Signs and Symptoms of Contact Dermatitis

Signs and Symptoms of Allergic Contact Dermatitis

This type of dermatitis occurs when you are reacting to something that comes in contact with your skin, and it rarely shows signs and symptoms, and might also take a few hours for your skin to react.

If you have this condition for the first time, it might take weeks before you notice any symptoms, and when they do appear, you might notice things like:

• Oozing blisters that leave scales and crust
• Blisters filled with fluid
• Intense itching on the skin
• Hives (appearance of a round welt on your skin with intense itching)
• Burning sensation
• Red, swollen, and hot skin
• Rashes
• Stinging

Continuous exposure to allergies might develop:

• Scaly skin
• A dark and thick skin which feels leathery
• Flaked and cracked skin

Signs and Symptoms of Irritant Contact Dermatitis

Substances that irritate our skin causes this type of dermatitis. These include soaps, water, and food. Lots of exposure to these can cause irritant contact dermatitis. Also, coming in contact with a strong irritant like fibreglass or battery acid can trigger irritant contact dermatitis.

The signs and symptoms differ, and this depends on how mild or strong the irritant is.

For mild irritants, the symptoms take time to develop; you will slowly notice the following:

• Dry and chapped skin.
• With repeated exposure, the skin gets itchy, patchy, swollen, red, and scaly. You will also get a stinging and burning sensation whenever the irritated skin comes in contact with an irritant.
• The skin may get cracked and scaly if the exposure continues, and it can also become excessively dry.
• Blisters and sores can develop on the affected part; it can erupt, leading to crust and scales.

You may notice these signs and symptoms within hours if you come in contact with a strong irritant. These include:

• Development of blisters filled with fluid
• The affected area becomes inflamed, swollen, and red
• You will feel a stinging, itching, or burning sensation

Many things can irritate your skin when you have irritant contact dermatitis. You can also feel pain on contact, and the condition can worsen with repeated exposure

The symptoms above should be looked out for, and treatment should be administered if your dermatologist diagnoses the symptoms as contact dermatitis. At Clearskin, our dermatologist London is always available to diagnose and proffer a suitable treatment option for your skin condition.

Reach out to us right away!

Effects of Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis can affect the quality of your life; the rash and inflammation can make your normal daily activities painful, especially when your hands are affected.

In severe cases, this rash can cause:

• Sleeplessness
• Inability to go to work or school
• Inability to enjoy your hobbies or leisure activities

When to Seek Immediate Medical Care

Sometimes, contact dermatitis can develop into anaphylaxis, a severe form of an allergic reaction. Symptoms of this condition can occur within seconds or minutes. Some of the symptoms are:

• Confusion
• Swollen eyes and face
• Difficulty breathing due to pain and swelling in the throat

In short, your entire body is affected in anaphylaxis, and you need immediate medical care if you have any of these symptoms.

Call our dermatologist London at Clearskin to begin treatment.