“Dermatitis” is a single term for a wide variety of conditions that can affect the skin. These conditions can be chronic or temporary, but it’s important to trust an expert dermatologist to ensure your diagnosis and treatment are both correct.
At RI Skin Doc, we’ve been providing dermatology services in Rhode Island for more than 30 years. Our experience treating atopic dermatitis (eczema), hand dermatitis and contact dermatitis allows us to develop your treatment plan with complete confidence.
If you’re ready to develop your dermatitis treatment plan, schedule an appointment with us today!
Atopic dermatitis is the medical term for eczema, a very common skin disease. When eczema occurs, the skin is reacting to an internal or external stimulus, resulting in inflammation and in some cases, severe itching. Symptoms can range from a rash to patches of dry, thickened skin.
The exact cause of eczema is unknown, but it is thought to be inherited. Eczema usually occurs in people who have a family history of allergies, such as hay fever, hives, or asthma. Eczema is most often seen in children, adolescents, and young adults. Over half of affected infants recover before age 5, and most other patients recover before the age of 25. Some patients, however, suffer from periodic recurring eczema throughout life. Factors known to trigger recurrences are extreme heat or cold, rapid changes in temperature, irritating clothing, or periods of physical or emotional stress.
Every case of eczema is different, but the experts at RI Skin Doc can help determine the right treatment plan for you. Patients with eczema may be triggered by certain dietary or environmental conditions, and we recommend patients reduce exposure to these triggers. We can also provide you with moisturizers and topical steroids to help treat your specific symptoms.
Hand dermatitis is one of the most common skin problems encountered by dermatologists. It may begin as "dishpan hands" or "detergent hands" and turn into a problem severe enough to interfere with activities of normal daily living. In cases of hand dermatitis, skin becomes red and rough. Painful cracks and fissures may also occur, especially in joint creases and around the fingertips. The backs of the hands may become red, swollen, and tender. Small clear blisters may sometimes occur either alone or in combination with the above-described symptoms.
Environmental factors - such as cold winter air and low humidity - or job-related factors - such as repeated wetting and drying of the hands or exposure to certain solvents, detergents, or soaps - can each remove necessary moisture from the hands, resulting in dry, chapped skin.
Due to frequent contact with irritants, hand dermatitis is often seen in housewives, food handlers, bartenders, and people in the healthcare profession. It is also the most frequently seen dermatitis in industrial workers.
For many people, this is a chronic condition. To prevent recurrences, we help you identify the substance causing the condition, and when possible, have you avoid or reduce future contact with it.
Contact dermatitis is a very common skin condition caused by exposure to substances in the environment. These substances act as either irritants or allergens. In addition to redness and swelling, contact dermatitis may be accompanied by burning, itching and blistering. The areas of the body most often affected are the forearms, face, neck, and the top of the feet; however, other areas can be affected.
Contact dermatitis usually occurs in one of two forms:
Nickel, rubber, hair dyes, poison ivy, oak, and sumac are all familiar antigens (offending agents). In addition, materials that contain chromates, such as leather, matches, paints, disinfectants, bleaches, and glues may act as allergens.
Contact dermatitis is controlled with effective medicines and avoidance of the offending agent. Patients can be patch-tested to a variety of agents known to cause contact dermatitis for confirmation of their disease.
