown scaly rash, which may bleed and crust when scratched, to appear on the:
- Hands.
- Neck.
- Elbows and knees, usually in the bend.
- Skin around the eyes.
- Ankles and feet.
Other common skin features of atopic dermatitis include:
- An extra fold of skin under the eye, which is known as a Dennie-Morgan fold.
- Darkening of the skin beneath the eyes.
- Extra skin creases on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Differences between AD in adults and children
Even if you had AD as a child, your skin can look and feel differently when you have AD as an adult. That’s actually one of the most striking differences between AD in adults and AD in children.
In adults, the skin tends to be extremely dry and scaly where the AD appears.
If you’ve had AD for years, patches of your skin may be thick, leathery, and darker (or lighter) than the surrounding skin. Years of scratching causes this. The thickened skin can itch all the time.
Adults also tend to get AD on different parts of their bodies than do children. When an adult has AD, it’s most likely to form in one or more of these areas:
- Backs of the knees
- Crooks of the elbows
- Back of the neck
- Face
Adults, unlike children, often have AD around their eyes. You’ll often see thickened, darker skin circling the eyes, as shown in the picture on this page. The skin around the eyes also tends to be very itchy.
Kiedy na skórze może pojawić się egzema?
Pojawienie się egzemy na skórze związane jest z różnymi chorobami. Do jej skutecznego leczenia potrzebne więc jest rozpoznanie oraz ustalenie przyczyn danego schorzenia. Bez tego środki stosowane na egzemę mogą nie przynieść efektów. Ewentualnie – pomogą, ale tylko na chwilę. Wśród chorób, które wiążą się ze stanem zapalnym skóry przybierającym postać egzemy można wymienić m.in.
- atopowe zapalenie skóry (AZS, wyprysk atopowy),
- kontaktowe zapalenie skóry (wyprysk kontaktowy),
- pieluszkowe zapalenie skóry,
- zawodowe zapalenie skóry,
- fotoalergicznego kontaktowego zapalenia skóry,
- fototoksyczne zapalenie skóry,
- wyprysk potnicowy (dyshidrotyczny),
- wyprysk pieniążkowaty,
- wyprysk podudzi,
- wyprysk łojotokowy.
Każda z tych chorób skóry bywa zamiennie nazywana egzemą.
