Your personal health guide for Atopic Dermatitis

What is atopic dermatitis?

Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation, redness, and irritation. While it often starts in childhood, it can develop at any age. This non-contagious condition causes intense itching, and scratching can lead to further symptoms such as redness, swelling, cracking, oozing of clear fluid, crusting, and scaling. The disease typically goes through cycles of worsening (flares) and improvement or complete clearing (remissions).


The exact cause of atopic dermatitis is unknown, but genetics, the immune system, and environmental factors are believed to contribute to its development. The severity and location of symptoms can make living with atopic dermatitis challenging. Although treatment can help manage symptoms and many individuals see improvement by adulthood, some may experience it as a lifelong condition.

What are the most common symptoms?

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) can present symptoms anywhere on the body, with significant variation from person to person. Most commonly appears on the face, neck, and the creases of the elbows and knees. It can also affect the hands, feet, wrists, ankles, and scalp, particularly in infants.



Common symptoms include:


• Dry, cracked skin
• Itchiness (pruritus)
• Rash on swollen skin, with color changes depending on skin tone
• Small, raised bumps, especially on brown or Black skin
• Oozing and crusting
• Thickened skin
• Darkening around the eyes
• Raw, sensitive skin due to scratching

Building statistics from stories

At mama health, we gather personal stories to build an invaluable dataset that provides a real-time snapshot of patient experiences. With each new contribution, our dynamic database continues to grow, ensuring that these insights remain relevant, comprehensive, and reflective of real-world health journeys. By sharing your story, you’re not only contributing to this collective knowledge but also helping to shape a deeper understanding of health experiences — with the chance to provide a positive impact on future care for patients.