Many people develop debilitating patches of dermatitis after contact with various common environmental chemicals and agent in cleaning materials. This type of reaction by the skin immune system results in a Type 4 delayed hypersensitivity reaction with rashing. A common contact allergy occuring in 20% of women is to the metal nickel found in clothing clips and studs, cheap costume jewellry and also wound adhesive dressings such as Elastoplast. Many building contractors will develop a chronic irritating and scaling painful dermatitis on contact with builders cement, while hair-dressers may develop skin allergies to hair dyes, high-lights and shampoos. Chemicals found in cosmetics, Lanolin in skin lotions, Balsum of Peru, detergents, soaps, shampoo, make up, perfume, fragrances and toiletries can cause severe contact dematitis on exposed areas such as the hands, scalp, face and skin with an itchy, dry swollen and scabby dermatitis. Even natural organic dyes in leather goods, glue, resins and hair products can cause localised foot and scalp dermatitis. While indoor plants such as primula, chrysanthemums and daisies, nail varnish and rubber boots can cause unexplained contact allergies. Antibiotic creams and local anaesthetic agents may become contact sensitisers on vulnerable skin. These chemical derived rashes take a few days to develop after initial irritant exposure, making the primary cause difficult to identify and so confound the diagnosis. By using specially prepared patch tests impregnanted with the culprit chemicals, the contact allegen cause can be identified. The TRUE test contains 24 patches of different common contact chemical allergens and we recommend these tests in our clinics. The patches are applied to the skin on the back for 2 days and are then removed and any allergic reaction can be clearly identified and the culprit allergen avoided in future. In a majority of dermatitis sufferers, it is detergents and soaps that remove natural grease and moisturisers from the skin resulting in dryness, iching and subsequently the skin breaks down and oozes. This is called a non-allergic irritant contact dermatitis and responds well to ointment based emollients such as emulsifying ointment.. Some delayed reactions to food such as cow’s milk, soy, hen’s egg and wheat can be identified by using patch tests containing these food allergens which are applied to the skin in Finn chambers for 48 hors and then read at 72 hours.
If you would like to book a Patch test with the Surrey Allergy Clinic; please telephone 01252 851789
For more iniformation on the TRUE test patch tests check out: http://www.truetest.com/commonallergens.aspx http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_test_(medicine))
