Finding Out More About Occupational Irritant Contact Dermatitis
People with eczema know that controlling your eczema trigger is a key to controlling your condition. Many types of eczema are controlled simply by limiting or avoiding exposure to certain triggers. While you may be able to control your exposure in your home, it may be more difficult when you are at work. What if the only way you can earn money at work is to be exposed to your eczema trigger?
Occupational irritant contact dermatitis, a form of eczema, is triggered when you are exposed to an irritant in the work place. Contact dermatitis is commonly red, inflamed, and itchy. It is also painful in most cases. It flares up at the skin's point of contact with the irritant. However, it can spread from this point depending on how severe your exposure was and how your immune system reacts.
There are more than 3000 known allergens and irritants that are known to cause eczema, but only 25 of these are responsible for most cases. People may have more than one trigger, but they are still able to limit their exposure and control flare ups. However, occupational irritant contact dermatitis occurs when you become increasingly sensitized to one irritant that you cannot avoid.
As you work and are exposed to the irritant you will find that your eczema reaction occurs more frequently and more severely. When you are first exposed, you may not have a reaction. However, people who are prone to contact dermatitis are believed to have a weakness in their skin structure. Therefore, the irritant slowly exploits this weakness and begins degrading your skin. Your immune system recognizes this as an attack and releases chemicals into your system to counteract the damage being done by the irritant. Unfortunately, a side affect of this immune attack is eczema at the point of contact. The more you are exposed to the irritant, the more quickly and severely your immune system will react. This is called sensitization and it is why your eczema will become increasingly severe the more you are exposed to the irritant.
Most occupational irritants are not among the 25 common triggers. This does not mean it will be difficult to identify your specific trigger. If you work around chemicals, hazardous materials, unusual metals, or if something regularly touches the afflicted skin then these are your primary suspects. For example, cleaning professionals are often irritated by cleaning solvents. Woodworkers react to certain varnishes. Beauty professionals often find that their trigger is nail varnish.
If you are suffering from an occupational eczema your first step should be to talk to your employer or employer's safety representative. It is very likely that your employer has addressed this issue before and will have protection recommendations best suited for your situation. They may also have special protective gear to help you or may offer to pay for protective gear. No matter what, your employer should be aware of your situation.
Your next steps are to protect yourself. Good hygiene, including regular washing all exposed areas of your skin, is your first line of defense to remove irritants from the surface of your skin. Also, try to cover your skin with gloves, aprons, hats, goggles, and other protective gear. Keep in mind that many people are irritated by rubber, so be careful if you are using rubber gloves for protection. Next, you should try to enhance your skin's natural barriers by applying lotions, such as oatmeal, aloe vera, or zinc, regularly.
If you do have a flare up, you will use the normal treatments for irritant contact dermatitis. Your best option is to use both medical and natural therapies. You should also look into long term techniques to detoxify your body and strengthen your immune system and skin.
It is unfair that in order to earn a living you must be exposed to the irritants or allergens causing your occupational contact dermatitis. The important things to remember when trying to control and prevent you condition is to keep your employer informed, protect your skin, and try to keep yourself otherwise healthy. If you identify your trigger, take extra precautions, and use a healthy treatment regiment then you should find your eczema occurs less frequently and heals more quickly.
To learn more about eczema and ways to treat eczema, check out Blake Helton's excellent articles on the above mentioned sites.
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Tags: allergies, alternative, diseases, Eczema, health, skin care
October 21 2009 | Skin Care | No Comments »