Allergic Skin Conditions

Our skin is a good barometer of how healthy the body is. A frequent recurrent infection of the skin may indicate that the immunity system is weak. Skin has its own interference with lifestyle in colour and texture. Our skin controls and regulates the water content of the body. It protects body as a covering and works as defence force against infection. It is helpful in activating vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. If skin is damaged water content will be lost. Infection will spread resulting in renal shut down and collapse.

There are several types of allergic skin conditions. They are often itchy and red and may appear scaly, bumpy or swollen. To treat allergic disease, the most qualified physician is an allergist. Allergist can determine which condition you have and can help you feel better through treatment.

Allergic skin condition can take several forms and are due to various causes. They are:

HIves
Hives (or urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of the skin that can range in size and appear anywhere on your body. Most common are acute cases, where food or drug allergies are triggers. These hives usually go away within a few days. In cases of chronic hives, people may suffer for months to years.
The urticaria may be as:

*Heat urticaria-allergy caused due to heat

*Papular urticaria-allergy caused due to encounter of flies or mites

*Solar urticaria- a rare form of hive due to exposure to UV radiation

*Cold urticaria-allergy caused due to cold

* Pressure urticaria- allergy caused due to tight dresses or any tight situation.

Angioedema
Angioedema is a swelling of the deeper layers of the skin that sometimes occurs with hives. Angioedema is usually not red or itchy. The areas often involved are the eyelids, lips, tongue, hands and feet.
Food or drug reactions are a common cause of acute hives and/or angioedema. Viral or bacterial infection can also trigger hives in both adults and children. Physical urticaria are hives resulting from a non-allergic source: rubbing of the skin, cold, heat, physical exertion or exercise, pressure and direct exposure to sunlight.
If the cause of your hives can be identified, you should avoid that trigger. With acute hives, some drugs or foods may take days to leave the body, so your allergist may prescribe antihistamines to relieve your symptoms until that happens.

Contact Dermatitis
When certain substances come into contact with your skin, they may cause a rash called contact dermatitis. Irritant contact dermatitis is often more painful than itchy, and is caused by a substance damaging the part of your skin it comes into contact with. The longer your skin is in contact with the substance, or the stronger the substance is, the more severe your reaction will be. These reactions appear most often on the hands and are frequently work-related.

Allergic contact dermatitis is best known by the itchy, red, blistered reaction experienced after you touch poison ivy. This allergic reaction is caused by a chemical in the plant called urushiol. You can have a reaction from touching other items the plant has come into contact with. However, once your skin has been washed, you cannot get another reaction from touching the rash or blisters. Allergic contact dermatitis reactions can happen 24 to 48 hours after contact. Once a reaction starts, it takes 14 to 28 days to go away, even with treatment.

Nickel, perfumes, dyes, rubber (latex) products and cosmetics also frequently cause allergic contact dermatitis. Some ingredients in medications applied to the skin can cause a reaction, most commonly neomycin, an ingredient in antibiotic creams. For irritant contact dermatitis, you should avoid the substance causing the reaction. You should also avoid spilling chemicals on your skin. Gloves can sometimes be helpful. Since these reactions are non-allergic, avoiding the substance will relieve your symptoms and prevent lasting damage to your skin.

Treatment for allergic contact dermatitis depends on how severe the symptoms are. Cold soaks and compresses can offer relief for the acute, early, itchy blistered stage of your rash. You may also be prescribed topical corticosteroid creams. To prevent the reaction from returning, avoid contact with the offending substance. If you and your allergist cannot determine the substance that caused the reaction, your allergist may conduct a series of patch tests to help identify it.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)
A common allergic reaction often affecting the face, elbows and knees is atopic dermatitis or eczema. This red, scaly, itchy rash is more common in young infants and those who have a personal or family history of allergy.

Common triggers include aeroallergens like cat dander or house dust, overheating or sweating, and contact with irritants like wool or soaps. In older individuals, emotional stress can cause a flare-up. For some patients, usually children, certain foods can also trigger eczema. Skin staph infections can cause a flare-up in children as well. Eczema patients usually have very dry skin and “allergic shiners” (an extra crease, called a Dennie’s line, across their lower eyelids). They are also more at risk for other skin infections.

Preventing the eczema itch is the main goal of treatment. Do not scratch or rub your rash. Applying cold compresses and creams or ointments is helpful. Also remove all irritants that aggravate your condition from your environment. If a food is identified as the cause, it must be eliminated from your diet.

Topical corticosteroid cream medications and topical calcineurin inhibitors are most effective in treating the rash. Antihistamines are often recommended to help relieve the itchiness. In severe cases, oral corticosteroids are also prescribed. If a skin staph infection is suspected to be a trigger for your eczema flare-up, antibiotics are often recommended.

Treatment includes avoidance of stimulus, desensitization and stress reduction. Just beware and approach immediately an expert if you have these symptoms.

To avoid allergy, you must know what are the causes of allergy. There are different kinds of allergens, here are the most common allergens.

Most Common Allergens

Pollen from trees, grass and weeds. Allergies that occur in the spring (late April and May) are often due to tree pollen. Allergies that occur in the summer (late May to mid-July) are often due to grass and weed pollen. Allergies that occur in the fall (late August to the first frost) are often due to ragweed.

