Eczema of the hands is one of the more irritating and stubborn
types of eczema, and successful hand eczema treatment is a difficult
undertaking. Understanding what "causes" eczema of the hands is a key
factor in planning a successful hand eczema treatment regimen and
eliminating the causes or allergens is the first step in controlling
eczema breakouts.
Hand eczema causes can be grouped into two
categories, exogenous and endogenous. Exogenous means "outside"
"production" and endogenous means "inside" "production". Therefore,
causes can either come from without the body or from within the body.
There
are multiple exogenous (outside) causes of eczema on the hands. Contact
irritants are a large group within the exogenous category. Contact
refers to what the hands come into direct contact with, and irritants
are what cause the reaction. Chemical irritants that cause eczema upon
contact vary and can range from detergents to soaps to solvents and
more. Physical contact irritants can be slight trauma or friction.
Occupational
contact irritants are very, very common within this group and often
occur in the occupations of beauticians, health care workers, food
service workers, residential and commercial cleaners and janitors, metal
workers, and a host of other occupations that involve solvents or
constant immersion of the hands in water.
An effective hand eczema
treatment plan would definitely involve a re-working of one's exposure
to contact irritants that are occupational related and may sometimes
even involve a change in occupation in severe cases.
Contact
allergens are another group within the exogenous category. Hand eczema
sufferers experience flare ups when exposed to allergens that they are
hypersensitive to. The immune system responds to the exposure which
results in eczema. Some common contact allergens are nickel and rubber.
Identifying and eliminating exposure to allergens that one is allergic
to will greatly help to control eczema symptoms and breakouts.
Eczema
of the hands can also be caused by ingested allergens such as foods or
drugs. Common food allergens are peanuts, wheat, and shellfish. Strict
avoidance to such allergens is recommended as part of an effective
treatment plan.
Secondary dissemination is also an exogenous cause
of eczema of the hands. Secondary dissemination is a term that means a
secondary eruption of eczema which is caused by a fungal infection in
another part of the body.
When a hand wound becomes infected, it
can cause an eczematous reaction resulting from bacterial proteins that
act as an antigen and produce inflammation changes of the skin.
Inflammation of the skin is one of the first symptoms of eczema.
Treatment of eczema that has become infected requires the use of
antibiotics.
Endogenous causes for hand eczema come from "inside" the body.
The
first endogenous cause of eczema of the hands is idiopathic. Idiopathic
means the eczema arises spontaneously with no apparent cause.
Vesicular, hyperkeratotic, and discoid eczema are types of idiopathic
hand eczema. Eliminating the cause, allergen, or irritant in this type
of eczema will not work as the cause is unknown.
Dyshidrotic means
excessive sweating, and excessive sweating of the palms is thought to
be the cause of dyshidrotic eczema of the hands. It is grouped with the
endogenous category due to the factor or cause of sweating coming from
within the body.
Stress, which comes from within, is another
endogenous cause of eczema. It is also a factor in hand eczema
aggravation and continuity. Stress control plays a crucial part in
treating eczema of the hands.
Hand eczema causes are many and
identifying your specific allergens or irritants can be a daunting task.
Although the task can be overwhelming, it is of the upmost importance
to eliminate the cause or causes to have an effective hand eczema
treatment plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment