10 Symptoms Of Nummular Eczema
Nummular eczema is a chronic skin condition, which means that it will remain with the patient for the rest of their lives. Women will usually develop the condition when they are quite young, while men will usually develop it from around 55 to 65 years old.
The condition is not contagious, although it is characterized by coin-shaped patches on the skin. While the condition cannot be cured, it can at least be treated to help ease the symptoms and make the patient feel more comfortable.
Here are a few of the signs that you may have nummular eczema.
Symptom #1: Reddish Spots
One of the first symptoms of nummular eczema is the appearance of very small, reddish spots on the skin. They can also be accompanied by sores that resemble blisters, and these are likely to be leaking fluid. It may be barely noticeable at first, but the condition will gradually worsen.
A rash can sometimes be a sign of something quite serious. Rashes are also quite common, however, and not usually something to be worried about, so we will often overlook them as not being serious. If you do have a rash or any other skin condition that you feel is not normal, you should arrange to get it checked out.
Symptom #2: Coin-Shaped Patches
While the first symptoms of nummular eczema are very small spots, they don’t stay that way for long. The spots will begin to grow larger, taking up more of the skin’s surface, and will also begin to form larger patches as they grow. Eventually, this will result in coin-shaped patches on the surface of the skin.
For a trained medical professional, the appearance of these patches will be effective in helping them to get to the bottom of the problem. When you do see any medical professional, make sure to give them as much information as possible because every piece of information can be very useful to them.
Symptom #3: Contact with Irritants
There is still a lot of research to be done on just what causes nummular eczema, but there are some substances that are associated with the condition. Some people find that they will develop the condition after being in contact with fragrances, for example. Others will have a reaction to some metals like cobalt and nickel.
As these factors are potential causes, having been in contact with them recently is a good indicator that nummular eczema is causing the patient’s skin problems. It is always a good idea to be careful around certain chemicals because some can do harm regardless of whether or not you have a related condition.
Symptom #4: Brown, Pink, or Red Skin Patches
Different conditions will affect people in different ways. Sometimes only slightly, and at other times more significantly. When it comes to nummular eczema, the skin patches can appear in different colors in different people. The same patient might even have patches of different colors on their own bodies.
The skin patches associated with the condition are likely to be brown, pink, or red. To the eyes of a trained medical professional, the physical appearance of these patches will give them an idea of what is causing the problem. Further tests are sometimes needed to be sure, and to know what treatments might be applicable.
Symptom #5: Found on Legs
When seeing medical professionals about a rash, they will often ask you where on the body the rash is located. They are asking you this because knowing the location of the rash could help them to narrow down the possible causes. They might also need to look at the affected areas to get a better idea of what is happening.
In cases of nummular eczema, the rash is most likely to be found on the patient’s legs. In many cases, the affected areas will also be on the patient’s arms, feet, hands, and torso.
Symptom #6: Crusty Skin
Usually, dead skin cells will usually just fall away, exposing the fresh, new skin cells below. This helps to keep our skin healthy and looking good, but some medical conditions will have a detrimental effect on the skin. In cases of nummular eczema, the affected areas of the skin can actually become quite crusty.
This crustiness, as gross as it may sound, is largely down to the leaked fluid from blisters drying out. The skin can become dry and scaly, causing some discomfort as well as looking unsightly. Patients with the condition will often try and cover the affected areas because of their unsightly nature.
Symptom #7: Itching
Despite the other unwelcome symptoms that patients with nummular eczema will encounter, itchiness is perhaps the most unpleasant of all. It can be simply agonizing, and relentless, leaving the patient tormented by the symptom. What’s more is that the itchiness can also encourage scratching, and this can make things a lot worse.
Our skin is quite delicate and easily cut and torn by nails. This can mean broken skin, and this can allow potentially harmful pathogens to get in. You can ask a doctor for something that might help relieve the itching, while covering the area to prevent scratching can also be beneficial.
Symptom #8: Inflamed Skin
While the affected patches themselves can cause some considerable discomfort for patients with nummular eczema, the area surrounding the skin can also be bothersome. In some cases, the skin immediately surrounding the lesions will itself become red and inflamed.
This area can also become very scaly and itchy and, to make matters even worse, the itchiness has a tendency of getting worse at night. This can mean that the patient has difficulty sleeping at night, potentially leaving them feeling tired the following day. Medications and remedies are available that might be able to at least reduce the severity of the condition.
Symptom #9: Yellow Crust
As already mentioned, there is a chance that lesions caused by nummular eczema can become infected, and the most common culprit is the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. This infection is likely to cause pus to come out from the lesion, and this pus will dry and form a hard, yellow crust over the affected area.
As unpleasant as this is, it is thankfully not too difficult to treat and a course of antibiotics is often all that is needed. While it is fairly easy to treat, though, it should be done as soon as possible because it can spread, and Staphylococcus aureus infections can become particularly nasty.
Symptom #10: Clear Skin between Patches
One bit of good news is that most of the skin will remain clear of nummular eczema. The areas of skin in between affected patches will remain fairly clear, but even then, they can be affected by the condition. Although otherwise untouched, these areas are likely to become dry, and this can make them easy to irritate.
One solution to prevent this is to use a moisturizer. Be mindful, however, that the wrong product might end up making the eczema worse. If you are unsure, ask a doctor for recommendations of what to use, and they may be able to prescribe something for you.
