Q: Is eczema contagious? How do you get it?
A: No eczema is not contagious. There are different types of eczema. The type I have is atopic eczema which is thought to be hereditary. In other words, you’re born with it and you have it for life.

Q: What are the symptoms of [atopic] eczema?
A: Basically I’m itchy all over, all the time. If I scratch too much, my skin becomes red and inflamed. Sometimes the skin can break and I will get rashes, which may become weepy. My skin is constantly dry and I have to moisturise all over at least once a day or I will get even more itchy and the skin will start flaking off.

Q: Do you have asthma?
A: Atopic eczema has been linked with asthma and hayfever, but I’m lucky enough not to have asthma. I do get hayfever though.

Q: Don’t scratch!
A: Shut up. Let’s rub some irritating plant onto your skin so you get all itchy and then I’ll tell you not to scratch and see how long you cope before you go crazy. I can usually ignore small itches (otherwise I’d be look pretty weird scratching myself all over constantly) but big itches drive me nuts. In short, mozzie bites – not a problem. Really itchy eczema patch – leave me alone in my scratching reliefness.
Q: I have eczema! It’s a little patch behind my knee / on my arm / on my cheek / on my leg.
A: What you probably have is discoid eczema, which is localised to a small area only. Atopic eczema affects the entire body. I have a variety of steroid creams / ointments you can borrow if you like.

Q: What’s with those steroid creams? Do they make you all muscley?
A: Er, no, I’m as weak as a kitten, I can’t even open jars. What they do, is they heal the area of the skin that’s been affected by eczema. So if I have a rash, I put on the cream or ointment and the next day the area has healed somewhat. It has been known to cause thinning of the skin with overuse, but I have never had that happen to me (I’ve been careful).

Q: I heard of this thing that’s really good for people with eczema, you should try it.
A: What works for one person with eczema, may not work for another. I have tried many things, and am sometimes willing to try more things, but the only thing I have ever found to work for me has been steriod creams, lots of moisturiser, daily showers or baths and keeping a dust-free house. None of the advertised eczema treatments that I have tried have ever worked for me. Some creams that I have tried “for sensitive skin” have actually triggered an allergic reaction and made the problem worse for me. So I am very hesitant to try new treatments without a doctor’s recommendation.

Q: What “sets it off”?
A: Allergic contact dermatitis is different from atopic eczema. However, I have noticed that my skin gets more irritated in dusty conditions, although blood tests were negative for allergies to dust mites. I once had a patch test done with about 48 different known allergens and all were negative. So I don’t think anything really “sets it off” other than dusty environments, heat and dryness. I am not allergic to any foods. Stress also makes it worse, but I often suspect it may be because I start scratching unconsciously when I am stressed.
Q: Is there a cure?
A: No. Not much is known about eczema. Even the common causes or irritants haven’t been proven, they have only been linked. Some scientists explain it as an overreaction of the immune system and immuno-suppressants are sometimes prescribed to deal with extreme cases.

More information:
Eczema society of Australasia
National Eczema Society (of the USA, presumably)
Do I have eczema? A quick quiz to find out.