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Discover About Occupational Irritant Contact Dermatitis
By Blake Helton | October 21, 2009
If you suffer from eczema, then you probably already know that controlling eczema triggers is an important component to controlling your condition. Many types of eczema can be controlled just by avoiding or limiting exposure to certain triggers. Depending on your trigger, it can be easy to control your exposure in your home, but what about work? What if you need to be exposed to your eczema trigger in order to earn a living?
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.
Normally, occupational irritants are not among the 25 more common triggers. However, this does not mean it will be hard to determine your trigger. If you are around hazardous materials, chemicals, unusual metals, or if you regularly touch an object with the afflicted skin then you should suspect these irritants first. As an example, maids and cleaning professionals are often irritated by cleaning solvents. Beauty professionals are often irritated by nail varnish. Wood workers also react to certain types of wood varnishes.
The first thing you should do is speak to your employer or safety representative. It is very likely that they have prior experience with this irritant. They may be able to recommend protective measures ideally suited for your work environment. They may even offer to help you pay for your protective gear. Always remember to keep your employer informed about the status of your eczema condition.
Next, you should take measures to protect yourself. Always wash your exposed skin regularly and practice good hygiene in order to remove irritants from the surface of your skin. Cover your exposed skin with gloves, aprons, hats, goggles, and any other protective gear. Be aware that rubber and latex may be an irritant to your eczema. Also, try to improve your skin’s barrier functions by applying lotions regularly such as aloe vera, oatmeal, and zinc based moisturizers.
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 not fair that you must be exposed to the irritant or allergen causing your occupational contact dermatitis in order to earn a living. The key to controlling and preventing your condition is to keep your employer informed, protect your skin, and keep yourself healthy. If you can identify your trigger, limit your exposure to it, and use a healthy treatment program then you will find you have fewer eczema flare ups and you are able to heal more quickly.
To learn more about eczema and ways to treat eczema, check out Blake Helton’s excellent articles on the above mentioned links.
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