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2019 has brought a problem called Covid-19 to the whole world. A virus that is transmitted from person to person not only by airborne droplets, but also by contact (through a handshake, hugs) made a person remember about hygiene and start washing their hands more thoroughly. Only the lazy one does not speak or write about it now! The coronavirus has taken the world by storm. And these fears are not in vain.
Coronavirus infection has flooded all the news feeds and the minds of billions of people on the planet. And while the luminaries of world medicine are looking for a panacea for this malignant virus, ordinary people are saving themselves from the infection with what. For the treatment of hands, people use antiseptics, antibacterial soap, alcohol tinctures. Particularly resourceful comrades adapted alcoholic beverages for this purpose. It is a pity that most of the listed means are ineffective in the face of a terrible enemy - the ill-fated virus. Drinking alcohol inside, unfortunately, does not save from viruses and does not disinfect from the inside, as some wits joke.
We will continue to talk about a tool whose effectiveness in the fight against viruses has long been proven.
Pros and cons of antiseptics
An antiseptic is a proven weapon in the fight against a millionth army of microbes. Even a student knows about it. The antiseptic is convenient in conditions when it is not possible to wash your hands with soap (in the car, on the street, at work). This tool is produced in various forms: gel sanitizers, sprays and even antibacterial creams. Immediately make a reservation that antibacterial creams are not effective in combating viruses, but only help to fight bacteria. In this regard, creams are not relevant today.
Some brands of gels are inconvenient because they leave a “sticky” mark on the palms, while sprays do not have such a feature, and the spray area is much wider. However, spray products have a strong odor of alcohol, which can be unpleasant for you and others.
Compact packaging, convenient spray, no traces after its use are undoubted advantages.
Composition of antiseptics
Wash your hands with high quality and treat your skin with an antiseptic, keep your distance and wear a mask - these tips can now be heard, as they say, even “from the iron”. But few people thought about the fact that an antibacterial agent can harm your health. Let's try to figure out if there can be an allergy to an antiseptic, and if so, who has it.
Let's start by finding out the composition of the antibacterial agent used to treat hands. This includes purified water, hydrogen peroxide, ethyl alcohol, fragrance, flavor, preservative. Glycerin is included in the composition of antiseptics to soften the skin of the hands, but it does not save the skin from peeling with abundant and frequent application of the product to the palms.
Some caring manufacturers, concerned about the condition of the skin of the hands of consumers of their products, began to add vitamin E, aloe extract for skin care to the composition of antiseptics. A trifle, but nice. Not if you are allergic to these ingredients. Allergy sufferers should always remember one rule: “Read the label before buying a product.”
Attention: for children and people with a tendency to allergies, modern pharmacology offers antiseptics with a low alcohol content (60%) and without the addition of flavors and dyes.
Risk group
To whom an antiseptic gel may not benefit, but, on the contrary, harm, is:
- allergy sufferers;
- people with naturally dry skin;
- asthmatics and patients with diseases of the respiratory system.
The categories listed above, with prolonged contact with an antiseptic, noted a deterioration in well-being due to the effect of the components of the antimicrobial spray on their body.
An allergy makes itself felt after a short period of time with a rash or redness of the skin. Later, itching and burning may appear. It's all about the chemicals in hand sanitizers. Manufacturers use preservatives to keep their products longer.
Healthy people are also not immune from the appearance of atypical skin reactions during prolonged contact with alcohol-containing products.
Dry skin already causes a lot of trouble, and alcohol aggravates the situation and provokes the appearance of microcracks on the upper layer of the epidermis. The skin itches and itches, peeling and the appearance of small ulcers are possible.
Phthisiatricians do not advise asthmatics to use antiseptics, since the smell of alcohol can provoke a spasm of the upper respiratory tract, suffocation, severe coughing and other unpleasant symptoms.
How to recognize allergies - symptoms
Allergies to hand sanitizer are more common among healthcare professionals who treat the skin before surgeries and procedures. For hand disinfection, both alcohol-containing substances and Chlorhexidine and other agents are used.
Allergy to hand sanitizer from doctors is not quite the right wording. After all, alcohol in itself cannot cause an allergy, but it dries the skin, which can lead to dermatitis. An allergy can also manifest itself in the fragrances and flavoring substances that make up the disinfectant.
To recognize the problem in time, familiarize yourself with the symptoms of an allergic reaction:
- dry skin of the hands;
- profuse rash on the hands and in places of skin contact with an antiseptic;
- peeling, redness of the skin;
- the appearance of small blisters, bubbles (rarely).
In addition to allergies, the uncontrolled use of hand sanitizer can be fraught with other consequences. For example, an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria living on the skin. Therefore, do not water your hands with an antibacterial agent without measure. Use the remedy only when there is a real risk of catching an infection, for example, if you had to go out to the store) and your hands require sanitization. In conditions of self-isolation, sitting at home on the couch, do not worry: you will not need an antiseptic.
Treatment of allergy to antiseptic
To find out how to treat an allergy to an antiseptic, it is certainly better to consult a dermatologist-allergist.
First of all, it is worth considering: how you can avoid the occurrence of allergies. Of course, minimize or completely remove the substance away. But what if you can not do without an antiseptic? Especially now, when the threat of Coronavirus looms over the entire planet.
So, your treatment will depend on the severity of the allergy. If the areas of damage to the skin of the hands are not so extensive, it will be enough to dispense with the application of funds to the skin. For this purpose, hormonal ointments (Flutsar, Elokom, Advantan) and non-hormonal (Lokoid, Fenistil, Atopalm, Elidel) are suitable. Which of the means to give preference - the decision can be made solely on the basis of your symptoms and the sensitization of your body to certain components of therapeutic agents.
If, however, it is not possible to stop the symptoms of allergies by external influence, they also connect the intake of tablets inside. Thus, Suprastin, Claritin, Loratadin, Tavegil, proven over the years, can come to the rescue in this situation.
Please note that if an ointment or cream does not help relieve itching and inflammation, then it is quite possible that it does not suit your skin type and the treatment regimen needs to be changed!
Folk methods and remedies also do a good job with unopened cases of skin allergies. A decoction of chamomile perfectly soothes inflamed skin, moisturizes it and relieves the hated itch that all allergy sufferers suffer from.
