Symptoms of a detergent allergy
A detergent allergy causes symptoms such as itching, redness, swelling and rashes in the area of skin covered by clothing. These can be wheals, blisters or eczema. Particularly dry, scaly skin can also indicate an allergy.
More rarely, symptoms in the area of the respiratory tract, such as runny nose or coughing, may also occur. The symptoms do not appear immediately after contact with the allergen but only after a certain period of time. This can last up to 72 hours.
In rare cases, a very strong allergic reaction, the so-called anaphylactic shock, can occur. This is a potentially life-threatening situation that can be accompanied by swelling of the respiratory tract (shortness of breath), tachycardia, drop in blood pressure and circulatory arrest. There are no symptoms specifically indicative of a detergent allergy, which makes it relatively difficult to diagnose.
No specific skin rash occurs in the case of a detergent allergy. The allergy can manifest itself with various types of rash. Diffuse reddening of the skin, blistering, pimple formation, eczematous weeping foci and dry skin flaking may occur.
This topic may also be of interest to you: Skin rash caused by an allergyNumerous small, reddish spots in the skin area covered by clothing can be an indication of the presence of a detergent allergy. However, such spots can also have many other causes, such as skin disease, excessive sun exposure or other types of allergies.Breathlessness is a very rare symptom of a detergent allergy. In most cases the detergent allergy only affects the skin area without involvement of the respiratory tract.
In some situations, a detergent allergy can trigger an anaphylactic shock. This is the maximum variant of an allergic reaction. The mucous membranes of the respiratory tract can swell very quickly, causing breathing difficulties and danger to life. Only the immediate administration of medication and securing the airways is the adequate therapy here.
Therapy
The only adequate therapy for a detergent allergy is to completely avoid the triggering allergen. If the epicutaneous test (using a patch to fix the potential allergen on the skin for 48 hours to observe a reaction) has identified a certain ingredient to which the body is allergic, only detergents that do not contain this ingredient should be used. If there is only a suspicion of a detergent allergy, switching to skin-friendly products suitable for allergy sufferers can be a way to make the allergic symptoms disappear.
If the use of a new, particularly skin-friendly detergent leads to a significant improvement in symptoms, this indicates that a detergent allergy exists. In the acute stage, skin creams containing cortisone may provide relief. However, they should not be used over a long period of time and are only a symptomatic therapy, not a causal one.
