Contact allergies

What is a contact allergy?

The allergy symptomatic is triggered by a direct touch of the allergen with the skin or mucosa at a contact allergy. The first contact goes without symptomatic, the organism is sensitized. At renewed contact with the substance it comes into the course to an allergic reaction the immune system of the skin is activated. An inflammation reaction starts on the skin to fend off the allergen. The allergic reaction typically appears sharply restrictedly at a contact allergy in the skin places which were in direct contact with the allergen.

One distinguishes:

Contact Urtikaria or nettle rash: It is one, allergic immediate reaction of the type I appears at this itching strongly with vesicle like tumescences. The reactions appear already few minutes after contact with the allergen and can stop for 1 to 2 days continuous.

Contact eczema or contact dermatitis: So one describes of The acute remodel of The " . " this is one an allergic delayed reaction of the type places, shack formation wetting tumescences, little water blisters, with an inflammation of the upper skin layers at the red skin IV different extent appear classic contact allergy. In connection with more or less strong pruritus through what additional damages can be caused to the skin by on-scrapers usually happens. The eczema develops only 24 to 72 hours after the contact with the allergen and as a rule heals completely again. Example: Nickel allergy!

degenerative contact eczema: At permanent contact with the allergen, i.e. chronic damage done to certain skin games a chronic degenerative skin eczema can develop. By permanent contact with water, soaps or solvents the fat and acid protective casing of the skin is damaged. As a consequence rips arise in the epidermis by which both pathogens and allergic substances penetrate. In addition, the allergens are these not come directly with the allergen into touch at all so that it comes to places also to allergic skin reactions, further transported over the lymphtray and blood vessels, have. Chronic contact eczemas have a phenotype changed lightly: the initial inflammation reaction develops back, the herd lamella eyes shack, however, tend to inflammatory thick skin, strong cornification, coarse.

diffuse contact eczemas: While contact eczemas are usually limited sharply, dusts (cement, wood, dry plant parts, teas) and odorous substances (sprays, vapors, volatile oils, perfume) can cause diffuse contact eczemas in the face particularly (air well contact dermatitis).

Non-allergic contact reactions: Not all species of nettle rash and contact eczemas can be explained by allergic reactions. The contact with certain irritants (e.g. touch of a stinging nettle or a nettle jellyfish) leads with every man to a direct skin stimulation with a nettle like eruption or eczema. The skin reactions to the toxic or caustic are duly effect of the irritants in these cases. Since no immunologic sensitization is required, the skin reaction already appears at first contact with these substances and rises proportionally with the quantity of the irritants. Long and fatty acids are phenacetin, morphine, atropine, codeine part of the substances which trigger a nettle like exanthema and ephedrine, amino acids.

Frequent triggers of contact allergies

Other triggers are (epoxy resins resins, solvent and more solid; most only the smaller monomers and Dimere, no more the polymer), cleaning agent, drug and plants.

Since some years nickel (jeans button or fashion jewelry allergy) cites this top ten with 17 per cent of all contact allergies in Germany, followed by an odorous substance mix (cosmetics or perfume allergy) with 12.6 percent and Perubalsam (cosmetics, aromatic allergy) with 9.8 per cent.

Here the top 15 top ten:
1. Nickel sulfate
2. Odorous substance mix
3. Perubalsam
4. Thiomersal
5. Kobaltchlorid
6. P-Phenylendiamin
7. Wool fat alcohols
8. Rosin
9. Kaliumdichromat
10. Turpentine
11. Euxyl K 400
12. Kathon CG
13. Neomycin sulfate
14. Thiuram mix
15. Mercury-(II) amidchlorid

The widespread nickel allergies are triggered by jewelry, e.g. ear plug or piercing containing nickel, clips, rings or necklaces, mostly. A sensitization frequently already in the childhood takes place. Particularly little girls are often adorned with "false" necklaces or ear plugs. The young skin is, however, particularly sensitive. Sweating favors the emergence of an allergy, isn't washing frequently protection since it irritates the skin in addition and makes it even more susceptible. Already low nickel releases can maintain a nickel allergy with sensitized people. Only the contact points aren't always affected by an eczema. One is the nickel allergy type IV allergy, a delayed reaction. The nickel salts are taken up by endogenous cells and trigger a defense reaction of the T lymphocytes.

