Contact Dermatitis - Occupational Dermatitis Claims
Contact with everyday objects — from shampoo and jewellery to food and water — causes this very common type of eczema. When the contact leads to irritated skin, the eczema is called irritant contact dermatitis. If an allergic reaction develops on the skin after exposure, the eczema is called allergic contact dermatitis.
Signs and symptoms
Allergic contact dermatitis usually develops a few hours after the allergen (substance to which the person is allergic) touches the skin and causes:
- Itchy, swollen, and red skin or dry and bumpy skin
- Blisters may develop if the reaction is more severe
- Blisters may break, leaving crusts and scales
- Skin may later flake and crack
- With long-term exposure to an allergen, the skin becomes thick, red, and scaly. Over time, the skin can darken and become leathery.
- Irritant contact dermatitis occurs after frequent exposure to a mild irritant, such as detergent, and after brief exposure to a strong irritant, such as battery acid. Signs and symptoms of irritant contact dermatitis include:
- Mild irritant – Begins with dry, chapped skin. With repeat exposure, patches of itchy, red, scaly, and swollen skin develop. The skin may burn or sting upon contact. If exposure continues, the skin tends to crack, scale, and become excessive dry. Sores and blisters may develop that later erupt, forming crusts and scales.
- Strong irritant – Upon contact, the skin may burn, sting, and/or itch. Redness, swelling, blistering usually develop. Later, scale may form.
- Once irritant contact dermatitis develops, exposure to mild substances, such as baby shampoo and even water, can irritate the skin and make the condition worse.
Who gets it?
- Anyone can develop irritant contact dermatitis with sufficient exposure to something that damages the skin and causes irritation.
- Allergic contact dermatitis occurs when someone develops an allergy to a something that touches the skin.
Causes
Allergic contact dermatitis. More than 3,000 allergens (substance to which the person is allergic) are known to cause allergic contact dermatitis. Common allergens include:
- Antibiotic ointment. Ingredients in over-the-counter topical antibiotic ointments frequently cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Clothing and shoes. The leather, glue, or rubber in one’s shoes can cause allergic contact dermatitis as can dyes and fire retardants used in clothing.
- Concrete. Often the cause of chronic hand dermatitis, a reaction to concrete can persist long after the exposure ends.
- Fragrances. Found in perfumes, make-up, as well as skin and hair care products, fragrances commonly cause an allergic reaction. Even products labelled “unscented” can cause a reaction because unscented does not mean the product does not contain fragrance; it means the fragrance is masked. Look for products labelled “fragrance free.”
- Metals. Metals occur in everyday objects that we touch and in our food. Nickel, one of the most common metals that causes an allergic reaction, is found in jewellery and many foods, including tomatoes, chocolate, nuts, and soy. Mercury (used in dental fillings), gold, cobalt, and chromate (used to tan leather) are other metals that frequently cause allergic contact dermatitis.
- Plants. A brush with poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac is a frequent cause.
- Rubber accelerators. Found in everything from mouse pads to gym equipment, these allergens can be difficult to find.
Treatment
Treatment involves:
- Avoiding the substance(s) causing the irritation or allergy. The patient must avoid the cause. Avoiding all substances that can trigger a flare-up can be difficult — if not impossible — when the person encounters these substances in the workplace. Dermatologists usually help their patients develop a strategy to circumvent exposure. This may include using a barrier cream, wearing gloves, and practising glove hygiene.
- Therapy to help clear the skin. Treatment may include applying emollients and moisturisers frequently throughout the day, taking an oral antihistamine to help stop the itch, and applying a topical corticosteroid or calcineurin inhibitor to reduce inflammation. In more severe cases, phototherapy treatments may be used to suppress the person’s over-active immune response. If an infection develops, antibiotics are necessary.
- If contact dermatitis persists despite treatment, oral or injectable corticosteroids can be used for a short time to get the inflammation under control.
- Once the contact dermatitis clears, the patient must continue to avoid the identified allergens — and sometimes irritants. For example, patients who develop an allergic reaction when nickel touches their skin need to avoid jewellery that contains nickel as well as many foods, including canned goods, tomatoes, and chocolate. A dermatologist can help the patient devise a strategy for avoiding known allergens.
Discover more:
Claim today!
