What Is Weeping Eczema?
Weeping eczema happens when your skin has eczema sores or blisters that leak clear or yellowish fluid. It's a common problem among people with eczema. Any type of eczema can become inflamed and weep, and your symptoms can depend on what type of eczema you have.
Weeping Eczema Symptoms
With weeping eczema, the first thing you’ll notice is wetness on your skin that dries into a yellow or orange crust. Your overall eczema symptoms are also likely to get worse. Your skin might feel more dry, swollen, or itchy than usual. This can happen anywhere on your body, but is most likely in places where your skin bends (inside your elbow, behind your knees, or on the front of your neck).
There are many symptoms of weeping eczema. You might have common signs, including:
- Open sores
- Blisters
- Fluid on your skin
- Redness
- Crusting
- Itching, burning, or soreness on your skin
People with severe weeping eczema might also notice:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Achiness
- Chills
- Swollen lymph nodes (especially in your armpits, neck, or groin area)
- Clusters of blisters that weep and leave open sores
What Causes Weeping Eczema?
Weeping eczema can be caused by inflammation or an infection. When your skin is inflamed, it causes the blood vessels to dilate and release serum. The serum eventually reaches the surface of your skin, causing wetness.
While weeping eczema is not always caused by an infection, it often is. Eczema causes skin to become dry and itchy. Very dry skin can crack, or you might scratch yourself, causing the skin to break. Secondary infections can enter the skin through these openings, and cause weeping eczema. There are different types of secondary infections that can trigger fluid leakage, including:
Bacterial infections
When bacteria get through your outermost layer of skin, they can infect your eczema and trigger your immune system to respond. Staphylococcus aureus (known as staph) is the most common type of bacteria that leads to a secondary infection with eczema. Staph-infected eczema can itch and change color, becoming darker or red, with a pale orange sheen. The infected area may weep fluid that forms a crust on the skin when it dries.
Fungal infections
Everyone has fungi living on their skin. Sometimes, fungi can penetrate the skin and cause infections. There are two fungal infections that often affect people with eczema, candida and ringworm. Candida is a type of yeast that lives in underarms, the groin, and around the neck in children. Ringworm is caused by molds and leaves red, ring-shaped patches on the skin. Both of these infections can cause weeping eczema.
Viral infections
The herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, can also infect eczema. When this happens, it can spread quickly into a serious viral infection called eczema herpeticum, which can include clusters of weeping sores.
Is weeping eczema contagious?
You can’t spread eczema or weeping eczema to other people. But if your weeping eczema is paired with a secondary infection, you could spread that to others.
Eczema can become infected by a type of bacteria that's resistant to antibiotics, known as methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus or MRSA. This "superbug" can spread through skin contact or surfaces that have come into contact with MRSA, like bedding, towels, faucets, and door handles.
Eczema herpeticum can also spread through direct contact with the skin or hard surfaces.
How to Diagnose Weeping Eczema
If you believe your eczema is weeping, call your doctor right away. If you have an infection, quick treatment can help you get the issue under control and lessen any symptoms.
When you go to your doctor’s appointment, they’ll want to confirm that you have eczema first. They’ll look over your skin for signs of the skin condition. They may also want to do blood tests, a skin biopsy, a bacterial or viral culture, or allergy tests to ensure your symptoms are from eczema.
Treating Weeping Eczema
Once your health care team has confirmed you have weeping eczema, they’ll want to treat it. Your therapy will depend on what caused the disorder. Your doctor might suggest you use:
Antihistamines. You can get these drugs in pill form over-the-counter or as a prescription. Many people use them to treat allergies. They can also lessen itchiness from eczema.
Corticosteroids. These are topical medications that can treat itchiness and swelling. Your doctor may also prescribe an oral steroid for eczema. Corticosteroids work by lowering the production of chemicals that lead to inflammation. This will lessen tissue damage in your body. These drugs reduce your immune system’s activity, which will also lead to less tissue damage.
Immunosuppressants. With eczema, your immune system is overactive. These drugs lower your body’s immune response and in turn, lessen inflammation.
You may need different treatment if other infections are causing your weeping eczema, including:
Antibiotics. If you have a bacterial infection with weeping eczema, your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic or topical cream to apply to your skin.
Antifungal creams. If a fungal infection has caused weeping eczema, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream to apply directly to the affected area.
Antiviral medicines. If you have eczema herpeticum, you may need to be admitted to the hospital for intravenous therapy. Your doctor might give you an antiviral medication, such as aciclovir, through an IV.
