Skin Allergies in Children

True Skin Allergies in Children

One of the types of rashes that are considered as true allergic skin rash in children is contact dermatitis.  Contact dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin that results from direct contact with certain substances, such as soap, cosmetics, jewelry or weeds, including poison ivy or poison oak. The resulting red, itchy rash isn't contagious or life-threatening, but it can be very uncomfortable.

The signs and symptoms of contact dermatitis are:

	Red rash or bumps
	Mild/ severe itching
	Dry, red patches, which may resemble a burn
	Blisters and draining fluid from the involved skin in severe cases
	Skin rash limited to the exposed area

Contact dermatitis can be categorized as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis or blistering contact dermatitis. Irritant contact dermatitis, a commonly occurring dermatitis is not caused by true allergy and resembles more of a burn than a blistering rash. This type of dermatitis results from repeated contact with a substance, such as chemical, metal, soap, cosmetics or skin products such as deodorant etc. that irritates the skin. The exposure to the above products results in red, dry itchy patches on the hands, fingers and face. Substances like bleach or strong acids can cause irritant contact dermatitis even after one exposure. Such substances remove oil and the protective barriers from the skin.

Allergic contact dermatitis or Blistering contact dermatitis is caused by true skin allergies in children. This type of dermatitis produces a red rash, bumps and sometimes blisters when severe. This gets worsened by itching and scratching. This allergy takes a long time to develop and stays for life time.

Poison ivy or poison sumac or poison oak is the most commonly occurring allergens or triggers for contact dermatitis skin allergies in children; the irritating substance in each of these plants is the same and is an oily resin called urushiol. Other well known triggers for contact dermatitis are:

	Strong detergents or soaps
	Skin cleaning products
	Cosmetics or makeup
	Deodorant
	Clothing or shoes
	Household cleaning products
	Formaldehyde and other chemicals
	Rubber or latex
	Metals, especially nickel which is commonly found in inexpensive jewelry
	Jewelry
	Perfume or fragrances
	Weeds and plants, such as poison ivy or poison oak
	Medicinal lotions, such as antihistamines, antibiotics or antiseptics
	Glues, solvents, and adhesives

Normally the contact dermatitis skin allergy rashes occur in specific areas of the body and are localized; their occurrence is limited to the area where the allergenic substance has made contact.  This has the advantage that testing for triggers of skin allergies in children is easy and a simple patch test can be performed under the supervision of a physician.

Other Skin Allergies in Children

In addition to the above, two other types of skin rashes are connected with allergies in children viz. hives, medically known as urticaria and atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema.

Hives, also known as urticaria presents as raised, red, itchy welts or wheals of various sizes that appear and disappear on your skin. There could be one or few hives of varying sizes or many hives occurring together to appear as one large swollen area. Angioedema, a similar swelling, are often present with hives and affects the face, lips, feet and hands; the sensation that you get due to this is more like a tingle or burn rather than an itch. Angioedema can present breathing problems and should be closely monitored. A more serious condition called hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an uncommon, inherited disorder and can cause sudden, severe and rapid swelling of your face, arms, legs, hands, feet, genitalia, digestive tract and airway.

Atopic dermatitis is commonly referred to as eczema; this is a chronic condition that causes itchy, inflamed skin. Even mild cases of atopic dermatitis can be extremely itchy. The itching is caused by an allergen; any scratching on this area will result in a red, dry, flaky, blistering and oozing rash. Most often, it occurs in the folds of the elbows, backs of the knees or the front of the neck. Since this occurs in areas where one can reach and scratch the itching area it is known as "the itch that rashes".

Although hives in children occur due to contact with any of the allergens both the above allergies result from a systemic allergy; this means that the trigger for these allergies is something that has been eaten or absorbed into the body's system. The rashes happen as a consequence to the body's reaction to the allergic trigger. It is difficult to find out the cause for these types of skin allergies in children since the allergen could have been something that was touched, handled, breathed in, or eaten.

It is possible that these rashes could have been caused by something other than a true allergy; it is essential to find out whether it is due to atopic dermatitis, hives, or contact dermatitis.  You can treat the skin allergy in children only when you know the real reason for such allergy. You should realize that the treatment for an allergic version of any of these rashes is different from the treatment for a virally induced or irritating skin rash.  Further, it helps in parents, children and caregivers avoiding such allergens which cause these allergic reactions.