Dermatitis
Dermatitis means "inflammation of the skin". Inflammation can be caused by anything that injures the skin from burns to allergies or irritation from chemicals. Usually, however, dermatitis refers to chemical injury to the skin producing redness, burning or itching and possibly blistering.
The two most common causes of dermatitis are due to allergic skin rashes or to irritating chemicals applied to the skin. The latter category of dermatitis, irritant dermatitis, will be discussed here.
Unlike allergens, exposure to irritants almost always causes dermatitis in most people.
Irritants include abrasive substances such as fiberglass insulation, as well as chemicals such as soaps, detergents, wet concrete, onion juice, acids, alkalies, hot substances, very cold substances and ultraviolet light.
As noted above, symptoms of irritant dermatiits can include redness, small bumps or blisters and pain, itching or swelling of the affected area.
Treatment always involves the avoidance of the offending substance, but first it must be identified. In order to sort through all these possibilities, consultation with a board-certified dermatologist should be sought. A specialist will be able to detect clues in the patient's history and exam which will point to a specific cause, and will likely be able to identify the offending product and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Treatment also includes gentle treatment of the skin. It's of the utmost importance to avoid soaps on the skin rash because the skin is injured, and soaps can further damage this skin. Moisturization and probably a topical anti inflammatory medication will be prescribed to provide relief of symptoms. With proper treatment, irritant dermatitis usually clears up within 2 weeks provided the offending chemical is avoided.
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