If you treat your weeping eczema right away, it should go away within 2 weeks. In really bad cases, it could cause scarring. If you don’t treat the issue, it can cause more serious problems and lead to other infections.
How to dry up weeping eczema?
Wrapping the skin in wet bandages, especially overnight, can help relieve itching and dry up weeping eczema. Apply an emollient or moisturizer before wrapping your skin. Your doctor may suggest applying a steroid cream to your eczema rash before wrapping. This makes the steroid cream stronger and should only be done if recommended by your doctor.
Home Remedies for Weeping Eczema
To completely treat your weeping eczema, you’ll need medication. But to ease the symptoms, you can also try home remedies such as:
Colloidal oatmeal
Colloidal oatmeal is a ready-to-use, FDA-approved soothing agent. You can take an oatmeal bath to ease symptoms of weeping eczema.
Diluted bleach baths
You can also try a diluted bleach bath. Use a small amount of bleach in your bath to kill bacteria on your skin. This can help lessen itching, redness, and rough skin. Be careful to only use this method in moderation and only bathe for 10-15 minutes. Too much bleach can dry out your skin. Talk to your doctor about the safest way to add this to your routine before you try it at home.
Vitamins and supplements
These can help lower inflammation or help overall eczema symptoms. It may be helpful to add vitamin D, vitamin B12, and fatty acids (like evening primrose and black currant seed) to your routine.
These are combinations of live bacteria or yeasts that are naturally present in your body. Probiotics are good bacteria that help keep you healthy. They can also help fight off bad bacteria. Some experts believe that topical probiotics can help ease the intensity of eczema symptoms, however more research is needed.
Oils
Some oils can lower inflammation, protect, and restore your skin. Try coconut, olive, or sunflower seed oil to help with eczema symptoms.
If you treat your weeping eczema right away, it should go away within 2 weeks. In really bad cases, it could cause scarring. If you don’t treat the issue, it can cause more serious problems and lead to other infections.
Stress management exercises
Mental health conditions, including stress, can make eczema worse. Stress triggers a physical reaction in the body, such as inflammation, a cause of eczema. By limiting and managing stress, you may be able to curb weeping eczema.
Break the itch-scratch cycle
Eczema itch has to do with nerve endings, but it can also become something you do out of habit, without realizing it. You can get stuck in a cycle of itching and scratching, damaging your skin and worsening eczema.
Keeping your nails trimmed, avoiding irritating fabrics and fragrances, and moisturizing your skin twice daily can help. If that doesn't work, then you may need a prescription steroid cream. A nonsteroidal cream called a topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI) that controls your body's immune response can also help prevent itching. Managing stress may help you control unconscious or habitual itching.
How Can You Prevent Weeping Eczema?
If you have eczema, there are things you can do to avoid infections and weeping. For the best outlook:
Keep a consistent skin care routine. Choose shampoos and washes that are free from dyes and perfumes. Moisturize your skin with an emollient cream twice a day.
Take a timeout. Lower your stress levels to prevent flares. Add more relaxing activities into your schedule or practice meditation and mindfulness.
Listen to your doctor. Follow your health care team’s suggestions about medications and supplements.
Takeaways
Weeping eczema means eczema that oozes fluid onto the skin. It happens when eczema becomes inflamed or infected by a bacteria, virus, or fungus. You may need a prescription medication to help your body fight the infection. Home remedies, such as baths, stress management, and twice-daily moisturizing can also help relieve your symptoms.
Weeping Eczema FAQs
What should I do if my eczema is weeping?
If your eczema is weeping, make an appointment with your doctor to rule out an infection, or get a prescription medication to clear it up.
Should you moisturize oozing eczema?
You should apply an emollient moisturizer, like petroleum jelly, to help relieve weeping eczema symptoms until you can see your doctor.
Should I go to the ER for weeping eczema?
You should go to the ER if you have a very high temperature and weeping eczema. You should also go if you have symptoms of eczema herpeticum, including clusters of small blisters that break open and weep.
Can I put hydrocortisone on weeping eczema?
You can apply hydrocortisone, a topical steroid, to weeping eczema, ideally after bathing or showering. After patting your skin dry, but leaving it slightly moist, apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone to the affected area. Wait a half hour before you apply an emollient moisturizer.
Why is my eczema skin weeping clear fluid?
If you have eczema and notice your skin weeping clear fluid, you may have an infection. This is known as weeping eczema.
