While eczema is common and not usually life threatening, it can quickly become a severe medical event if the rashes become infected. This can even turn into a serious condition called eczema herpeticum as the NHS warned patients over red flags to watch out for.
It noted that people who suffer from eczema should keep note of changes in their rashes and patches, particularly if they get a high fever or feel generally unwell too. This could indicate their eczema has become infected.
Contact 111 for help or request an urgent GP appointment if you notice you or your child’s eczema changes such as:
- Blistering that is crusting, leaking fluid or has spots filled with pus
- Painful or swollen rashes that feel warm
- The patch suddenly gets worse or bigger.
Eczema affects around one in five children and one in 10 adults in the UK according to the National Eczema Society. While most sufferers fully understand their usual symptoms, triggers and treatments, they may need urgent medical help if these red flags arise.
It’s “highly likely” that people with eczema will experience either a bacterial, fungal or viral skin infection at some point in their lives according to the National Eczema Society. It also warns: “All of these infections require intervention to clear them up as they do not improve on their own.”
These secondary infections, caused by weakened barriers and protection within the skin due to eczema, can also lead to eczema herpeticum. This “serious condition” occurs when the herpes simplex virus causes a skin infection which often requires a hospital stay for patients to be treated through an IV.
The most common form of eczema is atopic eczema, which is usually characterised by patches of itchy, dry or scaly skin which can appear in many areas of the body. It is usually a different colour than the skin around it and can blister or bleed.
However, there are multiple different types of eczema including discoid eczema, which causes circular or oval patches of eczema. An infected patch of discoid eczema may ooze a lot of fluid and can cause the skin around it to become hot, swollen or tender.
Pompholyx affects the hands and feet with itchy blisters that usually last for weeks at a time. A green or yellow pus leaking from these blisters or a yellow-brown crust covering the top of them are signs of infection in this form of eczema.
Varicose eczema, which is caused by a blood flow problem in the leg veins, should always be medically treated as it can result in leg ulcers. These are wounds caused by damage to the skin that often takes more than two weeks to heal.