Final answer:
Eczema is an inflammatory skin disorder presenting as itchy, red, and flaky rashes. Treatments focus on managing symptoms with moisturizers, anti-inflammatory creams, and immunosuppressants. The condition can be part of broader allergic reactions, as seen in the case of a teenager who had an allergic eczema to sunscreen.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eczema is a scaly reddened condition of the skin, often classified as an inflammatory condition or an allergic reaction. Affecting individuals of all ages, eczema presents as dry, itchy patches of skin that are similar in appearance to rashes and is categorized as a common skin disorder.
Symptoms of eczema can include redness, flaking, itching, swelling, and in more severe cases, bleeding. Many individuals with eczema have antibodies against dust mites in their blood, although the direct link to dust mite allergy is not conclusively proven.
Treatments typically involve moisturizers to alleviate dryness, corticosteroid creams to reduce inflammation, and immunosuppressants to control the immune response.
Contrasting with eczema, acne is another skin disorder that involves clogged pores leading to infection and inflammation, commonly affecting adolescents. Other skin disorders include psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, cold sores, and warts.
In the clinical focus case of a 16-year-old named Penny, she presents with a sun-tanned skin and a rash diagnosed as allergic eczema triggered by sunscreen, highlighting the allergic reaction aspect of the condition.