Eczema Facts

According to the National Institute of Health, approximately fifteen million people in the United States are affected by eczema in one form or another on a yearly basis. Approximately ten to twenty percent of all babies develop eczema although the good news is that many will outgrow it any time between the ages of five and sixteen years old. Research studies have shown that an average of sixty to seventy percent of children will be free of eczema by the time they reach their teenage years or early adulthood. However some children will be afflicted with the condition for their entire life. Many who have a moderate to severe case of eczema as a youngster will have a milder case, as they get older.

No two cases of eczema are the same. Some individuals experience one set of symptoms while others experience a different set. Eczema is usually manifested by red, dry, inflamed and itchy skin. Some individuals refer to eczema as “the itch that rashes.” The reason for this is that often the itch of eczema comes first. When the sufferer gives in to the urge to scratch, the result is usually a rash, and often a serious rash.