Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin condition that causes redness, dryness, and itching due to an overactive immune system. While most patients develop eczema in childhood, some adults experience the onset later in life due to factors like genetics, allergies, asthma, hormonal changes, environmental triggers, and occupational exposures. Contact with irritants like chemicals, fragrances, and harsh skincare products, along with lifestyle factors like stress, poor diet, and smoking, can also contribute to flare-ups. Changes in climate or air quality may further exacerbate symptoms. Managing eczema often requires identifying triggers and seeking specialized care for effective treatment and relief.
What Is Eczema?
Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that causes skin to become red, itchy, and dry. People with eczema often report painful, itchy sensations at the skin site whenever experiencing a flare-up.
Eczema is not contagious, so it’s not something you can spread to others or contract from someone during a flare-up. Instead, eczema develops because of an overactive, hypersensitive immune system. If a sensitive immune system encounters an allergy trigger or is triggered by external factors, it can initiate a complex chemical chain of reaction, resulting in inflammation, dry skin, redness, and itchiness at the flare-up site, or wherever on the skin the eczema appears.
Eczema’s Prevalence in Adults
According to the National Eczema Association, up to 10% of adults in the US (those 18 years of age and older) suffer from eczema, with roughly 80% developing the condition in childhood. That means about 20% of eczema patients develop it after reaching adulthood.
What Can Cause Adults to Develop Eczema?
There are a number of events, circumstances, or factors that can occur, causing an adult to begin suffering from eczema or atopic dermatitis all of a sudden. These include:
Genetics
Genetics can play a big role in whether or not someone will develop eczema in adulthood. Those whose parents or grandparents also suffer from eczema are prone to inherit the gene or genes responsible for its development and develop the condition either in childhood or adulthood.
Many patients can have the genetic markers for eczema from birth, but external factors never trigger the condition to develop until they reach adulthood. Or, some patients may not be born with any markers, but genetic changes over time can lead to its development.
Allergies and Asthma
Patients who already suffer from allergies, asthma, or both already have a hypersensitive immune system. Both allergies and asthma are really just side effects of the immune system encountering an allergen or allergens and triggering a chain of reactions that lead to either an allergic reaction or an asthma attack.
Since eczema is also a side effect of an overactive immune system, it often appears in allergy or asthma patients, whether first in childhood or adulthood. This does not guarantee that patients with allergies or asthma will also eventually develop eczema. It just means there is a strong connection between the three immune-based conditions, and those with asthma or allergies are far more likely to develop eczema, as well.
Hormonal Changes
Events like pregnancy, menopause, or thyroid imbalance can lead to eczema development in adulthood. The body can be pretty fickle sometimes, especially the immune system. When hormones become imbalanced for any reason, it could throw a healthy immune system off and cause a number of side effects, including the development of eczema.
Exposure to Certain Substances
Some eczema patients only experience flare-ups once their skin or immune system comes in contact with a particular substance. This form of eczema is often referred to as contact dermatitis. Common eczema-triggering substances include:
- Chemicals
- Detergents and soaps
- Lotions, creams, oils, and ointments
- Fragrances or perfumes
- Cosmetics
- Hair or clothing dye
- Poison ivy or oak
- Metals
Some patients with contact-based adult-onset eczema do not experience flare-ups until they are older because they never encounter the substance(s) that they are allergic to until later. Or, their skin barrier changes as they age, leading them to experience flare-ups because of a substance that never bothered them before.
Environmental Factors
Eczema patients who experience their first flare-up in adulthood could do so because of environmental factors like the climate or the area’s air quality.
It’s possible for eczema to suddenly flare up once temperatures change from hot to cold or from cold to hot. Some people may even develop it after moving from a dry, cold climate to a warm, humid one or vice versa. Similarly, people who grew up in an area with clean air could develop eczema if they are suddenly exposed to an environment with smog or low air quality.
Behavioral Factors
There are a variety of behavioral factors that experts believe could link to the development of eczema in adults, including:
- Poor diet – While it’s not entirely understood, studies have suggested that certain foods could play a role in the development of eczema in adulthood. More inflammatory foods, such as processed foods and foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and sugar, could initiate the development of eczema or make existing eczema symptoms worse whenever it flares up. For some, dairy, gluten, additives, or artificial sweeteners can also lead to an eczema breakout.
- Poor skincare – Patients who use harsh ingredients on their skin or rub their skin too hard can irritate the skin barrier to the point of developing eczema.
- Stress and anxiety – People who are often stressed or anxious release higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that can lead to inflammation within the body, which is a common symptom of eczema. It also lowers the system’s ability to repair the skin barrier, creating a negative cycle of eczema flare-ups.
- Smoking – People who smoke increase their likelihood of developing eczema since smoking triggers inflammation within the body and can help weaken your skin barrier, among other harmful reactions.
Occupational Factors
Some patients with adult-onset eczema do not experience flare-ups until they are exposed to particular substances or environments at work. Patients who have to wash their hands frequently at work or who have to handle harsh chemicals are more likely to develop occupation-based eczema.
If you believe something has caused you to develop eczema as an adult, turn to the eczema specialists at Langford Allergy for optimal care and relief.
Dr. Langford, Dr. Mathew, and our team of allergy specialists offer specialized care and treatment to all eczema and skin allergy patients. We create individualized and effective treatment and management plans that relieve the itch and clear your skin.
Schedule an eczema appointment today: 478-787-4728
Langford Allergy delivers allergy, asthma, and immunodeficiency care to patients throughout Middle Georgia, including:
- Bonaire, GA
- Byron, GA
- Forsyth, GA
- Fort Valley, GA
- Gray, GA
- Macon, GA
- Milledgeville, GA
- Perry, GA
- Warner Robins, GA
And other surrounding areas.
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