Dermatitis
What is Dermatitis?
It may sound bad, but dermatitis simply refers to skin inflammation. Any time your skin gets red, sore and/or itchy, you may have dermatitis. Dermatitis can be caused by any number of things: irritants, infections, allergies, even stress. The good news is that it isn't contagious and there are treatments for dermatitis. The bad news is dermatitis can be painful and annoying.
Just How Many Different Kinds of Dermatitis Are There?
As you may have suspected, there are lots of different kinds of dermatitis, each with a different cause, with some affecting different parts of the body. If you believe you have dermatitis, including any of the skin conditions described below, you should see your doctor.
- Allergic dermatitis may be a bumpy, red, itchy rash with possibly blisters. Allergic dermatitis occurs when your skin comes into contact with something you're allergic to. Common allergens include perfume, latex, pollen, and certain plants like poison ivy.
- Atopic dermatitis usually causes sore, extremely itchy skin that may include blisters. Also called eczema, atopic dermatitis often appears on the insides of the elbows, knees and ankles, as well as on the face and neck. In infants, it tends to occur on the face, scalp, neck and extremities.
- Contact dermatitis usually causes an itchy, dry rash. Contact dermatitis is just like it sounds; it's caused by contact with an irritant such as a harsh chemical, detergent, or allergen. It most often affects the hands and face but can affect any part of the body.
- Dyshidrotic eczema itchy blisters on the hands and feet. The skin on fingers and toes may crack.
- Nummular eczema is a rash that often forms nummular or round patches on the skin. It is often attributed to dry skin and tends to appear in winter.