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Contact Dermatitis at Work

Posted , 4 users are following.

matt08097
matt08097

Hi,

I work an office job and have noticed that I get bad contact dermatitis on my elbows from leaning against my desk. I'm relatively sure this is to do with the industrial polishes the cleaners use, as when I recently took some holiday it went away and has come back almost immediately once I returned to work.

Considering the company is quite large it would be unreasonable to ask them to stop using that product. So I was wondering if it is O.K to take an antihistamine for an extended period of time to try and alleviate the red itchy skin on my elbows.

Any other ideas would also be appreciated 

Matt

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Acrobat13
    Acrobat13 matt08097

    Posted

    Hi  Matt, I'm not a dermatologist, but I have had contact dermatitis for many years and I've never come across anyone recommending antihistamines to treat it. Steroid creams or ointments plus emollients is the usual approach, in my experience. I think the previous suggestion about sleeves or elbow pads is a good one. There's a chance the chemicals will work their way through sleeves, however. Another option is to put a sign on your desk asking the cleaners not to clean it, explaining about the skin sensitivity. You could always wipe it over with a damp cloth whenever it needs a clean. Hope this helps.

    ​Best wishes, Anthea

  • mrsmop
    mrsmop matt08097

    Posted

    Have you tried talking to the Cleaning Supervisor?  Then perhaps you could find out the ingredient list for the polishes that they use.  You could also ask them to leave your desk for you to clean yourself & see how you get on with that.

    Have you discussed this with your GP?  I have used an antihistamine for an extended period until I was referred to a Dermatologist, who then prescribed another course of action.  In your case, you may benefit from a period with a steroid cream, not the otc one but a more potent one but, you also need to remove the source of the problem if you can.

    Good luck.

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