Allergic Contact Dermatitis:Treatment, Procedure, Cost And Side Effects

The allergic contact dermatitis depends upon the chemical that gets reacted to one’s body and the sensitivity of the skin towards the chemical or product which have that chemical in it. Allergic contact dermatitis occurs when the skin develops an allergic reaction after being exposed to the foreign substance. This causes the body to release inflammatory chemicals and it is only responsible for making the skin to feel itchy and irritated. Though in some cases contact dermatitis is not harmful in severe terms as it does not lead to severe problems in the patients when the itching becomes severe, it can harm one’s body and can cause troubles which can be painful in nature.

The treatment of allergic contact dermatitis can be easily carried out at home by examining the products which are causing the allergic reactions on the skin. In such cases these products usage must be stopped. In case there is still no relief and if the itching is uncontrollable then one should approach a skin specialist.

In general if the conditions are not much severe and if the reachability of the doctor is not possible in due time some of the best practices to be followed in order to ensure quick relief at home are as follows:

1. One is advised not to scratch the itchy area on the skin. This can create a huge problem and can grow the wound more. Scratching can make the irritation worse or even cause a skin infection that requires antibiotics.
2. Regularly clean the affected area with mild soap and lukewarm water to remove any irritants.
3. Stop the products you think are causing the problem.
4. Try using anti-itching treatments like calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream.

The treatment for allergic contact dermatitis requires a patient to consult a skin specialist if the conditions are severe and the conditions don’t improve in the given time. The doctor may recommend anti-itching treatments like calamine lotion or hydrocortisone creams, prescribe, antihistamine drug such as diphenhydramine to cut down on itching and to reduce your allergic response. The doctors may prescribe oral corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.

In severe cases the specialist can perform allergy testing called a patch test. It involves exposing a small patch of your skin to an allergen. Through this test the cause for the allergy can be determined and thus if ones skin reacts in the skin patch test, the specialist can now be sure on the likely cause of your contact dermatitis. The medication is given in two forms which may be in the form of a cream or in the form of oral medication. They all are equally beneficiary for the patient and gives relief.

The treatment is quite easy and doctors use mild medication for the treatment of allergic contact dermatitis. So they possibly don't have any kind of side effects. Home remedies are too used for the treatment of allergic contact dermatitis and these home remedies are safer. Thus the treatment has no particular side effects. If the allergic contact dermatitis treatment is delayed and if the condition is severe then it can sometimes lead to some of the side effects like a skin infection and can make the condition even worse. It is strictly advised to treat before the condition before it becomes severe. Lack of proper home remedies may worsen the situation. It is thus advisable to contact the skin specialist at its onset to get complete cure and relief.

The recovery from the allergic contact dermatitis varies from one person condition to another. If the condition is quite normal then it is possible to get relief in two to three days. But in cases with severe conditions it can take a week or a month to recover from the condition. So one should not hurry and not change the doctor in a few days as this treatment can take some time.

The treatment cost varies from city to city. The medication and the prescribed lotions can cost around 1000 to 1500 INR. The skin patch test cost can vary from 1000 INR to 3000 INR. The doctors for this treatment are available in almost every state in India and one can get an easy appointment to them. The consultation fee can range from 300 INR to 1500 INR. Thus the total treatment cost may vary from 500 INR to 8000 INR.

In most of the cases the outcome of the treatment are permanent. One can see the treatment's effect from day one and the treatment will leave a permanent effect on the body of the patient. Generally the allergic contact dermatitis is curable and not recurrent in nature thus the outcome of the treatment is positive.

The alternative to the allergic contact dermatitis is to undertake home remedies. Some of the home remedies which can provide quick relief are as follows:

1. They can apply ice to the itchy part and can try some lotions on the itchy part.
2. Topical use of the clear gel of the aloe plant may soothe the itch of atopic dermatitis and other skin issues.

Apart from that it is advisable to do patch test before using any skin product as per the guidelines given for the usage of the products.