Eczema Herpeticum: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Healthbeautyidea.com – Eczema herpeticum affects the atopic dermatitis sufferer and other inflammatory skin diseases. Eczema herpeticum infection can cause very serious problems, especially if sores can spread to large areas of the skin.

Eczema herpeticum is a serious and rare complication. This condition appears when the skin affected by eczema comes into contact with the herpes virus. It is caused by contact with HSV-1. The location of the appearance of eczema herpeticum usually occurs on the neck, head, and nape.

The appearance of eczema herpeticum begins a small group of blisters on the skin that occur on normal skin or in the affected by eczema area or other inflamed skin conditions. The blisters can continue for 7 to 10 days and may spread and may cover a wider area of the face and body.

Blister lesions initially contain clear fluid which then develops into pus. Wounds on the skin can heal in 2 to 4 weeks and rarely produce scars.

Eczema herpeticum can affect any part of the skin, especially the face and neck.

Eczema Herpeticum Causes

Eczema Herpeticum appear when the herpes virus infects the skin area in the body. Atopic dermatitis sufferer is more prone to common skin infections, among them eczema herpeticum.

Eczema herpeticum can also occur in people with seborrheic dermatitis or contact dermatitis. It is more common in young children and infants and those severe atopic dermatitis sufferer.

Herpes simplex 1 virus can be spread through skin contact to others.

Dermatitis can be mild to severe, depending on the skin condition and duration of symptoms. Other viruses that cause eruptions similar to eczema herpeticum such as coxsackievirus A16 in hand-foot-mouth disease.

Eczema Herpeticum Diagnosis

A doctor can usually recognize eczema herpeticum by looking at its symptoms. However, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish this condition from eczema.

To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may take a swab of the blisters to check for bacteria or viruses.

Although the virus causes herpes, if the area is exposed to bacteria, bacterial infections can also occur. When this happens, it is called a secondary infection.

Eczema Herpeticum Treatment

To treat eczema herpeticum, your doctor will likely prescribe antiviral medications, usually in tablet or syrup form. They will often also recommend continuing ongoing eczema treatment. The person may also need to take antibiotics if a secondary infection develops.

Some people with eczema herpeticum may need to spend time in the hospital.

If symptoms worsen quickly, the person may need immediate medical treatment. If there are signs of infection in the eye, they need to see an eye doctor, often immediately, because herpes in the eye can cause blindness.

Early treatment can help prevent complications and stop the spread of HSV to vital organs.

The blisters that form take 2-4 weeks to heal. They usually leave no scars unless people pick them up or scratch them.

Things that must be considered by people with eczema are:

• Do not take too often bathe (because if it is wet too often it will be difficult to dry) or if necessary on the lap only.
• When going to take a bath use warm water (do not get too hot).
• Avoid the use of soap in areas affected by eczema because if the affected area is exposed to soap it will be irritated.
• Avoid contact with fabrics or blankets made with wool, wear clothes that are clean, not tight and absorb sweat.
• If eczema is due to allergies to certain foods, then avoid these foods.
• Do not use harsh soaps or detergents.
• Avoid using chemicals such as cosmetics and drugs that are too harsh on the skin.
• Maintain the balance of weight, people who have more weight, let alone very fat, sweat more and have friction on the skin folds that trigger skin fungus.
• And most importantly, don’t scratch. Scratching eczema will only make things worse, because the skin will be infected by the bacteria in the nails, and when the wound has dried out then the skin color will look different. You should cut nails in people who have eczema so that the wound is not infected by germs.

Read more:
How To Prevent Eczema