THIS is a common disease which is due to the excessive and prolonged exposure of the hands to soap and water.

Now I always ask my patients who have this disease if they have had a baby recently as the washing of diapers and baby's bottles will mean that the mothers hands will be exposed to more soap and more water.

Some people may find that handling certain foods like onion, garlic, tomatoes grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, uglifruit, figs, parsnips, cheese and callaloo will cause the disease to break out. Other foods like potatoes, fish, shell fish and meat may cause an allergic reaction.

The fingers in this disease may look dry and red at the tips. There may be chapping at the back of the hands and the palms may look dry and cracked and inflamed.

Some workers are more prone to this disease, like those whose occupation involves frequent washing of the hands -- barmaids and bartenders, food handlers, chefs, doctors, dentists and hairdressers.

Some women may find that soap gets trapped under their wedding rings and this may trigger the disease.

Some patients may feel embarrassed and ashamed when they have this condition. They feel that they should not be handling food and drink for human consumption.

The diagnosis of housewife's eczema is easily made and doctors should always advise women to take a holiday from the kitchen and from washing clothes etc. We also advise patients to have someone else shampoo their hair.

Hand eczema is treated using cortisone creams. Usually we start with Dermovate and get the eczema to settle then we would go to Betnovate, a weaker steroid, then Cutivate.

The patient is advised to keep her hands out of water and to use gloves if she has to do any work where her hands are exposed to water The best way to use the gloves is to use cotton-lined plastic gloves, or to first put on a pair of cotton gloves and then a pair of plastic gloves. This is important because if you do not have the cotton gloves below the plastic gloves your hands will sweat and the sweat will aggravate the eczema, and you will not get better as fast as you may wish.

Now housewife's eczema is an ungrateful disease and it will come back again and again. There is no cure but if you understand the disease you will be able to help yourself and to lessen the outbreaks and the time that the outbreaks may last.

Dr Persadsingh is a skin specialist. He is the author of Acne in Black Women and The Hair in Black Women. For a free download of cosmetics for the woman with acne, visit his website at acneinblack women.com.

  0 comments

  1 comments

  3 comments

  0 comments

  19 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  4 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  3 comments

  2 comments

  0 comments