Treating Industrial Dermatitis

Industrial Dermatitis Treatment

In many cases the easiest way to treat industrial contact dermatitis is through avoidance of the suspected irritant or allergen. This can sometimes be managed through the use of personal protective equipment, but in other cases absolute avoidance might be more suitable – in some cases this might mean changes to the nature of the job, or changes in the way the role is performed.

In a lot of cases, staying away from the substance that caused the issue can be sufficient. Symptoms usually start to fade within a few days of avoidance, but in some cases this is not sufficient.

In some cases barrier creams can be the solution; creating a barrier so that the irritant or allergen cannot react with the skin, however this has to be looked into very carefully as there have in the past been issues with reactions to the barriers creams themselves, sometimes causing more problems than the initial exposure.

Suitable moisturisers can be an effective aid, and in some cases your doctor may prescribe topical corticosteroids; drugs which can suppress the inflammatory reaction and hence reduce pain, swelling and redness.

Sadly there are some cases where none of the usual remedies are suitably effective and in these situations it is often worth looking at whether changes can be made to the role, or whether it is actually better to look at changing your profession.

If you, or someone you know is a victim of ‘industrial dermatitis’ then call our advice line free, 0800 122 3130 or request a free call back when its convenient for you.