Skin allergies
Winter is often a time that people suffer with dry, red, itchy skin. Allergies may be responsible for the itching. The most common skin allergies include eczema, hives, and allergic contact dermatitis.
Eczema
Eczema (also commonly called atopic dermatitis) is more common in infants and small children, but can also affect older children and adults. In infants it often affects the face, the forearms and the thighs. In older children and adults the rash usually affects the crease behind the elbows and knees, but it can affect other areas as well.
Triggers can include allergens (like pets and dust mites), irritants (like wool), excessive dryness (like using deodorant soaps), overheating and sweating, and emotional stress.
Preventing the itch is one of the main goals in treatment. Lubrication of the skin is the most important treatment. Antihistamines are often used to suppress the itch, and topical medications such as topical steroids and other anti-inflammatory medications can be used. In severe cases, oral steroids like prednisone are needed.
Hives and angioedema
Hives are red, raised, and terribly itchy. They come and go in a matter of minutes to hours. They do not affect a single area of the skin—they move around! Although they can be caused by allergy to foods, medications, insect bites and stings, and even rarely airborne allergens, they most often occur for no particular reason at all. Even though a cause cannot always be found, we can always provide some degree of relief with treatment. And the best news is that they always eventually just go away.
Angioedema is a swelling that occurs in deeper layers of the skin. For that reason, it often feels different than the itch from hives. It often occurs with hives, but sometimes occurs alone. It often affects the eyelids, lips, face, tongue, hands or feet. It can also be triggered by allergies, but like hives, sometimes occurs randomly. Testing and treatment to provide relief is readily available.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is often not only itchy, but sometimes painful. It is red, blistery, and fixed in one location where the responsible allergen came in contact with the skin. Because there is often a lag of one or two days between contact and the appearance of the rash, the cause is not always obvious. We can provide testing to try to find the culprit, and we can offer relief with treatment.
If you or someone you know has been suffering with skin allergies, please contact us. We would love to help.
