Skin Allergy: Causes, Types, Diagnosis and Treatment

• Written by Mudit Handa

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The red and itchy bumps on the skin could be embarrassing and humiliating. We always have the uncontrollable urge to relieve the itch, but it neither heals nor goes away easily. 

Causes of skin allergy and itching could be due to multiple factors such as exposure to a variety of plants/pollen, or allergic reactions to a medication or a food. Let us learn more about skin allergies, reason for skin allergy, and some tips on how to control allergy on skin. Keep reading through the blog to understand various kinds of skin irritation, its causes, symptoms and treatment.

What Causes Skin Allergy?

The most common causes of allergy in skin could be around you or inside you. You need to be conscious about what triggers your allergic symptoms.

• The leaves of poison ivy or poison oak plants sometimes release oil when damaged. This oil can cause itchy rashes, bumps or blisters when it comes in contact with skin.
• Nickel being present in most of the daily use products like belts, jewellery, paper clips, and eyewear often causes skin irritation.  
• Rubber products like gloves, balloons, elastics, and erasers are made by mixing rubber latex and chemicals. A latex allergy may be mild, with just a rash on the skin, or severe, causing breathing difficulties.
• New clothes,shoes or even synthetic fibre or woollen garments may also be a reason for skin allergy. It may be because of the chemicals and dyes used to make or colour them wrinkle-free. Make-up and toiletries also contain chemicals like formaldehyde, certain alcohols, parabens and sulphates which are harmful for the skin. Avoid shampoos, sunscreens, make-up items, hair dyes and tattoos made commercially if your skin reacts to them. 
• The fragrances or essential oils present in various soaps, perfumes, deodorants, and cleaning products could be harmful to the skin. The hard chemicals used in such products cause rashes and allergies on the skin being exposed to it. 
• The topical  medications, such as ointments, creams, eyedrops, and pain relief balms, contain Benzocaine, Bacitracin, or Neomycin. These are mainly found in products to treat small wounds and injuries, insect bites, toothaches, cold sores, or burns and may also cause allergies on the skin

What are the Types of Allergies?

When an individual has a weak immune system, they become more prone towards allergies. Different types of allergies show different signs and symptoms, let's learn about some of them.

• Contact Dermatitis: This type of skin allergy occurs when the skin is in direct  contact with the allergen. It may be a new cloth, shoe, or piece of jewellery. Symptoms like redness, patches, inflammation, burning, bumps, and cracking of the skin are caused due to photoallergic reactions. 
• Hives: During this type of allergy the skin is inflamed due to the release of histamine, which ruptures the small blood vessels. Generally, acute hives are caused due to heat or exercise.  
• Eczema: It is mostly observed in infants due to skin barrier leakiness. When the babies are exposed to dust, dirt, cleaning products and even animal dander, their skin gets inflamed on the  knees, hands, and elbows. Children with asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or food allergies are more prone towards eczema.
• Angioedema: Angioedema is a swelling in the deep layers of skin, often seen along with hives. Swelling is observed near the eyelids or the soft tissues around the mouth. 
• Psoriasis: It is a thick, dark, scaly skin rash that lasts a lifetime. It can be found on your elbows, knees, scalp, back, and even your genitals. The exact cause is unknown, but psoriasis is often believed to be inherited. 
• Viral: Viral infections like chicken pox and measles often manifest as red, itchy rashes all over the body and face, which subside with the fever.

>> Also Read: Does Your Health Insurance Cover Skin Burns?

How are Skin Allergies Diagnosed?

Since skin allergies can have multiple causes, their diagnosis may also be complicated and involve different tests.

• Biopsy: During this process a  tiny part of your skin is taken by your healthcare provider to check for the presence of viruses and bacteria.
• Allergy Tests: Scratch test and patch test are two types of allergy tests suggested by the doctors. A scratch or prick test helps diagnose urticaria and a patch test for contact dermatitis. In both the tests, your skin is exposed to a very small amount of one or more allergens to see the reaction. If there are itchy bumps on the skin and you develop a rash, it is positive for allergy tests. 
• Blood Tests: Antibodies circulating in the blood may also cause skin irritation, which can be detected only by a blood test. Others may be due to chronic illness or organ issues. This is checked by a blood test to eliminate any organ contributing to an allergic reaction.  

How to Treat Skin Allergies?

Skin rashes are treated based on their causes. It can take several days or weeks to completely cure the allergy . But there is always a chance of recurrence after the recovery. The most common methods and tips on how to control allergy on skin are discussed below:

• Allergy Medication: Skin allergy medicine, like oral histamines, can cause a reduction in irritation and inflammation.
• Anti-Inflammatory Ointment: The creams and ointments like cortisone help soothe irritable itchiness and inflammation. 
• Immunosuppressants: If skin allergies are caused by immune system disruption, this can reduce the inflammation and further aggravation.
• Oatmeal Baths: Oatmeal is very soothing for your skin. A warm oatmeal bath can relieve you from dry, itchy skin rash. 
• Steroids: Steroids are another strong way to control persistent itchiness and inflamed skin. Your physician or dermatologist may advise applying a topical steroid cream or oral steroids like prednisone.
• Topical Immunomodulators: These are prescription drugs, like tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus skin cream, that control the immune system's response to allergens.

Pro Tips: The little things you can do to fasten the process of recovery of your skin allergies are wearing loose cotton clothing, not putting on heavy make-up in the sweltering heat, putting cool compression on infected areas or taking an oatmeal bath. Use calamine lotion and hydrocortisone creams if the situation aggravates. 

Consult your doctor without delay for skin rashes treatment. Additionally, you may invest in Care Health insurance’s Care Supreme Health Insurance with Care OPD add-on cover that pays for up to four OPD consultations with your dermatologist. 

Conclusion 

Skin allergies are something you may have to deal with throughout your lifetime. Although skin allergies are typically harmless, aggravated conditions may sometimes even lead to hospitalisation!

A chronic and recurrent disease requires long-term care and financial support for recovery. Therefore, having health insurance coverage  helps you to be prepared for those unplanned expenses that may arise out of a chronic health condition due to allergy.