While skin irritation is caused by several factors, when it is caused by an immune response, it is considered to be an allergic skin condition. The most common skin condition is atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema. Approximately 7.3% of adults and 10.7% of children in the U.S. have atopic dermatitis. While majority of atopic dermatitis cases are not necessarily considered to be allergic reactions, environmental factors such as allergens can trigger atopic dermatitis symptoms.
With there being so many different types of atopic dermatitis, it can be hard to determine which exact form a patient is suffering from. Nonetheless, the most common symptoms experienced are skin rash and itchiness. Skin can also become dry, scaly and thickened, and open, oozing, crusty sores may develop. Symptoms of atopic dermatitis may be intermittent, but even during periods where the skin is visibly clear, inflammation may await under the skin’s surface, later causing a flareup. In about 25-50% of atopic dermatitis cases, patients also experience some other form of eye complication, including atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC), keratoconus, uveitis, retinal detachment and infection, among others.