Dermatitis encompasses several skin disorders. Eczema is a type of dermatitis. Any skin inflammation may be considered dermatitis. Substances that irritate the skin, allergic reactions to drugs, detergents, and other chemicals are all culprits. It can affect almost any area of the body. Redness, scaling, and thickening of the skin may occur. Pinpointing the cause of the problem is the first step toward alleviating the symptoms.

Eczema appears as dry, cracking, crusting and red patches on the skin. Often there are swelling, weeping blisters. The skin can become inflamed and itchy. These symptoms often appear on the hands, feet, legs and even the ears. Small fluid filled blisters also can appear on the skin. These symptoms become inflamed with a burning and itchy sensation, which often leads to scratching.

When this condition is scratched excessively, it can lead to infection. This is often seen in children. Many factors can contribute to this condition. Stress is a major factor.  Exposure to cleaning compounds, perfumes, detergents, household chemicals, soaps, food sensitivities, as well as, nutrient deficiencies.

Dermatitis is not an age specific disorder and can appear on any one and can appear anywhere on the body, although as mentioned above, it is most often seen on legs, feet, arms and ears. There are often predispositions to this disorder. It is seen in heredity and can be traced through family history.

In children, eczema can be traced back to allergic reactions to dairy products such as milk and eggs, also wheat, peanuts, peanut butter, as well as nightshade vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, egg plants and bell peppers.

It is known that white blood cells (also known as lymphocytes) are a fundamental component of the immune system that protects our bodies from invaders. When they make a mistake, an allergic response can occur. When a lymphocyte encounters a particle or cell and identifies it as a foreign invader, it produces antibodies specifically engineered to fight that particular threat.

There are five basic types of antibodies, called immunoglobulins, or Igs. Each is classified by type with a letter suffix: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM. The Ig known to be responsible for most allergic reactions to food is IgE, although IgG is also commonly mentioned.

IgE reactions occur when the immune system, in an effort to reject a certain food or other substance, creates an antibody to that food, immunoglobulin E. In other words, the blood cells of the person are “misinformed’ at the genetic level and cause the production of large quantities of IgE antibodies.

The antibody becomes attached on one side to the food/substance molecule and on the other side to a mast cell (mast cells are a type of cell containing histamine and other mediators instrumental in the response). When this happens, histamines and other chemicals are released from the mast cells, causing such immediate responses as runny nose, itchy eyes, skin rashes and indigestion. IgE can cause anaphylaxis, an extreme, sometimes even life-threatening response in which the airways swell, sometimes to the point where the person cannot breathe.

The most common tests for food sensitivities are IgE skin tests, where the skin is scratched or pricked and allergens such as wheat, eggs and milk are applied. Within 15 to 30 minutes, local reaction may occur. Other types of tests include blood tests and patch skin tests. However, there are reports that blood testing for food sensitivities provides more reliable results than skin testing.

The latter are problematic because of their tendency to yield false positives. This means that people may show a positive result but are still able to eat a certain food. To summarize this difficult and confusing field, it appears that the efficacy of all allergy testing is under suspicion.

Dermatitis is divided into different classifications. Acute and chronic dermatitis are differentiated by a time period as well as symptoms. Acute dermatitis is seen with erythema and edema in papules, vesicles and sometimes large blisters. Chronic dermatitis is seen as lichenification, scaling and fissures.

There is a thickening of the dermal layer. Contact dermatitis is another classification, which is skin irritation due to exogenous agents such as water and other fluids, abrasives such as cleaning products, chemicals such as acids and alkalis as well as solvents and detergents.

Emotional issues play a big part in this disorder. Changing the way you think, can change a life of stress and discomfort to a life of challenge and excitement. Thinking about a success or a past achievement is excellent when you’re feeling uncertain and stress. You are instantly reminded that you’ve achieved before, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t achieve this time.

Positive affirmations. You should have a list of affirmations ready that you can start repeating when you feel stressed. They don’t have to be complicated. Just saying aloud “I can handle this” to yourself or “I know exactly what I am doing” will work. It pulls you away from the animal reflex to stress—the quick breathing, the cold hands—and toward the reasoned response, the intellect—the part of you that really can handle it.

It’s necessary to think these thoughts consciously because doing so automatically changes the mind-set that’s producing the stress. If you’re reciting an affirmation, you’re not thinking about whatever bothers you.

Researchers at the Kent & Canterbury Hospital in England, in a five year study, discovered that more than two-thirds of the people with chronic skin problems had experienced a “major life event”, such as a serious illness or death in the family, just before or occurring at the same time as their skin problems.