Hand rashes

Hand rashes

doing the washing-up, my hands tendto break out in an itchy rash of red blisters.My pharmaeist says it's dennatitis, but what does this mean?

Dermatitis is a very general term, used for
any type  of Skin inflammation. Your symptoms probably fall into the category of contact dermatitis- a reaction to something in
direct contact with your skin. One obvious possibility  would be an allergy to the brand of washing-up liquid you are using, although there is a variety of other irritants that could also becontributing to the problem.
You may find that your symptoms disappear if you are scrupulous about wearing plastic washingup gloves, preferably with a
cotton liner, or if you change to a different detergent. If not, considerother possible irritants - metal iewellery, woollen gloves, hand
creams, bath soap and contact with pets affect many people. Occasionally foods such as raw chicken or raw fish cause symptoms.
Good hand care can be a help, too. Wash your hands in lukewarm water, use a mild, unperfumed soap and dry well. Remove any
rings and bracelets before doing housework,taking a bath or washing your hands, and
don't allow your hands to soak in water. If the problem persists, consult your doctor.

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Do's and Don'ts for dealing with allergies

dealing with allergies

Do try to identify and avoid allergens.
Do stay indoors on dry, windy days and in the morning in spring and summer when pollen levels are high, if you suffer from hay fever.
Do avoid chemical irritants, such as perfume, household cleaners and chlorinated pool water.
Do dust and vacuum frequently - every day if possible. Vacuum your mattress when you do the bedroom.

Don't clutter your house with ornaments that collect dust.

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How drugs help

Allgery sufferes can find relief from several types of medication.

How drugs help

- Antihistamines counter the effects of body chemicals that are responsible for causing allergy symptoms.
- Decongestant tablets or nose-drops relieve nasal and sinus congestion by narrowing blood vessels.
- Bronchodilators are inhaled directly into the air passages and provide immediate relief from
rcspirmry sympwms by widening the bronchial tubes. They can also be used for prevention.
- Steroid nasal sprays and inhalers reduce and prevent respiratory symptoms and are very safe as only  amonmts of the drug enter the bloodstream.Tablets are also used.
- Sodium cromoglycate eye drops, powder or spray can prevent respiratory symptoms.

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Findind the cause

Findind the cause

 You may well have an allergy, but it is also possible that whatever symptoms you are experiencing could have another cause, so it is important to see your doctor for diagnosis.
Once other possibilities have been ruled the process of trying to identify allergies begins. The first step will be self observation.Your doctor will probably ask about the timing of your symptoms. Are they seasonal,for example, or do they occur all year round?
Are they worse in the moming or at night? Places that affect you can also be a giveaway.Do the symptoms occur more at home or at
work? Indoors or outside? In town or in the country? In houses where there are pets?

If the results are inconclusive your doctor may suggest laboratory tests.Two kinds are used  skin tests and a blood test known as RAST (radioallergosorbent test) or CAP (a newer version if the RAST test). Both are available on the NHS and although none is foolproof, they can often help to identify the offending substance or substances.
In skin testing, tiny amounts of suspected allergens are pricked into the skin. If you areallergic, your skin will become irritated or develop a weal. The most reliable skin tests are those for pollen, dust, moulds and other airbome allergens. Some food allergens alsoshow up very well skin tests for fish, shell fish and nut allergies (which can be very violent) are usually extremely reliable. Other
food reactions, however, may yield less clearcut results. Skin tests are simple to perform
and cause only minimal discomfort. The procedure is considered entirely safe, even
for children, and there is no danger of a seriousrallergic reaction occurring, however violent the allergy itself.
Blood tests cause a little more discomfort,and are more expensive and often less sensitive than skin tests. However, the new CAP procedure is more sensitive than the RAST test and is replacing it in many laboratories.

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Allergy and intolerance

Allergy and intolerance

These are medical terms used to indicate the  mechanism by which the disorder occurs. True food allergy results from the production in the body of abnormal allergic antibodies to particular substances in food. Babies who are allergic to cow's milk, for example, have allergic antibodies to milk circulating in their blood. Every time the antibodies detect cow' s milk, they go into action against it, causing allergic symptoms.

By contrast, people who suffer from food intolerance do not have allergic antibodies in their blood. In many cases the extract mechanism of the problem remains a  my stery but in others a cause can be identifield babies who cannot tolerate cow's milk, for example, lack an enzyme needed to break down milk sugar. In either case, the child may well grow out of the problem.In older children and in adults both allergies and intolerances tend to remain for life.

Food allergies and food intolerance can produce similar symptoms, although intolerances are generally much less sever in their effects. Reactions including eczema, asthma and rhinitis are typically signs of an allergic condition rather than an intolerance. In practical terms, the real differences between allergies and intolerances are not very great. Avoiding trigger substances is the key to staying wellin either case. Problem foods are often the same: dairy products, citrus fruit,eggs, wheat, nuts, cheese,lchocolate, fish and strawberries.Thesymptoms from coffee, red wine and chemical, additives may show an intolerance but not an allergy.

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What allergies are

Your husbans's watery eyes and runny nose occuring together are classic systoms of hay fever - one of the commonest allergies there is. Hay fever (some times called allergic rhinitis) is usually produced by grass pollen irritating the respiratory tract, so it could be the fresh growth of grasses in summertime that is to blame.

