CONTACT DERMATITIS

Contact dermatitis is a reaction that happens after your skin comes in contact with certain substances that causes a painful or itchy skin rash. The reaction can be sudden, within minutes to hours or comes on slowly (such as the reaction to nickel in the watchband). It is uncomfortable but not contagious.

TYPES

• Irritant Contact Dermatitis – Most common type. It is common in people whose professions (mechanics, artists, food handlers, custodians, healthcare workers, or hairstylists) involve daily use of chemicals. An irritant reaction
  can occur after a single exposure or after repeated exposures over time.
•  Allergic Contact Dermatitis – It takes multiple exposures to the same chemical or substance to develop an allergy.

CAUSES

• Irritants
• Bleach, harsh soaps or detergents/fabric softeners
•  Hair dyes/shampoos(containing sulfate and parabens)
• Paint, varnishes and acids
• Hand sanitizers
•  Diaper-long term exposure to wet diapers
• Pesticides or weed killers
• Spit (saliva) – in children
  Allergens
•  Plants (e.g. poison ivy, poison oak).
• Cosmetic products (such as sunscreen, makeup remover, shaving lotion, eyeshadow, nail polish, lipstick, foundation powders).
• Fragrances/perfumes
• Nickel or other metals (found in jewelry, metal zips, buttons, watch straps, powder compacts, pocket knives, hooks on clothing)
• Latex – Rubber toys or rubber gloves, shoes, balloons, balls, nipples (in
  children).
• Mercury – found in contact lens solutions.
• Preservatives in cosmetics and creams (parabens).

SYMPTOMS

• Red, irritated skin
• The rash is most commonly on hands, face (especially around the eyes), ankles,
  ears, genital area.
• Itching – sleep disturbances, difficulty in concentrating or performing duties
  in school or at work.
• Swollen or hive-like skin
• Dry, scaly skin
•  Blisters with oozing
• Burning or stinging pain with tenderness.

DIAGNOSIS

• By asking the history of handling with any irritants, person’s occupation,
  lifestyle and hobbies.
• By clinical examination.
• Patch test – to detect allergens.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

• Avoid known allergens and irritants. Only by avoiding the cause, you can get rid of contact dermatitis.
• Cleaning – Wash your skin with mild, fragrance-free soap and warm water after coming into contact with irritants or allergens.
• Wear protective clothing while handling such substances.
• Use moisturizer to keep the skin supple. Use fragrance-free moisturizers.
• Change product that irritates your skin.
• If you are regularly exposed to allergens or irritating chemicals at work and develop contact dermatitis, ask your employer for a chemical Safety Data Sheet to detect the cause.

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT

The Homoeopathic Physician not only treats contact dermatitis but addresses its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. Homeopathic medicines heal the condition rather than suppressing it and bring effective and gentle recovery.
A recent study of 118 Eczema (dermatitis) patients published in “Complementary Therapies in Medicine Journal” reported that Homoeopathy was as effective as standard conventional treatments in the short-term and more effective than them in the longer term.
At Bristol Homoeopathic Hospital a 6-year study of patient outcomes found that
82% of eczema (dermatitis) patients under 16 said they felt “better or much better”.
Similar results have been reported at other homeopathic hospitals.