Dermatitis: Types, symptoms, and treatment – Medical News Today

Dermatitis is an umbrella term for several different skin conditions. It has a variety of symptoms, including:

There are several types of dermatitis. Below are the most common ones.

Dandruff, or seborrheic dermatitis, is a common condition that affects the scalp. It causes small pieces of dry skin to flake off, and it may also lead to itchiness on the scalp.

Dandruff affects around 55% of the global population. It often occurs alongside a number of other types of dermatitis.

It develops in areas of the body with hair, most commonly in the scalp, face, and chest.

The causes of dandruff are complex. Hygiene factors do not play a large part in the condition, but unwashed hair can cause it to become more obvious. In addition, not washing excess oils off the skin can feed the yeast on the skin, allowing them to grow further and exacerbate the condition.

Certain medical conditions can also increase a persons chance of having seborrheic dermatitis. These include:

Dandruff has links with various factors. These include:

The main symptom of dandruff is dry and flaky skin on the scalp. It can also cause a persons head to become itchy.

Contact dermatitis is a common skin condition that affects 1520% of people.

Contact dermatitis causes burning or stinging skin, along with other symptoms. These symptoms only arise after a person comes into contact with a particular substance, agent, or product.

There are two types of contact dermatitis: allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and irritant contact dermatitis (ICD).

ICD is the more common of the two types, making up 80% of all contact dermatitis cases. The most common substances that trigger ICD include:

ACD is common in people who are sensitive to specific substances. Common substances that can trigger ACD include:

Symptoms of ACE and ICD are very similar. They may include:

A person may wish to bring their hygiene and grooming products with them when consulting with a doctor. A healthcare professional may be able to determine what might be causing the contact dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis is a long-lasting skin disease that often causes itchiness in the skin. It is often called eczema.

There are several different types of eczema, with atopic dermatitis being the most common.

Atopic dermatitis usually begins in childhood. However, older adults can also get it. It is a common condition that affects 1 in 10 Americans.

The disease often flares up, which causes symptoms to appear or become worse. However, at other times, the skin can show signs of improvement or even clear up entirely.

Atopic dermatitis causes the skin to become inflamed, irritated, and sometimes very itchy.

If a person with atopic dermatitis scratches their skin, it can trigger the following additional symptoms in the skin:

Dyshidrotic dermatitis is a type of eczema. It causes small blisters to appear on the fingers and the palms of the hands. It can also appear on the soles of the feet.

It can last for 34 weeks before clearing up. While it can occur just once, it may develop into a chronic condition in some people.

Similar to other types of eczema, dyshidrotic dermatitis can present in flare-ups. However, once a person identifies the triggering substance, they can avoid coming into contact with them.

The following triggers can cause dyshidrotic dermatitis flare-ups:

Dyshidrotic dermatitis symptoms include:

If this condition becomes severe, the blisters may become large and spread to the backs of the hands, feet, and other parts of the body.

Cradle cap is a common condition that affects infants. It often appears during the first few months of life.

Cradle cap appears in the form of a greasy, scaly rash in patches on the scalp. It can also have a yellowish appearance.

The condition is generally safe and rarely causes discomfort for the infant.

However, doctors do not know what causes it, but hygiene factors, allergies, and bacterial infections are not contributing factors.

Cradle cap also has other names, including pityriasis capitis, infantile seborrheic dermatitis, crusta lactea, honeycomb disease, and milk crust.

The main symptoms of cradle cap are greasy or scaly patches on areas such as the scalp, the external ear, and the center of the face. These patches of affected skin often have a yellow color.

Diaper rash is the general term for any rash that appears on the area of skin a diaper covers.

Moisture and irritation from the diaper can often trigger a rash.

Diaper rash is the most common skin disorder in infants. It affects up to 25% of infants and toddlers. It is most common in infants aged 912 months.

In some infants, the diaper itself may be causing the rash. In this case, the diaper rash is often a form of ICD.

It may also occur due to other skin conditions, such as:

The main symptoms of diaper rash are:

Diaper rash may also indicate that one of the above medical conditions is affecting the infant.

A parent or caregiver should speak with a doctor if the infant has severe diaper rash that cracks open and bleeds. They should also seek medical help if the infants diaper rash does not improve with home treatment.

Originally posted here:
Dermatitis: Types, symptoms, and treatment - Medical News Today