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ALLERGY PICTURES AND DISCUSSION
An allergic reaction is our body's way of telling us that something is making us sick. An allergic reaction can begin at any time against anything. Additionally, allergies become worse, the more we expose ourselves to the allergen. In fact, allergies can be so severe, that they can kill us. Many people are allergic to bee stings, and medications so severely, that the reaction can cause Anaphylactic Shock.
Allergies are not something to take lightly!
Some allergies occur systemically, such as ingesting foods or medications that we are allergic to, and some allergies occur on contact (allergic contact dermatitis). Allergic Contact Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by direct contact with an irritating or immune deficient substance. Metal allergies cause Allergic Contact Dermatitis/Eczema.
Poor Baby! Her Mother was probably frantic trying to figure out what was wrong. It could be anything: Formula, Medications, Fabric Softner, Baby Powder, The Carpet, honestly anything!
My daughter breaks out into a rash such as the one above, when her skin is exposed to the cold! Even today, she cannot dive into a cool pool, or every exposed area of her skin shows this form of Contact Dermatitis.
This poor woman appears to be allergic to her bracelet.
And this fellow, his metal watch band, which most likely contains Nickel. Nickel is well known for causing irritant contact dermatitis. There are entire countries that do not allow Nickel in their jewelry at all, due to the very common irritant reaction humans have to it.
His belt buckle.
Her necklace.
 
Their glasses.
  
Their rings.
    
