Excema is a major pain for millions. Put simply, ecxema is an inflammation of the outer layer of the skin. It is a relatively common medical condition with some estimates stating that over one in nine people will suffer from some form of it during their lifetimes. This inflammation of the skin's outer layer is also known as dermatitis, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. Dermatitis can affect people of any age, however the condition has been observed more commonly among infants and children under the age of 5. One piece of good news if your infant is suffering from the condition is that in about half of the cases, it will resolve completely before the age of 3 and will never come back again in the patient's life. In other cases, the disease could re-appear later on in life.

Statistics show that around 20% of children and 2% of adults are suffering from various ecxema problems. The condition is slightly more likely to occur in women than men, however it affects people of all races and of all nationalities and is therefore not something found only in certain parts of the world. Contrary to what some people think, this skin condition is not contagious and cannot be transmitted to others. There is some research that suggests that genetic factors could come into play when determining whether a certain patient will suffer from eczema.

The exact causes and mechanism which cause ecxema flare-ups or apparition of the disease are the subject of intensive research in the medical and dermatological communities, however there is no definite answer as to what causes it. It is believed that certain allergies, increased stress, skin irritants, as well as certain underlying medical conditions could have a relationship to the development of the disease. Those who are suffering from this condition will be happy to know that there are many treatment options available, some which are very simple and done at home, which can reduce the likelihood of an Ecxema outbreak or diminish the severity of one.