Definition
Eczema in general is a reddening of the skin, usually caused by allergic reactions, which usually itches moderately to severely, but can also flake. Eczema is an acute or chronic inflammatory reaction of the skin. Responsible for the development of eczema on the hand are mainly the T-cells of the body.
In the area of the hands, the T-cells in the skin area are activated as soon as they come into contact with a solid, liquid or gaseous substance that the body classifies as foreign. Then so-called memory cells are formed. If there is renewed contact with the same substance, these memory cells are activated and migrate to the skin surface.
These cells are also called antigen-specific effector cells, which ultimately ensure that the allergic reaction is activated in the area of the hands. The memory cells then ensure, on the one hand, that so-called mediators are released in the area of the skin, which then release messenger substances, but also that skin cells go into apoptosis, i.e. are killed and decompose. It is not known why some people are more prone to eczema than others.
In most cases, people who already suffer from a variety of other allergies, such as hay fever or house dust allergy, are more often affected. It is suspected that an overactivation of the immune system leads to the described complaints. In most cases, the released mediators in the described overreaction of the immune system lead to a widening of the skin vessels, which results in more blood flowing into the superficial area of the skin.
This results in the skin turning red. The messenger substance histamine is probably also involved in the occurrence of eczema, because its release triggers the often agonizing itching that accompanies reddening of the skin. In principle, eczema of the hand is distinguished between acute, i.e. suddenly occurring eczema and chronic skin irritations that appear only after a few days or weeks.
Acute hand eczema occurs after a period of up to about 48 hours after contact with the foreign substance. Acute eczema is usually triggered by an allergic reaction. A chronic eczema is mostly toxic.
Toxic eczema is a reaction of the body and the skin that is not primarily triggered by the immune system, but mostly by toxic substances that reach deeper layers through the epidermis. A toxic reaction corresponds to the strength and danger of a burn, scalding or chemical burn. In acute contact dermatitis of the hand, the skin reddens and itches severely after 48 hours at the latest.
The skin can also peel moderately to severely at the affected area. In addition, pronounced eczema can also lead to blistering in the area of the affected skin. Sometimes it also happens that the blisters open and fluid escapes.
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