Mold. Mold is common where water tends to collect, such as shower curtains, window moldings and damp basements. It can also be found in rotting logs, hay, mulches, commercial peat moss, compost piles and leaf litter. This allergy is usually worse during humid and rainy weather.

Animal dander. Proteins found in the skin, saliva, and urine of furry pets such as cats and dogs are allergens. You can be exposed to dander when handling an animal or from house dust that contains dander.

Dust. Many allergens, including dust mites, are in dust. Dust mites are tiny living creatures found in bedding, mattresses, carpeting and upholstered furniture. They live on dead skin cells and other things found in house dust.

Avoiding these allergens may lessen the possibility to have an allergy. Here are some tips for you to avoid these allergens.

Avoiding allergens:
Pollens. Shower or bathe before bedtime to wash off pollen and other allergens in your hair and on your skin. Avoid going outside, especially on dry, windy days. Keep windows and doors shut, and use an air conditioner at home and in your car.

Mold. You can reduce the amount of mold in your home by removing houseplants and by frequently cleaning shower curtains, bathroom windows, damp walls, areas with dry rot and indoor trash cans. Use a mix of water and chlorine bleach to kill mold. Open doors and windows and use fans to increase air movement and help prevent mold.

Don’t carpet bathrooms or other damp rooms and use mold-proof paint instead of wallpaper. Reducing the humidity in your home to 50% or less can also help. You can control your home air quality by using a dehumidifier, keeping the temperature set at 70 degrees, and cleaning or replacing small-particle filters in your central air system.

Pet dander. If your allergies are severe, you may need to give your pets away or at least keep them outside. Cat or dog dander often collects in house dust and takes 4 weeks or more to die down.

However, there are ways to reduce the amounts of pet dander in your home. Using allergen-resistant bedding, bathing your pet frequently, and using an air filter can help reduce pet dander. Ask your veterinarian for other ways to reduce pet dander in your home.

Dust and dust mites. To reduce dust mites in your home, remove drapes, feather pillows, upholstered furniture, non-washable comforters and soft toys. Replace carpets with linoleum or wood. Polished floors are best. Mop the floor often with a damp mop and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth. Vacuum regularly with a machine that has a high-efficiency particulate air filter. Vacuum soft furniture and curtains as well as floors. Install an air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate or electrostatic filter. Wash carpets and upholstery with special cleaners, such as benzyl benzoate or tannic acid spray. Wash all bedding in hot water (hotter than 130°F) every 7 to 10 days. Don’t use mattress pads. Cover mattress and pillows with plastic covers. Lower the humidity in your home.

The safety of ourselves depends on how much we know about this kind of disease. Just beware and approach an expert if you don’t know what to do.

When we talk about allergies, the thing that comes to our mind is that we, humans, are the most common sufferers of allergies. But, did you know that your pet can also have an allergy? According to a study, our pets are also prone to this kind of disease. In fact, the most common pet that suffer allergy are dogs.

How to Determine If Your Pet Suffer from Allergy?

The best thing to determine if your pet suffer from allergy is to look for the symptoms. Many experts said that some pet allergy symptoms are just the same with that of humans. The most common signs are if your pet is constantly itching itself and it has skin irritations.

If you see that your pet has this signs, you should take it to a veterenarian for medical attention because you don’t know what will come next. Our pet cannot stop itching like humans. The continuous itching of itself may damage the skin and hair of your pet.

As for how your dog or cat can be treated if they do have allergies, it is best that you follow the advice of your vet. This is because some of the medications prescribed may be for animals only, but some may also be human medications. The only thing is that not all medications are ideal for dogs; therefore, it is important to follow the advice of your vet.

Treatments For Your Pet’s Allergy

Treatment for dog, cat, and other animal allergies may include over-the-counter or prescription medications such as antihistamines and decongestants. First generation antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl®, Dimetapp® Allergy) may cause drowsiness, but newer medications (e.g., Allegra®, Claritin®, Zyrtec®) have few side effects (may cause dry mouth and drowsiness). First generation antihistamines may cause irritability and restlessness in children.

Oral decongestants (e.g., Sudafed®, phenylepherine) may be used in combination with antihistamines to reduce allergy symptoms. Side effects of these medications include nervousness, difficulty sleeping, and increased heart rate and high blood pressure.

Neo-Synephrine®) are not suitable for long-term treatment because routine use causes rebound nasal congestion when the medication is discontinued. Nasal corticosteroids and nasal antihistamine sprays provide relief of symptoms and can be used indefinitely.

Allergy vaccine therapy (also called allergy shots or immunotherapy) may be used to treat animal allergies when medications are ineffective. This treatment involves regular (usually once or twice weekly) injections of small doses of the allergen to reduce sensitivity. In most cases, it takes several months for allergy vaccine therapy to be effective and treatment must be continued for a long period of time (e.g., 2 to 5 years or more). Unfortunately, immunotherapy has not been shown to be as effective as removal of the pet from the environment.

The safety of the pet depends on its owner, so pet owners must be careful and aware for the sake of their pets.