Symptoms of hand eczema
Hand eczema can manifest itself in many different ways and cause different symptoms. Hand eczema usually causes severe itching and particularly dry hands, accompanied by redness or scaling of the skin. The skin on the hands is tight, burning and painful. Furthermore, it can lead to the formation of fluid-filled blisters or the skin tears, thickens or discolors.
Guidelines for the treatment of hand eczema
A guideline is a therapy recommendation for a disease that includes the current state of knowledge about the disease and its treatment. By constantly revising guidelines, the best possible therapy for a disease is kept up to date. Irrespective of the extent of hand eczema, the guideline currently recommends that basic therapy should always be carried out.
This consists of moisturizing care products, adherence to protective measures (e.g. wearing gloves) and the avoidance of allergenic or harmful substances. In the case of mild hand eczema, local therapy should be used to alleviate the inflammation and itching. Light therapy or corticoids are also recommended in the guideline. For severe hand eczema, UV therapy and high-dose corticoids can also be used. The active ingredient alitretinoin, a vitamin A acid-like substance, is also recommended if corticoids have little effect.
The treatment of hand eczema
The therapy of hand eczema varies from person to person and depends on the type and cause of the disease. The treatment usually has two goals: firstly, the symptoms such as itching should be relieved and secondly, the cause of the hand eczema should be treated. Severe itching can be relieved with antihistamines or polidocanol, for example.
If the hand eczema has been present for a long time, the cornea on the hands often thickens. This can be reduced with high-percentage urea creams or ointments containing salicylic acid so that the actual medication can penetrate the skin more easily and take effect. The skin on the hands should be cared for regularly.
Especially after handling harmful substances such as chemicals or cleaning agents, a care cream should be applied. In the case of hand eczema, a hand cream with a high fat content should also be used after washing the hands to regenerate the protective function of the skin. The protection by caring hand creams is still necessary some months after the healing of the hand eczema, therefore care creams should still be applied regularly.
However, care must be taken to ensure that the cream or ointment is well tolerated, as certain ingredients in a cream can also trigger hand eczema if they are sensitized accordingly. In addition to skin care, creams or ointments containing cortisone can also be used to treat hand eczema. Ointments containing cortisone should only be used for a certain period of time as long-term use may cause typical side effects of the preparation (e.g. thinning of the skin or redness).
If you suffer from hand eczema, there are some simple household remedies to alleviate the symptoms. For example, if you have sensitive skin on your hands, you should not use soaps with perfume or disinfectants, but either wash your hands carefully with water or use soaps that are kind to the skin. Contact with harmful substances should be avoided, including some foods that are particularly acidic.
For example, gloves should be worn when handling citrus fruits, raw tomatoes or potatoes. In addition, the hands should be protected against strong cold and heat influences, which is why thin cotton or silk gloves should be worn in winter and gloves against the cold above them. Jewelry on the hands (e.g. rings) can also aggravate hand eczema.No costume jewelry should be worn, only gold or stainless steel.
A popular household remedy against hand eczema is the pansy herb, which can be used as a hand bath. For this purpose, pansy herb is boiled in water and the hands are bathed in the cooled decoction. Tanning agents can also support the healing of the skin. These can be found in black tea, for example, which can be used to bathe inflamed hands.
