Itchy blisters on the hands,fingers and soles of the feet are signs of dyshidrotic eczema.When the hands are affected the dyshidrotic eczema is called cheiropompholyx and when the feet are affected is called pedopompholyx.It is also called pompholyx,keratolysis or vesicular eczema.For the cases of deep-seated itching blisters the term pompholyx is used.

In some cases there is a history of allergic contact dermatitis especially to nickel because of the fact that the pattern of eczema is not fully understood.No specific allergen is found despite extensive patch testing.The stress aggravates the eczema.The intense itch is helped by oral antihistamines.The calamine lotion is used to cool the affected skin.Sudden onset(1-3 days) resprezents the essential characteristic of the eczema.Scaling,thickening and painful fissuring occur in the later stages.

A complication with dyshidrotic eczema is a secondary bacterial infection.In the summer months the condition worsens.Food preparers,nurses,or florists have frequently hand eczema because their hands are immersed in water.Moist conditions in shoes provide an ideal situation for foot dermatitis.The eruptions may become chronic and severe.Dyshidrotic dermatitis starts on the sides of the fingers as itchy little bumps and develops into a rash and is more common in women.Only the feet are affected because of this.The involvement appears both on hands and feet.

The term used to describe a variety of skin irritations that hands develop is hand eczema.It is characterized by itchy,scaly patches of skin.In this case hands become red,cracked and painful and sometimes the rash worsens into weepy bumps.The appearance of eczema may be caused by the following problems:similar skin problems,hay fever or other allergies ,when hands are wet and when are irritated by chemicals.Dishpan hands represent a form of hand eczema and occurs because of the constant wetting and drying breaks down the skin's protective outer barrier.If hands are recovering from an eczema avoiding getting water on the hands is indicated.Perfumes and preservatives can worsen the situation.

Unfortunately clearing the eczema will take several months to heal.The cause of this eczema is not yet known.The eczema often appears in periods of intense stress and influences the people who are genetically predisposed to it.A major cause of eczema is the abnormal sweating.A little peeling is mixed with big blisters and cracks which prevent work.In the first stage tiny blisters deep in the skin are associated with itching and a burning feeling.Peeling, cracking or crusting appear in the chronic stage. One stage can appear at some patients the other can appear to others.Both stages may occur at the same time.A secondary infection with stahylococcal bacteria is present and the results are:pain,redness,swelling and crusting or pustules.

Contacts with irritants like water,detergents and solvents aggravate the eczema.In this case wearing protective gloves is indicated.Some people develop an allergy to nickel which can be detected by patch testing. The patients are advised to not touch nickel items.It is true also that pompholyx can disappear sometimes but it often reappears after a period of nervous tension,worry or stress.It has not a quick cure.Deodorant soaps,strong detergents,extremely stressful situations,rubber or latex gloves next to the skin may aggravate the eczema.

Clearing daily the hands is an essential condition for healing an eczema.For cases of hands eczema are indicated some cleansers such as:Cetaphil a moisturizing gentle cleansing bar for dry sensitive skin.Oral antihistamine pills(Benadryl)can help relieve the itching.A Jojoba oil is indicated after the hands have been washed.Waterless or antibacterial cleansers that contain alcohol,solvents and other ingredients must be avoided.When doing dry chores is indicated to keep close a pair off cotton gloves.Dirty gloves need an intense cleaning.The latex should be avoided when choosing a pair of protective gloves.Gloves are also indicated when:peeling potatoes,working with meat,onions,peppers or acidic fruits like:citrus and tomatoes.In this case vinyl gloves are recommended.After the work the gloves must be thrown away.

It is not indicated wearing an waterproof glove more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.In this case applying a moisturizer is indicated.In most eczema cases the shampoo is an irritant.So wearing gloves is indicated.Also rings can be irritating if they are not put in a pint of water containing ammonia.Hand damage from hot water can be avoided by washing the dishes under running water.Unlined leather or thick fabric gloves are recommended for the outdoor work.Wool must be avoided because it's irritating.Only the doctor will determine what irritating chemicals or work practices contribute to the eczema appearance.Many of this hand-protective strategies can be used at home and at work:heavy-duty vinyl or neoprene gloves and cotton gloves are used when doing wet work,wearing leather or clean,heavy-duty fabric gloves for dry work,avoiding industrial hand cleansers or waterless or antibacterial cleansers that contain irritating ingredients,hand moisturizer and/or prescription medication are used to prevent problems.

Some lotions or other moisturizer are likely to develop a hand eczema. The so-called "cream" moisturizers contain more water than oil.Once the water evaporates they have a net drying effect on the skin.A greasy moisturizer is indicated in such cases. There are some ingredients which must be avoided: methyldibromoglutaronitrile/phenoxyethanol methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, botanicals, lanolin, propylene glycol, fragrances, Formaldehyde (Formalin, Formol, Methanal, Veracur), formaldehyde releasers, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (Bronopol), diazolidinyl urea (Germaben II or Germal II), imidazolidinyl urea, retinol or vitamin A, citric or fruit acids.

Peoples themselves must pay a special attention to the variety of shampoos and preservatives that sometimes may contain irritants.So the eczema can be avoided by keeping a proper cleansing.In cases of hand eczema the natural treatment is indicated.