Eczema is a skin condition that can cause very dry and itchy skin. It can weaken your skin’s ability to protect your body from the outside environment. While eczema is not a symptom of asthma, the 2 conditions are linked and may even cause each other.1,2
What is eczema?
Eczema is a type of skin condition called dermatitis. It is caused by your immune system overreacting to triggers, leading to an eczema flare. This immune system overreaction causes inflammation, which leads to skin irritation.1
Eczema can impact the skin anywhere on the body. But it is more likely to affect the hands, neck, joints, face, and ears.1
Symptoms of eczema may include:1
- Dry skin
- Itchy skin
- Rashes
- Bumps on the skin
- Thick or leathery-feeling skin
- Flaky, crusty, or scaly skin
Possible triggers for eczema may include:1,3
What is the connection between eczema and asthma?
You are more likely to develop eczema if you already have asthma. Almost 1 in 3 adults with eczema also have asthma. Experts do not fully understand the reason for this link. However, eczema and asthma do have similar causes. Both conditions are caused by an immune system overresponse.1,2
Having eczema may make it easier to develop asthma, too. Eczema can disrupt the skin as a barrier. This may make it easier for irritants and triggers to enter the body. The body’s reaction to these irritants may cause allergies or asthma.2-4
This reaction is the start of a process called the atopic march. The atopic march is the name for linked conditions that may all develop over time. Eczema, allergies, and asthma are involved in the atopic march. These conditions are sometimes called the atopic triad.2-4
The atopic march starts with dry skin at birth that leads to eczema early in life. Eczema disrupts the skin, which may cause more triggers to reach the body. This can lead to food allergies and then nasal allergies. Finally, asthma can develop in the first months or years of life.2-4
More research is needed to fully understand the atopic march, and to know whether there are ways to stop it. For example, avoiding dust mites, smoke, and pollution may prevent asthma in children. However, it is not clear that protecting babies’ skin can prevent food allergies.2-4
How is eczema treated?
It is unclear whether protecting and treating your skin protects your body from irritants in the outside environment. But treating eczema can reduce discomfort and visible changes. Treatment for eczema may include:1,2
- Using gentle moisturizers, especially on wet skin
- Medicines applied to the skin (topicals), such as topical steroids
- Anti-inflammatory drugs such as antihistamines
- Light therapy (phototherapy)
- Medicines that regulate the immune system
Other things you can do to help relieve eczema symptoms include:1
- Using warm water instead of hot in the bath or shower
- Drinking lots of water
- Wearing loose, soft clothes
- Using humidifiers in your home to prevent dry air
Talk with your doctor if you are concerned about eczema and asthma. Having 1 condition does not guarantee that you will develop the other. But it does increase your risk. Luckily, eczema can be treated effectively in most people.1-3