One of the more common dermatitis that people have is atopic dermatitis. It is generally very long lasting and people normally think of it as a type of skin allergy or just skin sensitivity. Most people know it as eczema, but it is also just called dermatitis or atopy. The atopic triad includes, on top of eczema, asthma and allergies which can also be referred to as hay fever.


It has been shown that this skin condition has a hereditary component that is known and it has proven to be worse in some families than it is in others. As with other forms of dermatitis, atopic dermatitis itches and has rashes in different areas of the skin.



The literal meaning of atopic dermatitis is a hereditary inflammation of the skin, atopic meaning hereditary and dermatitis meaning inflammation if the skin. People who suffer from atopic dermatitis often have close family members that does as well since it can run through the family.


Atopic dermatitis causes areas of people’s skin, sometimes even large areas, to become red and swollen. Often the infected areas are cracked, crusted, weeping, and at times even scaling. Atopic dermatitis tends to be extremely itchy as well and there is often a complaint of dry skin which causes some of the actual rash symptoms that people tend to have.


Atopic dermatitis usually affects young children and infants more than others; however for some people it follows them into adulthood. For a few people though the symptoms don’t even begin to appear until they are already adults. When a person suffers from atopic dermatitis they often suffer from it for a long time. Of course during that time there are periods were it is really bad and periods were it is hardly bothersome to them at all.


There are many different things that can make atopic dermatitis even more irritating to the skin than it already is. They are dry skin, allergies, especially those that are seasonal, the use of soaps and detergents that are harsh on the skin, the use of new types of creams and other skin products, and of course cold weather.

Tags: Adulthood, Asthma, Atopic Dermatitis, Dermatitis, Dry Skin, Eczema, Family Members, Hay Fever, Hereditary Component, Inflammation Of The Skin, Literal Meaning, Many Different Things, Periods, Person Suffers From, Skin Allergies, Skin Allergy, Skin Condition, Skin Sensitivity, Soaps And Detergents, Triad