An allergy is an exaggerated response by the body to a foreign substance (or allergen) that enters or comes into contact with it. allergens can be ingested  with food or drink,breathed  in with air, injected into the blood stream by and insect sting, or simply touch the skin. while most people are unaffected by contact, people with allergies react badly because they possess particular allergic antibodies in their blood which go in to action to fight such substances,triggering the release of the body chemicals such as histamine, that cause allergic symptoms incruding itching, sneezing, rashes and wheezy breathing. In the case of hay fever, allergic antibodies to grass pollen are constantly circulating in the bloodstream. For people like your husband, the simplest way of preventing attacts is to avoid coming into intact with grass  pollen as much as possible. If symtoms do occur, taking antihistamine drugs - available over the counter in chemists - can help to control them. For drytime use, or when driving, ask for a formula that does not cause any drowsiness. If antihistamines prove ineffective, a doctor may prescribe alternative medication such as a steroid nose spray.

airborne irritant Pollens are responsible for many allergy hay fever symtoms in spring and summer. These highly magnified pollen grains come from a goldenrod flower.

No one really knows what makes some people but not others develop allergies in the first place. Inheritance play some part and exposure early in life to irritating substance, such as house dust or cigarette smoke, may also have and effect. The problem is very common, however, and affects between one in ten and one in tree people.

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Does diet hold the answer?

Does diet hold the answer

One way of diagnosing a food allergy is by means of an exclusion diet. This involves cutting out suspect foods from your diet either one by one or in groups-and then gradually reintroducing them. The results can be quite decisive, provided the tests are properly set up and conducted under medical supervision. Before beginning, start recording what you eat, and when, and any symtoms that occur.

CAUTION   Exclusion diets can be danderous. Never go on one without consulting your doctor.

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How common is chronic illness?

How common is chronic illness

As with acute illness, the incidence of chronic illnesses varies greatly and there are on general rules. Some chronic conditions are very rare while others affect a large percentage of the pupulation. Some, such as asthma, are on the increase of growing pollution.
Increased life expectancy and better treatments for acute conditions also mean that more people are living long enough to develop slow-acting, long-term complaints. Accurate figures are difficult to establish, but current estimates put the incidence of chronic conditions as follows.
Very common (more than 1 in 20)
Allergies.
Astham.
High blood pressure.
Osteoarthritis.


Common (1 in 20 to 1 in 100)
Chronic bronchitis.
Diabetes.
Psoriasis.
Rheumatoid arthritis.

Fairly common (1 in 100 to 1 in 500)
Epilepsy.
Gout.
Schizophrenia.

Uncommon (1 in 500 to 1 in 2000)
Ankylosing spondylitis.
Down's syndrome.
Multiple sclerosis.
Parkinson's disease.
Ulcerative colitis.

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Treating chronic problems

If chronic illness can't be cured, what sort of treatments and help can sufferers get?

The important thing to remember about a chronic illness is that it is likely to be a permanent face of life. This means that the patient has to lern how best to control the symtoms in order to live as full and active a life as possible. Often simply following a healthy way of life, with a good diet, plenty of exercise,adequate rest and street kept under control, is enough to keep well most of the time. Other people many need drugs to counteract effects such as narrowed blood vessels, a tight chest or an allergic reaction. In some advanced conditions, surgery can help by replacing worn, painful joints or a damaged heart valve.

More than any other factor, attitude determines how well people cope with a chronic illness. Whatever their physical state, those who live life to the full invariably fare better than those who see themselves as invalids.

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Causes and prevention

Chronic illnesses

 What causes chronic complaints? Is there any way of preventing them?


Chronic illnesses are very varied and can have many cases. In the vest majority of cases, however, genetic inheritance plays a major role in determining people's vulnerability. This not to say that everyone who inherits a certain gene or pattern of genes will inevitably develop a condition such as asthma or heart disease, but rather that the chances are greater than in the population as a whole. Depending on other factors, such as environment, diet and stress, such disease may or may not develop in someone who carries the genetic predisposition. Prevention generlly depends on indentify people who may be at risk, giving, preventive advice on diet, exercise and other health issues, and providing monitoring to pick up any problems befor they have a chance to become serious.

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The main of chronic

Why are some conditions classified as chronic? Are they always serious?

The main of chronic

Doctors use the term chronic to describe any illness or symtom that goes on for a long period of time. Despending on the condition, the duration may very from months to years to a lifetime. Although many such illnesses are considered incrurable, they can very often be well controlled. The symtoms may come and go and there may be periods when the illness goes into remission, sometimes to the extent that there is virtually no evidence of it at all.

Chronic conditions are generally distinguished from acute illnesses, which occur suddenly, last for a short time and produce rapid changes, such and a high temperature or severe pain. In some but not all cases, acute symtoms worsen until they reach a crisis, after which healing occurs steadily until the patient is back to normal.

Infections tend to follow the acute patern, while chronic disorders more often develop slowly or take te form of occasional flare-ups with long periods of remission in beetween. Many chronic complaints also fall into the general category of degenerative disorders - conditions that involve damage to the structure or fungtion of body tissues.

Not all chronic conditions are serious, however, or cause permanent damage of any sort. Mant people have mild allergies or suffer from migraine headaches from time to time without finding their lives significantly affected. Other patients manage by means of good dietary meansures, a generally healthy way of life, or regular medication to control conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and migraine. Often they manage to remain almost entirely symtom-free and go on to have a normal life expectancy.

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