Presence of Eczema in the Elderly

For those who are unaware of what eczema is, it is a chronic skin condition which can crop up during younger years. The causes of this skin condition vary; one of the reasons is a family member who has asthma or hay fever, or who has had it. Another reason is believed to be a lack of protein which the skin is unable to produce, which results in irritated skin.

Who can Catch Eczema?

In most cases, children are more prone to this disease. The skin becomes very itchy, and upon scratching can be painful and can lead to bleeding as well as extensive itching. It typically crops up if the child has siblings, or if the parents of the child have a family history of hay fever and asthma. It can improve as the child grows older, but some people can suffer from it all through their lives and well into their elderly years.

What are its Triggers?

The important and main trigger of eczema is loss of moisture of the skin. This can be due to many factors such as over bathing, itchy jewelry, sweating, wearing clothing made of an itchy material, stress, allergies, change in atmospheric temperature and cosmetics, pets, perfumes, food, soaps, and detergents can also trigger it.

There are many factors which can be the reason behind this skin disease, but it is important to consult with your physician to diagnose it as there are 7 types of eczema conditions, and each one requires extensive care.

Types of Eczema Conditions

There are 7 types of possible eczema conditions which can plague some people well in their senior years. They are:

• Atopic Dermatitis
• Contact Eczema
• Seborrheic Eczema
• Nummular Eczema
• Neurodermatitis
• Stasis Dermatitis
• Dyshidrotic Eczema

Atopic Dermatitis

This is inherited, and, is mostly found in households which have had histories of asthma, hay fever, or allergies. This type of eczema is found less commonly in humid areas and is found vastly in arid areas especially during the winters. This usually improves as the infected child enters adulthood.

Contact Eczema

Contact eczema, as the name implies, is caused when the skin of the infant comes in contact with one of the triggers. This includes materials such as wool, jewelry, or it can be caused by being exposed to an unsuitable allergenic substance.

Seborrheic Eczema

Seborrheic is common in adults in the form of rashes. The rashes can be seen present on the forehead, brows, ears, chest, back, nose to lips, and other parts of the face. This improves as the adult grows though.

Nummular Eczema                 

The elderly can contract nummular eczema, which is plaques on the skin, mostly found on the lower leg. This occurs due to dry skin.

Neurodermatitis

When rubbed for long, the skin thickens, and gets irritated even more. It can often cause wounds and bleeding if scratched for too long.

Statis Dermatitis

This occurs on the lower portion of the leg and causes sustainable damage to the veins which are responsible for taking the blood back to the heart. The valves are damaged, and this causes pressure to be built up against the veins, making a brownish like mark on the skin.

Dyshidrotic Eczema

This condition is found commonly too, but is not yet understood very well. This condition causes small blisters to appear upon the surface of the skin mainly on the fingers, hands, toes, and feet. Extensive stress, or a menstrual cycle can trigger it.

The nurses at Partners in Healthcare are available to talk with you about your in-home senior care needs including how to stay healthy at home with RN managed affordable care. We are a private duty home care agency that provides elder home care services in the Orlando area, call us at 407-788-9393.