The term dermatitis simply means inflammation of the skin. Symptoms that follow dermatitis are that of redness, pain, itching, swelling and the formation of small wheals of welts across the skin. These welts are characterized by red coloured circles that are itchy and has a white centre on the surface of the skin.
There are many kinds of dermatitis, and this skin disorder has many reasons for its occurrence in many forms. Most cases of dermatitis appear as some sort of swollen and reddened skin that is itchy. Dermatitis also tends to affect other parts of the body such as face, chest, arms, legs as well as groin. This skin condition is the result of certain objects that come in direct contact with the skin at the workplace.
What is dermatitis?
Dermatitis is often a small brief reaction to a foreign substance. Your hands and feet are most vulnerable to chronic dermatitis, because the hands come in contact daily with so many foreign bodies and the feet always remain in the warm moist conditions created for them by socks and shoes, which favour fungus growth.
Though not life threatening and contagious, dermatitis is a common skin disorder that will definitely make you uncomfortable and very self-conscious. You need to take adequate precautionary measures by taking self-care and medications that treat dermatitis.
Features of dermatitis:
The skin condition known as dermatitis is also referred to as eczema or the Dermatitis eczema. Certain forms of dermatitis affect only few parts of the body, but other types can occur anywhere on the body.
Your skin reacts to severe dryness and substance creating irritation and scratchiness as well as allergens by taking shape of dermatitis. Eventually, this rubbing and scratching leads to hardening and thickening of the topmost surface of the skin.
Dermatitis affects young and the old alike. Mostly it affects infants and children, but may also occur in adulthood. Sometimes the skin remains dry and easily irritable and this leads to a permanent remission of the disease as a person gets older. This kind of dermatitis occurs by irritating chemicals such as acids, fat dissolving solvents etc. Allergic dermatitis can also occur on such parts of the body that never came in contact with the allergy causing substance.
Causes of Dermatitis:
Some of the main causes of dermatitis can be stated to be genetics, duration of the exposure to the allergen and also the presence of other skin disorders. Exposure to certain chemicals along with extreme heat and moisture also results in dermatitis. Agents that carry allergens can be plants such as poison oak, ivy and sumac. Skin inflammation causes skin to become dry, itchy and scaly. It can also be caused by a fungal infection.
Treatment of Dermatitis:
If your infection seems complicated to your doctor, he would probably recommend that you take a dose of erythromycin. Use of antihistamines also helps reduce irritation. For severe cases of dermatitis, use of systemic steroids, phototherapy and other complicated treatments is done. Protect your skin from solvents, dust, detergents, water and injury. You need to wear cool and smooth clothes.
Understand that your skin is constantly being exposed to many elements each day, thereby making it susceptible to a wide array of problems, and this also includes the skin disorder called dermatitis.
