Also called: Dermatitis
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Eczema
Eczema is a term for several different types of skin swelling. Eczema is also called dermatitis. Most types cause dry, itchy skin and rashes on the face, inside the elbows and behind the knees, and on the hands and feet. Scratching the skin can cause it to turn red, and to swell and itch even more.
Eczema is not contagious. The cause of eczema is unknown. It is likely caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Eczema may get better or worse over time, but it is often a long-lasting disease. People who have it may also develop hay fever and asthma.
The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis. It is most common in babies and children, but adults can have it too. As children who have atopic dermatitis grow older, this problem may get better or go away. But sometimes the skin may stay dry and get irritated easily.
Treatments may include medicines, skin creams, light therapy, and good skin care. You can prevent some types of eczema by avoiding:
- Things that irritate your skin, such as certain soaps, fabrics, and lotions
- Stress
- Things you are allergic to, such as food, pollen, and animals
It sits within Skin, Hair and Nails.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Eczema
1,724 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Evaluating the Safety and Tolerability of Baricitinib in Patients With Job Syndrome With Lupus-Like Disease and/or Atopic DermatitisNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Evaluate the Efficacy of Using Modified Qing-Ying Decoction in Atopic Dermatitis ChildrenChinese University of Hong Kong
- A Study of Lebrikizumab (LY3650150) in Participants 6 Months to <18 Years of Age With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic DermatitisEli Lilly and Company
- A Study Evaluating BFB759 in Moderate to Severe Atopic DermatitisBluefin Biomedicine, Inc.
- Effect of Partially Hydrolyzed Formula With Synbiotics on Skin Barrier FunctionSociété des Produits Nestlé (SPN)
- A Study to Assess the Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Lebrikizumab (LY3650150) in Participants 6 Months to <18 Years of Age With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic DermatitisEli Lilly and Company
Research already completed
- Modified Huang-Lian-Jie-Du Decoction (MHLJDD) for Atopic Dermatitis in ChildrenChinese University of Hong Kong
- A Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Rocatinlimab in Adolescent Participants With Moderate-to-severe Atopic Dermatitis (AD)Amgen
- A Study Assessing Rocatinlimab on Vaccine Antibody Response in Moderate-to-severe Atopic Dermatitis (AD) (ROCKET - VOYAGER)Amgen
- A Study Evaluating Rocatinlimab in Moderate-to-severe Atopic Dermatitis (ROCKET-IGNITE)Amgen
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Atopic DermatitisNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Rash Decisions: How to Deal With Itchy, Red SkinNational Institutes of Health
Treatments and Therapies
- Eczema Treatment ResearchNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Wet Wrap Therapy for Severe EczemaNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Genetics
- Atopic dermatitis: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Statistics and Research
- Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: DermatitisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dermatitis, AtopicNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: EczemaNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Eczema. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Eczema, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.