Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) Complications
Eczema may increase your risk of bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections due to a compromised skin barrier. Good hygiene and skin care habits can help reduce this risk.
People with eczema may be more likely to develop asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergies, though eczema doesn't cause these conditions. Managing triggers and allergens is crucial for those with these co-occurring conditions.
Eczema may negatively affect your mental health, causing stress, difficulty sleeping, and a higher risk of anxiety and depression. Seek medical advice for skin symptoms and mental well-being to improve your quality of life.
Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes dry, itchy skin and other symptoms. The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis.
If you have eczema, the protective layer of your skin, known as your skin barrier, doesn't work as well as it should. This raises your risk of skin infections. Scratching itchy skin can further damage your skin barrier and increase your risk of infections.
The challenges of living with eczema may also negatively affect your mental health.
Following your recommended treatment and practicing good hygiene and skin care habits are important for reducing your risk of complications and improving your quality of life with eczema.
Skin infections
Eczema raises your risk of skin infections, including certain types of:
bacterial infections
viral infections
fungal infections
If you develop a skin infection, it may cause uncomfortable symptoms and make your eczema worse. In rare cases, the skin infection may spread to other tissues and organs and cause severe complications.
To lower your risk of skin infections:
Wash your hands regularly.
Bathe and shower regularly.
Clean and cover cuts or other wounds.
Avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of active skin infections.
Avoid sharing personal hygiene products, such as washcloths, towels, and razors.
Using lukewarm rather than hot water, a gentle soap or cleanser, and moisturizer can help limit dry skin. This may help prevent cracks in your skin, where infectious microbes could enter.
Below, we describe a few types of infections that are more common than average in people with eczema.
Staph infection
The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of skin infections in people with eczema, reports the International Eczema Council Skin Infection Group.
This type of bacteria lives on the skin of most people with atopic dermatitis. It can cause symptoms of a staph infection, although some people never develop symptoms.
Common symptoms of a staph infection include:
swollen skin
warm or hot skin
oozing or crusting
Sometimes, staph infections also cause pustules or pus-filled abscesses to form.
If you develop a staph infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat it. Depending on the severity, treatment may require hospitalization.
Eczema herpeticum
The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) typically causes oral herpes or cold sores around or inside your mouth.
But sometimes, the virus can spread across wide areas of eczema-prone skinand cause an infection known as eczema herpeticum.
Eczema herpeticum causes clusters of small, itchy and painful blisters across wide areas of skin. It may also affect your eyes, which can cause vision loss if left untreated.
In rare cases, eczema herpeticum may spread to other organs and cause potentially life threatening complications.
To lower your risk of contracting HSV-1, avoid kissing or receiving oral sex from anyone who has an active cold sore. You should also avoid sharing objects that have touched their mouth.
If you develop eczema herpeticum, your doctor will prescribe antiviral medication to treat it. If the case is severe, treatment may require hospitalization.
Fungal skin infections
Fungal or yeast infections can potentially worsen skin inflammation in people with eczema. This may cause eczema symptoms to get worse.
Examples include Malassezia and Candida albicans yeast infections. These types of yeast are commonly found on skin, but they can cause an infection if they multiply to high numbers.
If you develop a yeast infection, your doctor will prescribe antifungal medication to treat it.
Signs that your eczema is infected
Potential signs and symptoms of infected skin include:
skin discoloration, which may look pink, red, purple, brown, or black
scaly, crusty, or oozing lesions or sores
rash, blisters, or pustules
pain or tenderness
itchiness
swelling
warmth
Eczema can cause similar symptoms, so it may be challenging to tell whether you have symptoms of a skin infection, an eczema flare, or both.
If you develop new or worse skin symptoms, let your doctor know. They'll examine your skin and may collect a sample of tissue or fluid from the affected area for testing. Your recommended treatment will depend on the specific cause of your symptoms.
In severe cases, skin infections may spread to other parts of your body and become systemic. This may cause symptoms such as fever, chills, and a general feeling of unwellness. Systemic infections may cause life threatening complications and require immediate treatment.
Asthma and allergies
If you have eczema, you have increased risk of:
asthma
allergic rhinitis
food allergy
These allergic conditions aren't complications of eczema, but they're comorbidities that occur more often than average in people with eczema. Some of the same genetic, environmental, or immune factors may contribute to the development of both eczema and these allergic conditions.
Asthma causes wheezing and other breathing difficulties, which may be triggered by:
exercise
mold
dust mites
cockroaches
pet dander
air pollution
disinfectants
respiratory infections
Allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever, which causes reactions to environmental allergens such as pollen and dust mites. Common symptoms include:
itchy nose, mouth, eyes, or skin
stuffy or runny nose
sneezing
watery eyes
Food allergy causes allergic reactions to certain types of food. These reactions can cause a wide variety of symptoms, which vary from mild to potentially life threatening.
If you develop an allergic condition, your doctor will advise you to avoid triggers or allergens that cause a reaction. Triggers or allergens vary from one person to another.
Your doctor may also prescribe asthma or allergy medication or other treatments.
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