Contact dermatitis—a common workplace skin condition
Contact dermatitis is the itching, redness and swelling of the skin caused by exposure to an irritating or allergy-triggering substance.
Uncomfortable and embarrassing, contact dermatitis is the most common skin condition named in workers’ comp claims. Nine out of ten work-related skin problems result from contact dermatitis.
Workers with a higher than average risk of being affected by contact dermatitis include medical and dental workers, hair dressers, housekeeping workers, electronics workers, printers, and electricians. The rash and discomfort following exposure to poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are other forms of contact dermatitis. A skin patch is the best way to identify the cause of the reaction.
Treating contact dermatitis
For most people, contact dermatitis is an annoying problem that goes away on its own within a week or two after exposure. For others, the condition requires medical attention. Some tips for dealing with contact dermatitis:
- Immediately wash the affected area with soap and cool water to remove any additional particles of the allergen that remain on the skin.
- If blisters appear, apply cold moist compacts for thirty minutes at a time three times a day to help relieve discomfort.
- Calamine lotion and cool oatmeal baths may be helpful, as well as oral antihistimines such as Benadryl and Ben-Allergia. Antihistimine lotions should not be applied because there could be an additional irritation from allergens within the lotions.
- If the redness and swelling cover only a small area, over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams may bring healing.
A health care provider should be consulted if the rash continues to spread after two or three days and the person is extremely uncomfortable.
Copyright © by Griffith Publishing 2008
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THINKING POINTS
Research on contact dermatitis is conducted by scientists who are members of The American Contact Dermatitis Society
Only 25% of contact dermatitis is caused by an allergic response. The majority of cases are caused by irritants that would affect anyone with prolonged exposure. Source: Centers for Disease Control.