Happens of nickel in:

Jewelry, spectacle-frames, watches
Closures of clothes, buttons, zippers, shoes, hooks, buckles
Kitchen utensils, surgical instruments, cooking pots
Powder compacts, keys, door handles, scissorses
Silver and white gold (can) also silver coins contain nickel, in the alloy up to 20 per cent
Caution also at jewelry etiquettes! Mostly, pieces of jewelry with etiquettes with the indication are " covered surface nickel free " only with a transparent varnish which, however, doesn't hold eternally. If the surface gets rips, it can let through nickel ions.
Food: concentrations are of nickel been different in beans, peanuts, hazelnuts, cocoa, sunflower seeds and licorice.

Which symptoms are there?

Nettle rash with wheals
Contact eczemas (not infectious inflammations of the skin and mucosa) Delayed reactions allergies still can IV, days, take place after the eating at type. You needing up to two days and then being able to cause troubles of an eczema or a photo allergic exanthema . Diagnosis position
The symptoms which the patient describes (anamnesis), i.e. primarily the exact localization of the eczema with and when the troubles have appeared for the first time.
Skin tests, primarily Epikutantest: the suspicious substances get outraged, the plaster stuck on to the back skin with a clamp then on a plaster. After 1-3 days one then can read "the reaction of the skin" (e.g. ointment bases, cosmetics row or hairdresser row). The patient gets an allergy passport exhibited at a reaction (vesicle) on the back.
Antibody detection from a blood test.

Avoidance therapy

The triggers for the contact allergy must be found out first. The contact dermatitis is and or clear once contact eczema which substance responsibly for the allergy is, can it be avoided in future so the heal off.

The contact with the allergen has to be avoided absolutely consistently. This also can mean a change of jobs or the renunciation of a certain hobby!
Individual protective measures have to be taken up: Protective gloves, skin protection foam or skin protective ointments, avoiding contact with the allergen around which.
One should use soap free syndets (pH value between 5 and 6.5) and moving greasing baths for the skin care.
After every washing process the skin protective casing should be restored by corresponding nursing care measures (moving greasing oils, ointments etc.).
The treatment of existing skin eczemas is carried out below a local use of medicines (cortisone, Ichthyol and tar preparation, not steroid ale antiphlogistics).
Subsequent illnesses like skin infections by mushrooms and bacteria must be treated separately.
In any case patients should receive an allergy passport. Contact people suffering from an allergy must be informed about it well where their contact allergen could happen and the packing details correspondingly carefully study. Always carry your allergy card at yourself. It then can be when required, e.g. produced at the purchase of a new personal hygiene product and it can be stated rapidly whether the substance against the you are allergic, is contained in it.

Occupational disability and obligation to registration

If it is noticed at an allergy test that the trigger is a "professional substance", that is one substance with which the person affected has at work regelar and necessarily to work, the physician must inform the responsible professional corporation. The notification also must be carried out if there is merely a suspicion. In the further course you must clear further, whether the person affected can then practise the profession? If this isn't possible, an occupational disability is. If through this a professional reorientation becomes necessary, a piece of dermatologic advice by a physician trained correspondingly often helps.

Medicinal medical treatment

Ointments and creams containing cortisone as well as well moving greasing body lotions help to the external medical treatment best.
Wet compresses are, at very dry manifestations recommended fatty ointments with corticosteroids at weeping eczemas.
If the contact dermatitis is very distinctive and obstinate, then a tablet therapy is necessary against the inflammation and the pruritus sometimes

These informations may be considered a substitute for a piece of medical advice in no case. The content of health-illness.com doesn't can and may be put into any case to make diagnoses or carry out self medical treatment independently.

Diese Informationen dürfen auf keinen Fall als Ersatz für ärztliche Beratung angesehen werden. Der Inhalt von medhost.de kann und darf auf keinen Fall verwendet werden, um eigenständig Diagnosen zu stellen oder Selbstbehandlung durchzuführen.