Genetics plays a considerable role, and a number of mechanistically plausible genes have been linked to eczema risk.[1] Additionally, microbiome disruption is highly common in eczema, and with the vital role in immune regulation that the microbiome plays, this is plausible.[2] Other possible factors include smoking, maternal alcohol consumption and stress/anxiety, being born in winter, phthalate exposure, and hard water. The early-life use of antibiotics[3] and acetaminophen are also associated with eczema, though it's possible that this is due to a dysfunctional immune system leading both to the need for those medications as well as eczema.
