The skin, a body organ that forms the boundary between the inside and outside of the body and is composed of the dermis and subcutaneous fat layer including the epidermis, serves as the first line of defense against external physical shock and infection from harmful substances, as well as maintaining homeostasis of body temperature. It performs essential roles such as performing sensory functions such as temperature control and temperature stimulation and touch. Housewife’s eczema refers to dermatitis caused by excessive exposure of the skin, which plays an important role, to water, detergents and soaps. Housewives eczema was given the name because it occurs frequently in housewives who do a lot of washing dishes, childcare, and other chores.
As mentioned earlier, the main cause of housewife eczema is prolonged exposure and frequent use of water, detergent, soap, detergent and alcohol. Due to the nature of these causes, it is known that the incidence rate is high not only in housewives, but also in medical personnel such as surgeons and dentists, in occupations related to the catering industry, and in the seafood-related sales industry. In addition, when allergic contact dermatitis coexists, contact through rubber-related products or fragrances can also be a cause, and it is known that if there is a history of atopic dermatitis, it greatly affects the occurrence. Now, let’s take a closer look at the main symptoms of housewives eczema, as well as various information on treatment and prevention.
Main symptoms of housewife eczema
The main symptom of housewife eczema is eczema with scales and red spots. In addition, as the skin surface of the fingertips peels off, cracks and dry cracks appear at the same time, and these symptoms occur more often on the fingers than on the palms. In addition, itching and blistering may occur, and in severe cases, it may form a sting and cause a stinging pain.
If the symptoms of housewife eczema get progressively worse, not only the pain gets worse, but also bleeding may occur through the cracks. If symptoms are more advanced, it may spread to the back of the hand and wrist, and may lead to related complications such as chronic dermatitis and secondary skin infection, making treatment more difficult. Therefore, in order to prevent the worsening of the symptoms of skin eczema, it is important to block and minimize exposure to the triggers that aggravate the occurrence as much as possible, and it is important to prevent the symptoms from worsening through appropriate early diagnosis and treatment at the beginning of the onset.
Prevention and treatment of housewife eczema
1. Diagnosis and treatment
The treatment of housewives eczema is to confirm the exact condition through diagnosis based on the symptoms that occur, as well as a patch test that confirms the reaction through contact with suspected substances that are presumed to be the cause. In the early stages, applying a simple moisturizer can help relieve symptoms. However, if symptoms do not improve with these moisturizers alone, steroid ointments or creams are used. In case of sores or blisters, cold compresses using a cold wet towel are said to help improve symptoms. And if the treatment does not improve even with these various methods and the condition worsens, treatment with systemic steroids may be considered. Even if treatment has been achieved through these various therapies, exposure to the causative agent has a high possibility of recurrence, so it is recommended to minimize exposure to the causative agent and pay more attention to contact.
2. Wear rubber gloves
As the main cause of housewives’ eczema is the increased time and frequency of exposure to water, it is said that it is a good way to wear rubber gloves when doing any work that comes into contact with water, including washing dishes. In particular, when wearing rubber gloves, it is said that wearing cotton gloves while wearing them rather than just wearing them helps to prevent worsening of symptoms. . In addition, wearing rubber gloves for too long can also cause housewife eczema and worsen symptoms, so it is recommended not to use it for a long time.
3. Skin moisturizing management
In order to prevent housewife eczema and improve symptoms, it is very important to pay attention to skin moisture. After using water or washing your hands, it is important to dry them completely with a dry towel and apply a moisturizer or hand cream to prevent dry skin. In particular, it is important to manage and pay more attention to housewives eczema, as housewives eczema occurs a lot during the changing seasons of autumn, where the temperature difference between day and night is large and dry weather continues.
In addition, when symptoms appear, it is recommended to wash your hands too often with soap and reduce the frequency of use of alcohol hand sanitizers. is said to help improve symptoms. In addition, a lot of contact with various vegetables such as onions, garlic, and peppers, citrus fruits with strong sour taste, and meat can also cause worsening of symptoms, so it is a good way to reduce contact as much as possible.
