CONTACT DERMATITIS & HOMEOPATHY

         Contact dermatitis is skin inflammation caused by direct contact with a particular substance. The rash is very itchy, is confined to a specific area, and often has clearly defined boundaries.           

       Substances can cause skin inflammation by one of two mechanisms—irritation (irritant contact dermatitis) or allergic reaction (allergic contact dermatitis).Irritant contact dermatitis, which accounts for 80% of all cases of contact dermatitis, occurs when a chemical substance causes direct damage to the skin; symptoms are more painful than itchy.

  Allergic contact dermatitis is a reaction by the body's immune
system to a substance contacting the skin. Sometimes a person can be sensitized by only one exposure, and other times sensitization occurs only after many exposures to a substance. After a person is sensitized, the next exposure causes itching and dermatitis within 4 to 24 hours, although some people, particularly older people, do not develop a reaction for 3 to 4 days.

Common Causes of Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Cosmetics:

Hair-removing chemicals hair dyes, nail polish, nail polish remover, deodorants, moisturizers, aftershave lotions, perfumes, sunscreens

 Metal compound (in jewelry):

Nickel  

Plants:
Poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, ragweed, primrose, thistle.

Drugs:
Antibiotics (sulfonamides, neomycin), antihistamines (diphenhydramine, promethazine), anesthetics (benzocaine), antiseptics (thimerosal), stabilizers

Chemicals used in clothing manufacturing:

Tanning agents in shoes; rubber accelerators and antioxidants in gloves, shoes, undergarments, other apparel.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

·        Regardless of cause or type, contact dermatitis results in itching and a rash.

·        The itching is usually severe, but the rash varies from a mild, short-lived redness to severe swelling and large blisters.

·         Most commonly, the rash contains tiny blisters. The rash develops only in areas contacted by the substance.

·         However, the rash appears earlier in thin, sensitive areas of skin, and later in areas of thicker skin or on skin that had less contact with the substance, giving the impression that the rash has spread.

·        Touching the rash or blister fluid cannot spread contact dermatitis to other people or to other parts of the body that did not make contact with the substance.

Determining the cause of contact dermatitis is not always easy. The person's occupation, hobbies, household duties, vacations, clothing, topical drug use, cosmetics, and household members' activities must be considered. Most people are unaware of all the substances that touch their skin. Often, the location of the initial rash is an important clue, particularly if it occurs under an item of clothing or jewelry or only in areas exposed to sunlight. However, many substances that people touch with their hands are unknowingly transferred to the face, where the more sensitive facial skin may react even if the hands do not.

The "use test," in which a suspected substance is applied far from the original area of contact dermatitis (usually on the forearm), is useful when perfumes, shampoos, or other substances used in the home are suspected.

Prevention and Treatment

              Contact dermatitis can be prevented by avoiding contact with the causative substance. If contact does occur, the material should be washed off immediately with soap and water. If circumstances risk ongoing exposure, gloves and protective clothing may be helpful.

             Treatment is not effective until there is no further contact with the substance causing the problem. Once the substance is removed, the redness usually disappears after a week. Blisters may continue to ooze and form crusts, but they soon dry. Residual scaling, itching, and temporary thickening of the skin may last for days or weeks.

Homeopathy for contact dermatitis

        In any chronic skin conditions it is better to take a constitutional medicine. Patient’s previous history of treatment and other illnesses are impotent in case taking. Patient will have to take medicine for a particular period of time according to the seat of disease.

I have listed some common homeopathic medicines with their skin symptoms, generalities and mental symptoms. You cannot take homeopathic medicines by your own without a classical homeopaths advice

Commonly used medicines are

Alumina, Belladanna , graphitis , Arsenic alb, bovista, staphysagria , Appis mallifica

Calc carb. Calc sulph, Croton tig, Hepar sulph, Kali sulph, Merc sol, Mezereum, Nat mur

Nitric acid, Rhus tox . Sarsaparilla Sulphur  Etc

Images from:

www.dermtexas.com

Myo foundation.