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ALLERGIC REACTIONS: SKIN INFLAMMATION
Allergic dermatitis (skin inflammation) is one of the most common skin diseases that doctors deal with. Symptoms can include dryness, itching, redness, crustiness, blisters, watery discharges, cracking and other changes in the normal condition of the skin.
Contact dermatitis (a reaction to something touched) and irritation are the most common types of skin inflammation. Much less frequently, an individual's skin will break out after he or she has eaten something to which he or she is allergic. In that case, the skin problem is usually called 'eczema'. People with allergic dermatitis or eczema simply have hyper-reactive skin, much as people with asthma have hyper-reactive airways.
Exactly how many people have allergic skin problems is unknown because sometimes reactions are so mild that the individuals never seek medical help. But estimates say that somewhere between 1 and 3 per cent of children under age two suffer some degree of dermatitis or eczema. It's less common in adults, but by no means rare. Young or old, the affected person usually comes from a family with a strong history of allergy, or they themselves have hay fever, asthma or some other form of allergy.
To relieve discomfort and speed healing, there are over a dozen natural remedies for skin reactions, from soothing cornstarch baths to applications of zinc oxide paste (available at chemists). But avoiding the allergens is of utmost importance; and not only for the sake of comfort and appearance. Chronic dermatitis and eczema can cause the skin to become permanently discolored and thickened and scratching can lead to infection and scarring.
The most common offenders in contact dermatitis include rubber and plastics, industrial chemicals, applied medications, cosmetics, clothing dyes, costume jewellery, poison ivy and other plants, detergents, insecticides and paints.
People with skin allergy need to be especially wary of topical medications, prescription or over-the-counter. In a European study of 4,000 people with skin problems, doctors discovered that one-third of all allergic contact dermatitis was caused by applied medications. Benzocaine and neomycin were the most common offenders (Archives of Dermatology).
Few sights are more heartbreaking than that of a baby or toddler with a stubborn skin rash. Yet in many cases, you can quickly trace the cause to soaps or lotions applied to the youngster's skin. Baby lotions often contain fragrance, lanolin and mineral oil, three of the most common causes of skin allergy.
'If a child comes in with a rash and he's being rubbed with a lotion, the cure is often as simple as substituting plain vegetable oil - sunflower, safflower or peanut - for the commercial lotion,' says Del Stigler, a pediatric allergist in Denver, Colorado. 'Even for nappy rash, I use vegetable shortening instead of medication.
'In fact,' adds Dr Stigler, 'I rarely have to prescribe a medication.'
Of course, skin can react from the inside out. Certain foods - and milk in particular - are apt to cause allergic skin reactions.
'If you have a child who has eczema, very often even a few teaspoons of milk will cause a reaction,' says Dr Stigler. 'In other children, it's dose related: they may have to drink a pint in order to react.'
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ALLERGIES
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