Skin Allergy

Allergies happen when your immune system has a reaction to a foreign substance like bee venom, pet dander, or pollen.  The immune system produces proteins that are called IgE antibodies, and these protect you from substances that can invade your body, making you sick or causing you to have an infection.  When you have allergies, your immune system will make antibodies that identify an allergen as a threat to your body, even though it is not a threat.  This leads to a release of histamines as well as other substances that cause symptoms of allergies.  These symptoms can involve your airways, your digestive system, and your skin.  The severity of your allergies will vary from person to person and range from a little irritation to very serious life threatening emergencies, such as anaphylaxis.  Allergies cannot be cured, but there are many treatments that can be utilized in order to relieve your symptoms. 

Atopic dermatitis is an allergic skin reaction that is also known as eczema, and it may cause red and itchy skin, or peeling or flaking skin.  It is an itchy inflammation of your skin that is chronic and may be accompanied with hay fever or asthma.  It is most commonly found in children and infants, but the condition can persist into adulthood or even in some cases first appear later in life. 

Eczema often occurs on your arms or behind your knees.  It often flares up and then subsides at times.  The cause of this condition is unknown, but it can be a result of the immune system of the body malfunctioning.  If you have a skin allergy, it is important to avoid potential allergens.  Some of these irritants may include soaps, detergents, polyester, and more. 

There are many signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis.  They include brownish gray to red colored patches of skin, itching which can be severe, small raised bumps, thickened, scaly, or cracked skin, and sensitive and raw skin due to scratching the skin.  In some cases, infection can occur due to breaking the skin and those areas being at high risk of infection from repeated scratching. 

These patches of eczema often occur on the feet and the hands, on the front bend of the elbow, on the ankles, face, neck, upper chest, wrist, and knees.  This condition can also affect your eyelids and the area of skin around your eyes.  Scratching can cause swelling.  Often this skin allergy will begin before the age of five and may persist through adulthood, but in many cases, it will end in childhood. 

There are a number of factors that can worsen the symptoms and the signs of atopic dermatitis.  These factors include cigarette smoke, certain foods, rapid changes in temperature, dust or sand, wool or man-made fabrics, cleaners, soaps, and detergents, sweating, stress, dry skin, and long, hot showers or baths. 

Infantile eczema is when atopic dermatitis is in infants.  This condition often involves an oozing, crusting rash that occurs on the scalp and face, but can also occur anywhere.  Following infancy, the rash becomes dried out and is usually brown-gray or red and may become more thickened in adolescence.  The itch may persist. 

Atopic dermatitis often occurs along with allergies and often runs in families when there are other members of the family who have hay fever or asthma.  Sometimes children who have atopic dermatitis as a young child will develop hay fever or asthma later on. 

There are a number of complications that occur.  Because of all the itching and scratching, neurodermatitis may occur, which is a condition in which the area of skin that has been scratched a lot becomes leathery and thick.  The patches may become darker in color and can result in permanent skin color changes.  Skin infections can also be a result, as scratching has the potential of breaking the skin, allowing open sores to be prone to infection.  Eye complications are also a possibility.  Some symptoms include eye watering and inflammation of the eyelid and lining of the eyelid. 

There are a number of ways that skin allergies are treated.  Sometimes corticosteroid ointments or creams are used to relieve the itching and the scaling.  There can be long-term effects, so be sure to speak to your doctor about this first.  Antibiotics may be necessary if there is a bacterial skin infection or an open sore that is caused by scratching.  Your doctor may recommend antibiotics for a period of time in order to treat an infection or to reduce the bacteria located on your skin and to prevent infection.  Oral antihistamines may be prescribed in order to help with itching.  Benadryl may make you sleepy so that you can get some relief from the itching at nighttime.  Cracking of the skin may require you to have mildly astringent wet dressings in order to prevent an infection.  Oral corticosteroids may also be used in severe cases in order to reduce your inflammation and control your symptoms.  These medications can be effective, but are not to be used long term because of serious side effects.  These side effects can include muscle weakness, high blood pressure, thinning of the skin, osteoporosis, and cataracts.  Use of immunomodulators affect the way that the immune system works.  These prescriptions, such as Elidel and Protopic are only available by prescription and for children over two years old and adults.  These treatments are only recommended for people who have tried other treatments without success. 

Another possible treatment is light therapy.  This is when natural or artificial light is on the skin.  Although this therapy may be effective in the short term, it can have some harmful effects, such as premature skin again, and increasing your risk of developing skin cancer.