Bhopal, May 15: If you develop rashes while cutting vegetables or washing dishes or clothes with detergent then do not take it lightly since these may be the early symptoms of Housewives' Dermatitis. The disease is so called because, traditionally, housewives have the highest contact with commercial chemicals.

The skin has a natural barrier to environmental pollutants but there IS a limit, That limit is genetically determined: some people can soak their hands in chemicals all their lives without problems. Some can only do it a little. Many, eventually, will have some problem.

If the barrier has not been destroyed (Housewive's Dermatitis) the individual just gets a rash that can be eliminated by some cortisone cream and avoiding the most likely causes for a week or so.

Once that limit has been exceeded, any contact will cause a contact dermatitis. Total elimination of that exposure will only resolve the immediate problem. Total elimination of ANY contact, until the barrier can reestablish itself (about 6 months in the average person), will frequently get the person back to at least where she was before she started breaking out.

PRECAUTIONS

1. Find a brand of disposable, hypoallergenic, rubber gloves and learn how to use them just like a surgeon does (sterile technique). Learn how to take off the gloves without touching the outside of them!

2. Learn never to touch anything in the house without gloves. For non-cleaning or polishing every day contact, white, cotton gloves must be worn all the time (inside and outside the home).

3. Use non allergenic bath soap, shampoo, laundry soap, softener, antistatic, etc. (This may not be good enough for some people.) Dry carefully immediately after the bath and put on the white gloves.

4. Before putting on the white gloves liberally apply 1 per cent hydrocortisone cream. Be sure to do this overnight as well.

AVOID RECURRENCE

Within a few weeks this routine will become automatic. Done correctly, most people will have re-established their normal barrier within about 6 months. IF they break over at any time they have to start the clock running again. For the rest of her life, she will have to be conscious of avoiding chemical exposure but will probably not have to do the white glove thing any more. The disposable, hypoallergenic gloves thing may be necessary for the rest of her life to prevent recurrence.

According to Dr Radha Sharma, the hardest thing will be realising that chemicals are now everywhere. Even touching any surface without protection) will restart the problem since polishes, cleaning solutions, antiseptics, etc, are used liberally in stores and other people's homes as well as her own. The average person is now exposed, by touch, to more than 100,000 different chemicals every day.

Dr Anjali Gupta says that 'Once the rash is cleared up for a week she will no longer need to use the cortisone cream (unless she is not perfect in protecting herself and the rash recurs). Continuous use of cortisone cream, for more than a few months, can cause irreversible changes in her skin.) She will likely know exactly when and where she broke isolation as soon as the rash starts. Be sure to restart the clock when isolation is restarted, she added.