The Eczema Skin Relationship
Understanding How Your Skin Works

The eczema skin relationship is a strong and frequently misunderstood one. Many people suffering from eczema look to find the solution to the problem without understanding what is happening to the skin when eczema appears.

In the process to cure eczema, it is important to look at how the skin functions and why it is such an important organ.

The Skin and What It Does

The skin is the biggest organ in the body that is in charge of protecting it from external agents and infections caused through wounds.

To understand what happens when eczema is present let's start by learning what makes up the skin and how it functions. The skin is made up of two layers, the epidermis and the dermis.

The epidermis is the most external layer and it is as thin as a piece of paper. It is pretty amazing because it impedes the loss of fluids in the body including water. It acts as a permeable sheet.

The epidermis is made of dead cells and in it there are no blood vessels. If you scrape it then you just get a burning sensation or a small dry mark, but nothing else happens.

The epidermis is made up of different types of cells, one of them are the keratinocytes. The keratin ia a protein present in the nails and hair. Throughout their life keratinocytes divide many times and go to the surface of the skin where they die and become flakes. How can you see this? Try brushing your skin...you will see the small flakes.

This dead skin flakes are a problem for people with eczema because dust mites feed on them. This is one of the most common atopic eczema allergens.

And guess what? This process of replacing old cells for new cells is faster in feet and hands, areas that have a lot of friction.

Over time keratinocytes are less active and the skin becomes a bit more thin, this causes lost of moisture and dryness. This particular factor makes older people more prone to asteatotic eczema.

The epidermis has other types of cells called melanocytes which give the pigment to the skin. There are also langerhans and they are part of the immunologic system.

The Dermis is the thicker part of the skin that lays underneath the epidermis. It is made of life cells and fibrous proteins.

The dermis is attached to the epidermis and is composed of collagen, a hard and fibrous protein that gives the skin resistance and maintains it hydrated. What gives the skin elasticity is elastin, a fibrous and elastic tissue.

The most important job of the dermis is to nourish the epidermis. The dermis is deeply linked to other organs in the human body.

Skin Function and Eczema

The eczema skin relationship is linked to the functions of the skin. The skin helps regulate temperature in the body by tightening or expanding the blood vessels present in the dermis.

More heat calls for expanding blood vessels to release it and the opposite to keep the body warm.

People who suffer from eczema have an unusually hot skin, the blood vessels expand more than normal to release the heat. A hot skin leads to itching and scratching. Always try to maintain the skin of an eczema sufferer cool.

Another important function of the skin is to transmit sensations. Receptive nerves on the skin are sensitive to external stimuli like temperature, irritation, pain and pressure.

When a person has eczema, sensations multiply because the skin has increased sensitivity due to the skin inflammation.

The skin also It produces melanin and also stimulates the production of liposoluble vitamin D.

Another eczema skin relationship is evident when the skin intervenes in metabolic processes. Doctors recommend cortisone for eczema because topical cortisone helps the skin cells transform the cortisone in hydrocortisone, which is a more potent hormone that alleviates the inflammation.

Understanding the eczema skin relationship can help you avoid situations where eczema can be exacerbated.