Eczema Health Center

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Understanding Eczema -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Eczema?

Almost always, your skin will itch before a rash appears in eczema. Typically, eczema shows itself as:

Patches of chronically itchy, dry, thickened skin, usually on the hands, neck, face, and legs. In children, the inner creases of the knees and elbows are often involved.
If scratched, dry patches of skin and open sores with crusts may develop.

Recommended Related to Eczema

Eczema in Adults: Dealing With Itching

The itching of eczema can sometimes feel unbearable. And yet, the more you scratch, the itchier your skin becomes. To stop the cycle of eczema, here are six tips to soothe the itch. 1. Moisturize skin affected by eczema often. In most cases, moisturizers are the first step in itch control. Applying moisturizer helps lock in your skin’s own moisture. "Recent studies reveal that individuals with eczema have gaps between the cells in their skin that allow allergens to get in," says Andrea Cambio,...

Read the Eczema in Adults: Dealing With Itching article > >

Call Your Doctor About Eczema If:

You develop an otherwise unexplained, itchy rash and have a family history of eczema or asthma.
The inflammation doesn't respond within a week to treatment with over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams. You may need more aggressive forms of treatment.
You develop yellowish to light brown crust or pus-filled blisters over existing patches of eczema. This may indicate a bacterial infection that should be treated with an antibiotic.
During a flare-up of eczema, you are exposed to anyone with a viral skin disease such as cold sores or genital herpes. Having eczema puts you at increased risk of contracting the herpes simplex virus.
You develop numerous painful, small, fluid-filled blisters in the areas of eczema. You may have eczema herpeticum, a rare but potentially serious complication caused by the herpes simplex virus.