Living with Chronic Hand Eczema: Hyderabad docs offer tips to manage skin disorder

Hyderabad: Hand eczema or hand dermatitis is a common condition of inflammatory disorder involving skin on the hands. The condition can be termed chronic when it persists for a prolonged period of time or recur frequently.

The condition affects women in large numbers even as people in professions like sanitation, catering, hairdressing, and chemical and mechanical industries are also prone to get affected. Genetical issues also can lead to chronic hand eczema (CHE).

The condition is not contagious and controllable but could cause severe psychological issues such as anxiety and depression besides having a telling effect on the quality of living.

What causes hand eczema?

Eczema is a group of skin disorders, caused primarily due to an overactive immune system, leading to the formation of rashes in the palms, fingers and other parts of the hands.

Hand eczema occurs when an individual comes in frequent contact with allergic materials including detergents, chemical materials, bathroom cleaning agents and hand sanitisers among others.

“The condition can be considered chronic hand eczema when it prevails for more than three months or recur for more than twice within a timeframe of 12 months,” said Dr Kuna Ramadas, consultant dermatologist, Kamineni Hospitals, Hyderabad. This can cause dry skin, reddishness in fingers, palms and other parts of the hand, and itchy skin.

“The severe conditions can result in cracks and bleeding. This can lead to secondary infections besides inflicting pain on the patients,” said Dr V Anand Kumar, consultant dermatologist at KIMS Hospital, Hyderabad.

What are the precautions against eczema?

Precautions involve staying away from materials which can cause or aggravate hand eczema.

“Those people must avoid getting in contact with allergic materials unless their profession or household requirements demand it. They should use latex gloves. Those who are allergic to latex should use vinyl gloves and cotton gloves,” Dr Anand Kumar said. The usage of moisturisers after washing the hands, particularly petroleum jelly can help reduce the impact of the CHE.

Women are more prone to infection

The condition is found to prevail among women, more than men, given their proximity to allergic materials while doing household work. Dr Kuna Ramadas said, “The condition is higher among adult women (around 35% to 50%) than men (27% to 42%) in the adult age category.”

But, men in specific professions including mechanical and chemical industries, catering, hairdressing, and healthcare professionals particularly nurses are also affected.

“Women doing household work come in frequent contact with acids from tomatoes, potatoes, citrus fruits, onions and oranges. They can use gloves as a precaution,” Dr Anand Kumar said.

Challenges include psychological problems and treatment

The individuals affected by hand eczema or CHE are prone to severe psychological issues. The National Eczema Association of the USA found a scientific link between eczema and mental health.

“When we experience a stressful situation, the body goes into fight-or-flight mode and responds by increasing production of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. However, when the body produces too much cortisol, it can suppress the immune system and cause an inflammatory response in the skin. People living with skin diseases like eczema are particularly susceptible to this inflammatory response,” Dr Ramadas said.

“Five studies have been done in four countries which had reported a societal cost of CHE. The total cost per patent per year can be around Rs 1 to Rs 3 lakhs,” Dr Ramadas said.