Those who had to deal with cold dermatitis, will no longer be able to take lightly low temperatures on clear winter days. After all, all that is needed for the manifestation of such a disease, accompanied by rather unpleasant symptoms, is cold. A more detailed study of this disease will help to figure out how to avoid it and, if necessary, overcome it.
Cold dermatitis
This name is used to describe the inflammatory process on the skin, the result of which is its redness. The reason for this reaction of the body is hypothermia of the skin.
Most often, this type of dermatitis manifests itself through red spots, in the area of which itching is felt, and cracks and peeling of the skin appear on their surface.
Cold dermatitis on the face and hands is easily confused with hives and chickenpox, because, in addition to redness, rash and swelling are possible. Moreover, such a disease can have more serious consequences than similar ailments. In some cases, fainting, shock, and even death were reported.
Main symptoms
Cold dermatitis can be determined by some of its characteristic signs.
First of all, it is worth noting that the reaction of the body can occur several days after the moment of overcooling of the skin. But in the end, reddish spots still appear, the shape and size of which can be completely different. Burning pain and itching are felt in these areas.
The process does not end there: a few days later the appearance of cracks covered with a sacrum (sometimes) may occur. Often people who have encountered such a problem as cold dermatitis have a desire to tear off the crust that appears on the affected areas. You do not need to do this. The bottom line is that such formations protect the skin from infection through cracks in the spots.
If we talk about the manifestation of the disease in the hands and, in particular, the hands, it is worth noting that sometimes this process is accompanied by the formation of eczema. When a person is affected, then, in addition to spots, there may be accompanying symptoms: discharge of fluid from the nose, and quite intense, and redness of the eyes.
If a person has already encountered a manifestation of the disease and in this condition has gone out into the cold, then there is a risk of malfunctioning of the lungs that are exposed to low temperature. Such a complication provokes shortness of breath and even suffocation, but this happens only in extreme cold.
Causes of occurrence
It’s a very unpleasant experience to detect cold dermatitis on the face. Photo people who have had this disease are a direct confirmation of this. Therefore, it makes sense to understand the reasons why this disease appears, and if possible prevent it.
Almost any disease is a consequence of exposure to external or internal factors. As for cold dermatitis, the doctors have not yet figured out the source of this ailment, or rather, have not come to a consensus.
According to one version, red spots on the skin after being in the cold can appear due to the combination of proteins, which subsequently irritate the skin. Also, some experts are inclined to believe that people with dry skin are more likely to encounter such a problem as cold dermatitis on their hands. You can find out how such an unpleasant problem looks with the help of photographs.
It is worth noting the fact that such skin irritation can develop when a failure occurs in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Common causes of the disease include banal violation of thermoregulation of the skin, which sometimes occurs due to insufficient warming of the hands and lack of face protection in severe frost. But in this case, the positive fact is that the irritation does not last long.
How to diagnose a disease
In order for a treatment to be as effective as possible with a problem such as cold dermatitis, it is necessary to quickly identify the disease. For this, of course, you will have to use certain techniques that provide high-quality diagnostics.
It will not work on your own to get the exact result, so initially you should contact a dermatologist who specializes in working with such problems.
First, you will have to pass general tests of urine, blood, as well as a detailed analysis, with which you can determine the body's response to various allergens and the state of the immune system. Only after all data on the patient’s condition are received, the doctor, after a thorough examination of the spots, makes a decision regarding the treatment method. In some cases, referral to other specialists is even possible.
What you need to know about prevention
In order to prevent the development of a disease such as cold dermatitis in a child and adults, it is necessary to follow certain preventive recommendations.
First of all, according to experts, it is necessary to drink a complex of vitamins that can improve blood microcirculation and the condition of the body as a whole. If you follow this advice, then treatment for cold dermatitis may not be needed.
The next thing to pay attention to is the work of the gastrointestinal tract. This means that you need to prepare for winter. Even before the onset of cold weather, it is worth using products that are a source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber in your diet. It can be carrots, oatmeal, spinach, liver, chicken eggs, vegetable oil, etc.
As for winter walks, in order to avoid a negative reaction of the skin of the face, it must be covered with a special protective cream. Similar nutrients can also be used to protect hands.
Exposure to chemistry
Despite the fact that the main reason for the appearance of irritation on the hands and face during cold is the low temperature, various aggressive chemistry can also weaken the skin, the effect of which should not be discounted.
