Red, hot, extremely itchy swollen skin reactions sometimes with blistering and peeling are delayed type allergic reactions of the skin. Keep reading to find out more about this type of dermatitis.
Allergic contact dermatitis results in red, hot, extremely itchy swollen skin sometimes with blistering and peeling. Typically contact dermatitis, as the term infers, is due to allergens directly contacting the skin. However diffuse involvement of the skin may stem from ingested allergens. The reaction is termed "delayed" as they develop between 12-48 hours after the exposure. The classic example for this reaction is the rash of poison ivy or poison oak.
Determining what is causing the reaction is sometimes difficult. Allergy patch testing maybe helpful in indentifying about 2/3 of triggers. For the rest, some rules of thumb are helpful to decrease the amount of reactions.
Try to identify any new vitamins, supplements, medications that you started in the recent months
Avoid all organic oils or “natural” products as these are very sensitizing and may make your skin worse
Avoid any scents or dyes in products used on skin
Avoid dryer sheets
Use only physical sun screens containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide as the major ingredient
Keep skin well moisturized
Avoid scratchy or rough materials on the skin such as wool
Suspect products that you have used for many years without issue
For diagnosis and treatment seek out the care of a board certified allergist Sandra A. Ho, MD at Avant Allergy in Los Angeles, California.
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