Most Common Skin Conditions Like Eczema
Eczema is a group of conditions that can make your skin irritated, inflamed, and itchy. Your doctor may call it atopic dermatitis, which is also the most common type of eczema. You’re more likely to get eczema when you’re a child, but adults can get it too.
The symptoms you have and where they show up on your body vary from person to person. You might have one or more of these signs:
- Itching
- Dry, sensitive skin
- Rough or scaly areas
- Red patches on white skin
- Gray or violet-brown patches on dark skin
- Oozing or crusty skin from scratching
- Swelling
Several common skin conditions can look like eczema, so it’s important to talk to your primary care doctor, a dermatologist, or an allergist to find out what’s going on with your skin. They may need to run tests, such as:
- Biopsies
- Cultures
- Scrapings
- Patch tests
They might tell you that you have one of these conditions that looks similar to eczema but isn’t:
This long-term condition is partly due to your immune system attacking your skin by mistake. Both psoriasis and eczema can bring on symptoms such as:
- Red, scaly patches
- Dry, cracked skin
- Itching
Eczema patches tend to be thinner than psoriasis patches. Another difference is that fluid can ooze from your skin with eczema.
This contagious condition happens when tiny bugs called mites burrow into the top layer of your skin and lay eggs. You might have symptoms such as bad itching and a rash that looks like pimples. Like eczema, you could also get scaly-looking patches.
Unlike eczema, itching from scabies tends to get worse at night. You also might see a few tiny raised and crooked lines that look gray-white or flesh-colored on parts of your skin where the mites burrow.
Hives
These red or pink welts can be large or small. They might show up alone or in a big group. Like eczema, they usually itch. Unlike eczema, they tend to go away within 24 hours -- although new ones can quickly show up and may continue to do so for weeks or longer. Another difference is that hives can lead to swelling of your lips, eyelids, and throat.
Some people’s eczema flares up due to allergens such as pet dander and dust mites. But lots of things can trigger eczema, including certain fabrics, soaps, and detergents. That means allergies may not be the reason your symptoms get worse.
Both eczema and allergies can bring on dry, cracked, reddish skin and itching. But allergies can also give you symptoms like:
- Sneezing and runny or stuffed up nose
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Cough or wheezing
- Swelling of tongue, lips, or face
This contagious infection, caused by a fungus , can make ring-shaped patches slowly grow outward on any part of your skin. On light skin, these itchy patches can look pink or red. On dark skin, they might seem brown or gray. But ringworm patches tend to be roundish with a wavy raised border, and with treatment, their centers tend to clear up first.
This skin condition can take several forms, including:
Contact dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis
These are other types of eczema. Like the most common kind, atopic dermatitis, they can also irritate and inflame your skin and make it itch. Contact dermatitis could also cause burning pain and blisters. It's possible you could have atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis at the same time.
Seborrheic dermatitis often results in redness, swelling, and greasy scaling.
Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE)
In this condition, sunlight gives you an itchy rash. It happens most often on your face, back of your hands, forearms, or neck. It usually pops up within hours of spending time outdoors in the sun and lasts a couple of days. If you keep going out in the sun, it may stick around for longer.
Skin infections
Bacterial infections on your skin, such as a staph infection, also can look like eczema. Your doctor might run tests to see if you have a bacterial infection. You may need an antibiotic to get rid of it.
Other Skin Conditions Like Eczema
Some rare health conditions that affect your skin also may look like eczema even though they aren't. These include:
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
The most common type of this rare blood cancer has an early stage that can bring on an itchy rash that may look like eczema. Another more aggressive type can bring on red, swollen skin that itches badly. If you have a rash like this that persists or seems like a “stubborn” case of eczema, see a dermatologist just to be sure.
Netherton disease
This is a rare disorder that you’re born with. Like eczema, it can cause skin to look red and scaly, as well as leak fluid. The disease could affect your immune system and make you more likely to get eczema. It may also affect your hair, making it thin and fragile.
Cutaneous lupus and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
This condition also can be misdiagnosed as eczema or atopic dermatitis. It's a rare disorder that happens when your immune system attacks your own tissues. You may have red or brownish patches on your knuckles. You may also have other symptoms, such as generally feeling unwell or having fingers or toes that swell, feel cold, or get numb. You may also have pain in your muscles or joints.
Finding Out if It's Eczema or Something Else
If you have a skin condition and you aren't sure if it's eczema or something else, see your doctor. It's a good idea to go prepared with:
- A list of where your skin symptoms are, their severity, and when you noticed them
- Any culture tests you've had before and their results
- Any biopsies you've had before and their results
- Any allergy or patch testing you've had
- Any topicals or other medicines you've tried
Takeaways
Eczema or atopic dermatitis are common skin conditions. But they also can look a lot like many other skin conditions. If you have itchy red patches on your skin that you think may be eczema, see your primary care doctor or dermatologist. They can run tests to find out if it's eczema or another skin condition that looks like eczema.
Skin Conditions Like Eczema FAQs
Is eczema a skin condition?
Yes. Eczema is a group of conditions that come with red, itchy patches on your skin.
How do you treat eczema?
You can use topical or oral medicines to treat eczema. It's important to see your doctor to be sure that your red patches are eczema and not another condition that looks like eczema. Getting the best treatment for your skin condition depends on having the right diagnosis.
What is commonly mistaken for eczema?
Many conditions that cause your skin to look red or patchy can be mistaken for eczema. If you have red patches on your skin, see your doctor for advice. They may order tests to find out the cause and whether it's eczema or another skin condition that looks like eczema.
What is a skin infection similar to eczema?
Various skin infections can look like eczema. This includes infections with staph bacteria, fungi, scabies, and others.
What are the 7 different types of eczema?
While many conditions can look like eczema, eczema also can look different ways depending on which type it is. Eczema types include atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, hand eczema, neurodermatitis, nummular eczema, and stasis dermatitis.