This means that you need to protect the skin during washing, cleaning plumbing or washing dishes. Good gloves for hands during such procedures are rubber gloves.
Do not forget that various creams that moisturize the skin and protect it from the effects of low temperatures can also contain chemical elements that can have a negative effect. Therefore, before you purchase various creams in a pharmacy, you should carefully study their composition and take the opportunity to consult.
How is the disease manifested in children
It is worth knowing that the symptoms of a disease such as cold dermatitis can manifest themselves in different ways at different ages. If we talk about children, it should be noted that with this disease their skin becomes covered with red spots, which in most cases begin to peel off.
The manifestations of dermatitis are localized in the hands, on the face, neck, ears and even under the knees. When a child is outdoors at a low temperature, a whitish rash may also be observed. However, when it enters a warm room, it disappears.
How to protect baby's skin
To avoid the development of cold dermatitis in the baby, you should carefully consider the nutrition of the child. Make sure that there are no foods in the diet that can provoke an allergic reaction.
It is also important to periodically ventilate the room. We must not forget about the nourishing cream that can be applied to the hands. It will be useful both as a prophylactic and to neutralize the spots that have appeared. Cornmeal is another product that can help in this situation, it contributes to the rapid healing of eczema and soothes itching. To obtain the desired effect, it treats the affected areas.
Do not forget about the beneficial effects of competent hardening. We are talking about contrasting baths for arms and legs. But they should not last more than 30 seconds.
The importance of treatment
It’s enough to take a look at the symptoms that are characteristic of cold dermatitis (the photos presented to your attention do not demonstrate all the “charms” of the disease - they are not able to convey the sensations of a person, such as pain and intolerable itching) to realize: hesitate with treatment the diagnosis is not worth it.
In addition, any allergy to cold, especially in children, according to qualified pediatricians, deserves the most serious approach. That is, parents who notice dermatitis on the child’s body should not hope that such a problem disappears by itself, they say, the children will outgrow it.
The bottom line is that often the reaction of the body to the cold described above is nothing more than a manifestation of another disease. And if you start the situation, hoping for a natural solution to the problem, you can encounter complications unpleasant for the child and parents.
Therefore, at the very first symptoms of a disease such as cold dermatitis (photos will help to find it out), you need to go to the diagnosis and start treatment.
How to overcome ailment
So, to neutralize unpleasant symptoms, you must initially consult a doctor and then follow his instructions. But if we talk about the principles of treatment of a general nature, then it is worth paying attention to immunity, especially when it comes to children.
It is the weakened defense of the body that can lead to the appearance of red peeling spots on the hands, neck and in the face. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system and allow the body to recover.
Hardening can be attributed to one of the most effective ways to protect the body from allergies to low temperatures. Therefore, a similar technique should be practiced by adults who intend to avoid such unpleasant consequences of being in the cold. But even if the symptoms have already made themselves felt, gradual competent hardening should not be excluded from the methods of resolving the problem.
Trying to decide what to treat cold dermatitis, you need to remember about such a method of overcoming painful symptoms as antihistamines (groups A, PP, E, etc.). They can be extremely effective, but only a doctor can prescribe them. Most likely, later treatment by an allergist will be needed to avoid the development of other diseases.
Folk remedies
In addition to the use of medicines that improve blood circulation and microcirculation, it is possible to influence the disease with the help of natural remedies.
An example is raspberry root, which can neutralize cold dermatitis in the hands. Treatment in this case comes down to using 40 grams of these roots, for which you will need to pour boiling water over them (2 cups). The broth should be infused for at least half an hour, after which it must be filtered through gauze. Three spoons of this remedy should be drunk before going out and before bedtime.
Egg shells, passed through a coffee grinder, can also have a beneficial effect on the patient's condition. It in the amount of one teaspoon should be taken after each meal.
Do not forget about the field horsetail. It will take one teaspoon of dry horsetail, drenched in a glass of boiled water. After the drug is infused, the broth should be taken on an empty stomach every morning.
Summary
The manifestation of cold dermatitis is a rather unpleasant condition, which is also fraught with serious complications. For this reason, treating such a disease lightly will be reckless. At the first symptoms, you should visit a doctor and immediately begin treatment.
Do not forget about the beneficial effects of creams and other auxiliaries. And, of course, it is important to remember a simple principle: if the skin begins to suffer from exposure to cold, it must be protected with warm clothes. Such a simple action as thorough warming before going outside in winter will help to avoid many unpleasant sensations associated with cold dermatitis.