And last but not least, their earrings.
These allergic reactions are quite severe, and yours may not be so severe....yet. In fact, people with contact allergies first report more mild symptoms like, redness, itching, and/or burning. It's usally not long after ignoring those symptoms, that other more severe symptoms will emerge like, swelling, bleeding, pussing, crusting. Ignore these symptoms further and you can end up like I did with symptoms such as those pictured above, in addition to middle ear infections, and an overall feeling of not being well.
Many people who don't understand, might think "it's just jewelry ~ don't wear any", and that certainly would be an answer, but it's not the only answer. If you were allergic to cotton, for instance, you wouldn't stop wearing clothing! You would find what kind of fabric you could wear, instead.
This is what I did, when I discovered I could wear Non-Allergenic Niobium & Titanium. These elements are bio-compatible, meaning they do not react adversly with the human body. So rather than go naked, I experimented with these elements, in addition to other agents for cleaning, and healing, to find what combinations work.
On this site, I have shared the processes that have worked for myself and my customers. Some people have responded more quickly than others, and some with varried combinations than others.
I will work with you, until we find out what works for you, or I will give you your money back!
-Maggie
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS/ECZEMA:
from, http://www.eczema-ltd.com/contact.php
Causes of Contact Dermatitis/Eczema
The symptoms of almost all the types of eczema cause itching and redness, and some will blister, weep or peel. The degree of severity varies with each individual from a mild form of dry, easily irritated sensitive skin, to a severe form in which the skin is broken, scaly, raw, bleeding and can be prone to recurring infections. Contact eczema is caused by physical contact with an irritant or allergen.
Contact eczema can be divided into two distinct problems:
1. Direct Irritant Contact Dermatitis: Results from exposure to acids, alkaline mixtures, detergents and various other chemicals that acutely inflame the skin. The condition can become chronic with repeated exposure. This form of eczema is often encountered in the workplace. Direct irritant contact eczema can occur at the first exposure to the irritant. For example, most people will develop eczema on first exposure to strong chemicals that are acid or alkaline in nature.
2. Allergic Contact Dermatitis: Results from exposure to an allergen that sensitizes the skin leading to acute inflammation when re-exposure occurs. Prior exposure to the agent is necessary for allergic contact eczema to occur.
Moisturizers and steroid creams do work for both types of contact eczema, but the extent of improvement also depends on the degree of sensitization and the level and frequency of exposure to the allergen.
If the offending substance is repeatedly being re-applied to the skin, this can result in using a lot of treatment to little effect.
Occurence of Contact Eczema
Irritant contact eczema is similar to allergic contact eczema and is caused by frequent contact with everyday substances such as detergents in toiletries or cleaning products.
Some of the main differences between an irritant and allergic contact eczema are:
1. An irritant will cause a reaction in everyone who comes in contact with it (like a bee sting), while an allergen will trouble only those people with the greatest susceptibility for developing allergic reactions.
2. The skin effect from an irritant will be almost immediate – from stinging or burning to caustic burns. There will be no immediate effect from an allergen. The latter takes time to develop. When it does, itching is a prominent symptom.
3. An irritant contact eczema seldom manifests itself as red vesicles which combine to form moist patches. Allergic contact dermatitis always results in red vesicles that combine to form moist patches.
Allergic Contact Eczema
Allergic contact eczema is a red, itchy, weepy reaction where the skin has come into contact with a substance that the immune system recognizes as foreign, such as poison ivy or certain preservatives in creams and lotions. For some reason, more women than men suffer from allergic contact eczema. A rash may take a week or more to appear after the first contact with whatever is acting as the allergen.
Not all individuals are predisposed to suffering from allergies. In the case of allergic contact eczema, only those predisposed to certain allergens (i.e. chemicals, nickel, rubber, plastics, glue, adhesive tapes, certain medications, or plants) will be affected.
To be effected with allergic contact eczema, one must have to have come in contact with the offending allergen previously. The rash first appears only at the site of skin contact with the allergen. Later it often spreads and may involve skin well away from the contact site. This is because the immune cells become activated and migrate out through the bloodstream to other areas of the body.
The cells of the immune system work in various ways in skin disease. The rash that occurs after being stung by bees happens within minutes of contact. It is due to the release of chemicals such as histamines by immunity cells within the skin layers. This is known as immediate hypersensitivity. This is what happens in irritant contact eczema.
Slower-acting forms of response by the immune system occur because the population of cells that react against the invading substance or organism (allergen) needs to be built up from a small number of 'memory' cells that recognize the allergen. Over two or three days these cells give rise to others that in turn switch on other defense mechanisms such as the release of chemicals that attract the scavenger cells of the immune system.
The lag between initial contact and subsequent reaction is called delayed hypersensitivity. The skin reactions underlying allergic contact eczema are of this type.
It is not known why some substances are particularly prone to causing contact allergies, but some of the common culprits include:
1. Nickel: a white metal often used in jewelry, belt buckles, jean studs, metal watch straps, and bra fasteners. Many other metals can also cause reactions.
2. Perfumes: Balsam of Peru is a component of fragrances which can cause contact allergies
3. Rubber and Related Chemicals: used in shoes, tires and clothing
4. Potassium Dichromate: used in cement, leather and matches
5. Hairdressing Chemicals (paraphenylenediamine)
6. Medications: used in lanolin, neomycin (antibiotic), fusidic acid (antibiotic), steroid creams and cetearyl alcohol (used in emollient creams)
7. Epoxy Resins: found in glues used in hobbies, woodworking, and glass fiber construction
8. Colophony: a resin from spruce trees, used in sticking plaster adhesive
9. Plants: both by direct contact and by contact with airborne particles
In the food industry a wide variety of foods are known to potentially cause skin reactions. These include**:
1. Sugar
2. Flour/dough
3. Citrus fruits and their peels
4. Other fruits and vegetables
5. Spices, herbs, seasonings (e.g. horseradish, mustard, garlic)
6. Fish and seafood
7. Meat and poultry
**This is by no means a comprehensive list of all possible allergens which can cause allergic contact eczema.
Some of the materials known to potentially cause skin reactions are themselves components of common treatments for eczema (e.g. lanolin in moisturizers and hydrocortisone in steroid creams). Therefore, if the condition is worsening or proving resistant to treatment, it may be that the treatment itself is contributing to the skin problem.
Sometimes the cause and effect relationship is obvious, with a red scaly reaction around an earring or under a watchstrap. At other times, especially if a long time has passed since the initial exposure and sensitization, it may be impossible to distinguish contact allergic from other types of eczema.
More Information can be found at these sites. Just copy and paste into your address bar.
http://www.eczemaguide.com/eczema_basics/eczema_like/contact_dermatitis.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dermatitis-eczema/DS00339
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatitis
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