Contact dermatitis, or eczema, is a type of skin reaction that occurs from contact with an irritating substance or object, which causes an allergy or inflammation of the skin, causing symptoms such as itching, severe redness and swelling.
Treatment of contact dermatitis is based on the severity of symptoms and should be indicated by the dermatologist, who usually indicates the use of corticosteroid-based ointments or creams to relieve symptoms related to inflammation. Contact dermatitis is not detected because it is not contagious because it is an overreaction of the person’s body.
The main symptoms of contact dermatitis are
When dermatitis is not caused by an allergy, but by skin irritation, the affected area may be seen as a burn, especially if it comes into contact with an acidic or corrosive substance. In case of allergy, your doctor may perform an allergy test to try to identify the substance that may cause this skin irritation. Understand how the allergy test is performed.
Contact dermatitis can be classified into two main types: allergic and irritating. Allergic dermatitis is usually discovered in childhood and in people who have another type of allergy and symptoms may appear immediately or within 6 days of contact with the irritant. In the case of irritating dermatitis, symptoms may appear immediately after contact with the agent causing irritation and can occur to anyone, often related to the use of jewelry, cosmetics and cleaning products, for example.
Treatment of contact dermatitis should be done on the advice of the doctor for the possibility of recovery. Therefore, it is also important to avoid contact with the irritant substance, in addition to washing the area with cold and abundant water.
In some cases, your doctor may also recommend applying a cream with antihistamines or corticosteroids at the allergy site until symptoms improve. In addition, it may be appropriate to take an antihistamine, such as cetitrizine, to control symptoms more quickly.
The healing time is about 3 weeks in case of allergy, and in case of irritating dermatitis, symptoms can be controlled in as little as 4 days after the start of treatment.
Corticosteroid ointments or lotions are best suited to treat this type of allergy, with hydrocortisone being the most suitable for the face. When the skin is very dry it is more advisable to use ointments, but when the skin is wetter, creams or lotions may be indicated. See the list of major ointments used for the most common skin diseases.
A good home treatment for contact dermatitis is to wash the affected area with cold banana tea due to its natural antihistamine properties. To make the tea, simply add 30 grams of banana leaves in one liter of boiling water, cover and leave to cool. Then filter and wash the area with this tea 2 to 3 times a day. Discover other home remedies to relieve dermatitis.
The cause of contact dermatitis is the body’s reaction to the allergic substance. This reaction may occur in contact with:
Depending on the person responsible for the reaction, symptoms may appear in different parts of the body. In case the reaction is triggered by the use of makeup, for example, symptoms appear mainly on the face, eyes and eyelids. For ear symptoms, for example, this may be due to reaction with jewelry earrings or perfumes.
Knowing when symptoms usually appear can also help discover the cause of this skin reaction. For example, allergies that occur on Mondays but improve over the weekend or during the holidays usually indicate that the cause of skin irritation may be present in the workplace.