Contact Dermatitis

Determining if you have contact dermatitis isn't always easy. Sometimes you need to eliminate other potential causes. It took me quite a while to understand about contact dermatitis. Here in the tropics there are other things that can cause skin irritations such as insects, the sun and the salt in the air. It was only after eliminating these and looking for the signs of contact dermatitis that I began to know it when I saw it.

As you can see from the photo, the two lines are where an irritant has come into contact with the skin. Following that, the surrounding area can become inflamed as well.

Welts and blisters can form around the area making it itch.

Often without thinking about it, we scratch the affected area causing more irritation.

Poison oak, poison ivy and other plants can cause a reaction when touched.

With dermatitis, your skin will be sensitive to the sun. It is best to keep it covered if you are going to be outside. Applying suncream may aggravate it.

Here in the tropics, most people wear flip flops year round. I do and when I am gardening I tend to wear them as well. This is a mistake because the chances are good that I will come into contact with something that is an irritant.. Be it, plant, insect or chemical.

The use of gloves and boots is a good habit to get into because the irritation it can save is immense. The gauntlet style gloves are a good option because they allow you to reach right into thick undergrowth without the risk of getting spiked, bitten, or stung.

These boots I love. Who said gardening boots had to be black or olive green?

I have found the laundy detergent here in Brazil very strong. There are brands I recognize such as OMO, Ariel, or Ace (Tide in the USA). My skin has never had a problem before with any of these but here, they do. I tend to get a rash where the waist band sits, or where my clothes are close fitting such as the armholes and around the neck.

I now wash my clothes in a gentle laundry detergent designed for babies or delicate clothes. I also put the washing machine through an extra rinse cycle. This seems to help rinse any extra residue away. I tend not to use a fabric softener because that leaves more chemicals on the clothes and may cause another reaction.

Sometimes it is difficult to know what has caused the irritation. It is necessary to try and pin it down so that you can stop using a product if that is what is causing the skin irritation. For example changing your soap or laundry detergent can trigger a skin problem.

If you have done household cleaning without wearing gloves, this also could have caused a rash or skin complaint from coming into contact with the cleaning product.

It is important to discontinue the use of anything you think may have caused the reaction. Let the skin calm down before trying something different.

It is possible to alleviate many of the effects if you come into contact with something that may be an irritant.

The first thing to remember is don't scratch

Quickly wash the area with soap and cool water.

Often a dilute solution of lemon juice or vinegar will ease the pain.

Applying calamine lotion can calm the area as well.

Taking an antihistamine can help relieve the itching. This is important because if scratched, this can lead to an infection.

Here in the tropics, it is necessary to aggressively treat wounds and any open sores as bacteria loves a warm climate.