Allergic contact dermatitis is the condition when your skin reacts to something that it has come into contact with. This is a very common condition and many people have fallen victim to it at some time in their life. This is a type of allergic reaction of the body and the substance that triggers this reaction is called the allergen. Normally these do not pose any problem, but once the skin becomes sensitive to the allergen, even a slightest contact can trigger the reaction. Sometimes it can cause rashes too.

You should not confuse allergens with substances like acids, alkali, soaps and detergents, cleaning agents, solvents, etc. because they always trigger various levels of reactions to almost everybody’s skin. So these are known as irritants. For the purpose of allergic contact dermatitis, we should consider those substances that normally do not produce any reaction to the people in general.

To identify that you have got allergic contact dermatitis, check for the following –

•    Itchy feeling
•    Redness and swelling
•    Watery blisters which may break and form crust or scales
•    The skin becomes thicker and darkens if left untreated

If the allergic condition persists for some time then it becomes difficult to distinguish it from other skin rashes.

The next step is to identify the allergen. This needs discussion between the doctor and the patient. Often, recalling the substances the person has touched in the last few days and which he or she do not usually come into contact with may help in the identification of the allergen. But in case it cannot be identified or specified, the doctor may need to conduct patch test. This test is an easy and safe way to identify the allergen and is particularly effective in contact dermatitis.

Some of the allergens that are commonly seen to cause allergic contact dermatitis are dyes, rubber, nickel, chromates and plants like poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, etc.

For preventing allergic contact dermatitis, what a person can do is to avoid the allergen he is allergic to. For this he or she may need the help of the dermatologist. Also, if you find that you cannot avoid some products that contain the suspected allergens, then try to find substitutes that do not contain the allergen.