If you, or someone you know has suffered, you are entitled to pursue a claim for the injuries and losses that you have suffered. Simply fill out our
online form today and let us help you get the justice you deserve.
'No-win, no-fee' changes announced by Ken Clarke
Date Posted : 14/04/2011
Does it matter what type of claim you have?
So if I have a road accident would it make any difference than say, a claim for occupational Dermatitis?
View Post
'No-win, no-fee' changes announced by Ken Clarke
Date Posted : 31/03/2011
No Win, No Fee as we know it, is changing soon. Solicitors will be forced by the Government to take a percentage of their clients compensation.
If you are thinking of making a claim for compensation...DO IT NOW BEFORE THE PROPOSED CHANGE.
S
View Post
I have eczema...help!
Date Posted : 17/08/2010
A.C.V. Apple Cider Vinegar
View Post
Skin Claim?
Date Posted : 06/08/2010
I hadn't worked for my employer for two years and yes, I am pursuing a claim. It looks as if they haven't provided sufficent protection for my hands. It's on going...but being dealt with.
View Post
hand rash
Date Posted : 04/08/2010
as far as i know, and from what i've read on these threads - you've done the right thing so far. it's all about gathering as much evidence a s possible - gettin it reported on your work file, reported on your medical records etc...as for your hands try toothpaste to get rid of any itch.
View Post
Hidden in coins, bras and chocolate...the metal that triggers a life-wrecking allergy
Date : 15 Mar 2011
When Marti Stanley tells people broccoli brings her out in a rash, their first reaction is that it’s just an excuse to avoid it.
When she goes on to tell them that green beans, spinach, shellfish, raspberries, pulses or pears have an equally nasty effect, they clearly think she’s neurotic.
And if she adds that anything from a can (food or drink), and even chocolate, risks triggering an anaphylactic shock, there can be no doubt: she’s the dinner party guest from hell. ‘I’m used to being thought of as difficult,’ says Marti, 49, who lives in South-West London.
Source : www.dailymail.co.uk
Link : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1366316/Hidden-coins-bras-chocolate--metal-triggers-life-wrecking-allergy.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Pharmaceutical company to pay over £100,000 for exposure to hazardous substances
Date : 16 Feb 2011
Catalent UK Swindon Zydis Limited (trading as Catalent Pharma Solutions) was ordered to pay over £100,000 in fi nes and costs in December 2010 for exposing ten of its employees to Olanzapine, a hazardous substance. Charges were brought under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and four different regulations in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).
Source : www.lexology.com
Link : www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=752db906-8d3a-4a0e-9d31-875966066112
Mum's horror cement burns
Date : 16 Feb 2011
MUM Jane Dobson was left with these horrific injuries to her legs after kneeling in wet B&Q cement while carrying out DIY in her own kitchen.
Jane, 46, was left in so much agony she feared her legs "were going to explode" after the corrosive cement soaked through her trousers.
She had bought the cement from B&Q to lay a new floor in her kitchen and when she knelt in it the liquid began burning her flesh.
Source : www.thesun.co.uk
Link : www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3412957/Mums-horror-cement-burns.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News
The opposite of beauty: The chemical make-up ingredients that raise risk of skin damage
Date : 12 Feb 2011
It is supposed to help women look their best.
But make-up is often so full of chemicals that it could leave them with unsightly skin conditions instead, doctors warn.
The average woman uses 12 products a day, containing 168 ingredients, according to research by U.S. organisation Skin Deep. And some can be particularly harsh on the skin.
Experts say eye shadow is among the worst offenders. The skin around the eyes is so sensitive that many women have allergic reactions to the strong chemicals in eye shadows, kohl pencils, mascaras and make-up remover.
Even polish on fingernails can irritate the eyes when women touch their faces.
Source : www.dailymail.co.uk
Link : www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1356212/Make-ingredients-risk-skin-damage.html
Dermatologists Warn That Plants Can Cause A Garden Variety Of Pesky Skin Problems
Date : 07 Feb 2011
What may start as a seemingly harmless day of gardening or yard work can quickly take a turn for the worse when common plants make their mark on the skin, causing a host of mild to even severe skin reactions. That is why dermatologists are arming outdoor enthusiasts with preventative tips to keep these perils of the great outdoors at arm's length.
Source : www.medicalnewstoday.com
Link : www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215757.php