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Have bubbles suddenly appeared on your hands? Does this always happen under certain conditions, e.g. after contact with the same metal? Warning, it could be sweat eczema!
The causes of sweat eczema
Sweating eczema is a type of allergic reaction of the body after contact with certain substances, most often – metals. However, allergy can also be caused by drugs and even bacteria, e.g. those that cause infections of the upper respiratory tract. In some cases, the cause of sweat eczema remains unknown. The disease is often chronic and can be extremely troublesome in everyday life.
The cause of sweat eczema can be:
- nickel,
- cobalt,
- any other metal.
Sweating eczema – symptoms
In sweat eczema, the lesions usually appear on the hands and feet. They are lumps and vesicles from which serous secretions can ooze. If the eczema was caused by a fungal infection, the lesions mainly affect the lateral surface of the fingers. On the other hand, in the mild form of sweat eczema, the epidermis is exfoliated first of all. The course of the disease may be acute in some patients. Then, erosions form in the place of the vesicles, which may undergo secondary bacterial superinfection.
How to treat sweat eczema?
If you notice the appearance of lumps or blisters on your hands and / or feet (especially after contact with a specific substance), consult a dermatologist (no referral is required). Most likely, the dermatologist will recommend steroid ointments and oral antiallergic drugs. If the vesicular lesions are large, it is recommended to cut them and then dry them, and in the case of erosions – disinfect them. The main thing is to avoid re-infection of the wounds at this stage. For this purpose, you can use an antibiotic in the form of an aerosol or ointment (the doctor will prescribe the appropriate preparation).
IMPORTANT: Antifungal treatment is required if sweat eczema was caused by a fungal infection.
Text: lek. med. Matylda Mazur
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