Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a skin inflammation caused by direct physical contact with a substance to which the person is sensitive, provoking an allergic reaction.
Contact dermatitis is a skin inflammation caused by direct physical contact with a substance to which the person is sensitive, provoking an allergic reaction. Typically, an itchy or scaling rash appears at the site of contact. The hands are most commonly affected, although contact dermatitis can occur anywhere on the body.
Symptoms
- Itchy skin
- Red rashes
- Flaking skin or blistering
- Oozing skin blisters
The body’s immune system normally protects the body against foreign organisms such as viruses and bacteria. When allergic responses occur, the immune system overreacts to harmless substances, such as household cleaners, leading to inflammation, redness, and itching.
Specific substances that commonly cause contact dermatitis include dyes used in clothing, shoes, and hair products; chemicals in rubber compounds, cleaning products, or cosmetics; metals, detergents, and urushiol, an oily substance in the leaves of poison ivy.
What To Do to Avoid Contact Dermatitis
If allergic rashes are a frequent problem, try to identify what is causing the response and then avoid the offending substance
When walking in areas infested with poison ivy, wear long pants and boots or closed shoes and heavy sock
The following substances are among the most common causes of contact dermatitis. Consider them in trying to track down the cause of a rash:
- Soaps, detergents, and cleaning compounds
- Nickel, which is used in jewelry, rivets on jeans, and many other common metal products
- Perfumes, cosmetics, shaving lotions, and other such products
- Chemicals used in hair and fur dyes
- Dyes and chemicals used in paints, leather processing, and textiles
- Plants, especially poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac
- Rubber compounds
- Chemicals used in ink and paper
- Insecticides
The best approach to treatment is avoidance of the offending substance. If this is impossible, antihistamines and nonprescription cortisone creams may be tried. Prescription steroid creams or other medication may be prescribed to speed healing.
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