Contact Dermatitis – more commonly known as eczema – affects 250 million people around the world. Eczema affects about 18% of people in the UK and is twice as prevalent in women than men.
Eczema generally starts in childhood and is characterized by itchiness, red inflamed skin, and skin rash. It can have more than one cause.
The area of skin affected by eczema can extensive or localised and can be caused by exposure to allergens (allergic contact dermatitis) or irritants (irritant contact dermatitis). Phototoxic dermatitis can occur when the allergen or irritant is activated by UV from the sun. Symptoms include burning and itchy rashes (and occasional blistering) which generally heal within a few days or weeks.
The exact cause of dermatitis is often unclear but a diagnosis can be supported by patch testing which will identify allergens causing an allergic reaction.
Treatment of contact dermatitis is typically managed with the use of antihistamines, moisturizers and steroid creams which can assist with the symptoms, and prevent secondary infections in broken skin. Unfortunately, treatment does not provide a cure and avoiding the allergen or irritant is recommended in addition to prescription creams.