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May 18, 2013
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Contact Dermatitis (cont.)

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Self-Care at Home

  • Avoid touching the trigger.
  • Washing with soap and cool water can remove or inactivate most of the offending substance, if it is done immediately after exposure.
  • If blistering develops, cold moist compresses applied for one to five minutes many times a day are helpful followed by air drying, perhaps supplemented with a fan.
  • Oral antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, Ben-Allergin) can also relieve itching.
  • Do not apply antihistamine lotions to the skin, because you may have an allergic contact dermatitis from the lotion itself.
  • For mild cases that cover a relatively small area, over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream may be sufficient.

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Contact Dermatitis - Symptoms

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What are the symptoms of your contact dermatitis?

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Contact Dermatitis, Allergic »

The term contact dermatitis sometimes is used incorrectly as a synonym for allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).

Read More on Medscape Reference »


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