Dermatitis an inflammation of the skin resulting in itching, redness, scaling and in some cases blistering.

Types of Dermatitis:

• Eczematous (eczema) dermatitis - can be particularly severe and difficult to treat once it is established. It can be caused by direct contact, or it may emerge when an allergen is breathed in, injected, or ingested.

• Noneczematous dermatitis - is usually due to direct contact with an irritant. Causes includes; detergents (especially those with perfumes), chemicals used in photo development, and some types of solvents.

Forms of Dermatitis: Eczema is a general term use in describing all varieties of dermatitis.

a. Contact dermatitis - occurs when the skin comes into direct contact with a substance that causes inflammation or irritation. If the condition results from an allergy to the material, it is known as allergic contact dermatitis. If the agent causes damage directly to the skin surface, the problem is diagnosed as irritant contact dermatitis. This is common among people who work with strong chemical.

Causes: Poison ivy, all members of the Rhus family of plants, cosmetics, fragrances, hair dyes, rubber, and metals (especially nickels), detergents, and acids.

Symptoms of Contact dermatitis: skin reddening, itching, blisters, Swelling in eyes, face, and genital areas (severe cases)

Symptoms of Irritant dermatitis: mild swelling of the affected area, tight feeling skin, dry cracking skin, blister

b. Atopic dermatitis - is a chronic inherited condition that often begins in childhood, and may not diminish until early adulthood. More than half of infants outgrow this condition by age 2, though flare-ups can occur throughout life. Atopic dermatitis can worsen when the skin comes into contact with irritating substances such as harsh soaps and scratchy, tight-fitting clothing. For unknown reasons it tends to appear in families prone to asthma and hay fever.

Symptoms on children: red very itchy dry patches of skin, rash on the cheeks that often begins at 2 to 6 months of age

Symptoms on early adults: Rash on creases of hands, elbows, wrists, and knees, and sometimes on the feet, ankles, and neck, Dry and scaly skin rash

c. Seborrheic dermatitis - is characterized by an inflamed itchy scalp and flaking skin (dandruff), it can also attack other parts of the body, including the eyebrows, ear canals, sides of the nose and behind the ears, sometimes the armpits, chest and groin area.

Cause: The problem in seborrheic dermatitis is in the oil glands and hair follicles, people with this condition produce too much sebum (natural skin oil). Later yeast and bacteria grows excessively in the sebum, making the condition more persistent. This condition is not contagious.

Treatments: Use shampoo containing zinc pyrithione (head and shoulders), selenium sulfide or ketoconazole (nizoral). It is important to massage the shampoo onto the scalp and leave it there for several minutes before rinsing. Application of aloe vera gel is also effective because the natural enzymes in aloe vera can help kill the bacteria and nourish the skin.

d. Nummular dermatitis - appears as coin-shaped (nummular) in areas of inflammation, usually on the arms, legs, and buttocks. Eruptions of nummular dermatitis are often recurrent and chronic and usually appear in people who are in their 60's but this can appear at any age. Nummular dermatitis can resolve completely, though it typically continues for years.

Cause: unknown

Diagnosis of Dermatitis: The diagnosis of each form of dermatitis is made by an examination of the appearance of the rash, its distribution and location, and changes in the condition over time.

General Treatments for Dermatitis:

• Topical corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone creams are the most frequently used medicines.
• Antihistamines (medicine to relieve itching)
• Use mild moisturizing soap and lotion right after taking a shower, because dryness of the skin aggravates the condition.
• Applying vinegar or lemon juice to clean skin, this is very effective in reducing the itchiness.