What causes contact dermatitis?
Contact dermatitis, one of the most common types of eczema, appears when your skin comes into contact with an irritant or allergen.
Irritant contact dermatitis
This skin rash isn’t an allergic response; it’s a reaction that occurs when a substance irritates or damages your skin. Soaps, detergents, disinfectants, fertilizers, and many chemicals found in everyday products are common irritants.
Allergic contact dermatitis
You develop this skin condition when a substance touches your skin and triggers your immune system, causing an allergic reaction.
A few of the top causes of allergic contact dermatitis include:
- Nickel
- Rubber or latex
- Fabric dyes
- Cosmetics
- Formaldehyde
- Poison ivy, oak, and sumac
Some medications and sunscreens cause an allergic skin reaction when you’re in the sun.
What type of skin condition is eczema?
Eczema isn’t one condition. It refers to a group of inflammatory skin conditions. Though you can develop eczema as an adult, most cases first appear in childhood and then persist into adulthood.
Of the children diagnosed with eczema by the age of five, up to 30% may develop food allergies. Up to 80% of kids with eczema end up with allergic rhinitis or asthma.
Most people with eczema go through cycles of remission followed by a flare-up of skin symptoms. These flares are triggered by factors like dry skin, stress, fabrics, and soap. A reaction to a food allergy can also trigger eczema.
What symptoms appear due to an allergic skin condition?
Whether you have allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, or eczema, you will experience one or more of the following:
- Itchy rash
- Swelling
- Painful sores
- Dry, cracked skin
- Dry, scaly patches
- Thickened, discolored skin
- Tender skin
- Burning or stinging
- Hives
- Fluid-filled blisters
- Blisters that ooze and crust
- Scaly patches
Your skin reaction may appear shortly after you touch the substance. But in many cases, contact allergens take hours or days before the skin rash develops.
How are skin conditions treated?
The best treatment for your skin condition depends on the type of condition.
Treatment for contact dermatitis
If your provider suspects allergic contact dermatitis, they perform allergy testing. They also work with you to determine the substances that trigger irritant contact dermatitis.
Then the treatment for both types begins with a plan to avoid your allergens or triggers. You may also need immunotherapy and possibly a chance in your diet to reduce inflammation and ease your symptoms.
Treatment for eczema
Eczema treatment includes keeping your skin well-moisturized, using gentle skin care products, avoiding triggers, and taking medications to reduce inflammation and relieve symptoms.
If you need to find relief for a skin condition, call Allergy & Environmental Treatment Center, LLC, or schedule an appointment online.
