You must have heard about eczema but what is it exactly? Eczema is the terms used for several kinds of inflammation of the skin. The most common type of eczema found is known as atopic dermatitis and at times both the terms are used interchangeably. Eczema is of several types and it can affect people of almost any age. However, it is most common in infants. Eczema is not contagious and a lot of people believe that it is partially inherited.
So, what causes eczema? Though doctors are yet to ascertain the cause of eczema most believe that it is caused when skin falls short of performing its functions due to some kid of barrier. A lot of doctors also believe that abnormal functioning of the immune system can lead to certain types of eczema. The condition, eczema can be diagnosed by the doctors by examining the skin and also checking a patient’s medical history.