My wife has suffered from severe eczema for the past 10 years. Her skin is badly damaged from the itching and scratching. Her doctor offers her no therapy other than cortisone, which she is reluctant to take. Eczema is a type of dermatitis, marked by inflammation, redness, oozing, crusting, scaling and itchiness. Some forms are caused by allergies to certain substances, such as chemicals, food, animal dander, medications and industrial solvents.
Sunlight can trigger eczema.
Other patients appear to have endogenous eczema, a skin reaction related to factors within the body. Often the cause is obscure. There may be an inherited or genetic disposition. Furthermore, patients who are overly sensitive to a variety of drugs can develop skin lesions identical to eczema. In fact, any medicine has the potential for causing dermatitis in a susceptible individual.