Prof.Dr. Ayşe Serap Karadağ
karadagaserap@gmail.com
Memorial Ataşehir Hastanesi, İstanbul
In the approximately 1-year period since the coronavirus entered our lives, our habits have changed. There has been a constant encouragement for masks, distance, and cleanliness. Regular hand washing with soap for at least 20 seconds, hand washing after every contact, and the use of hand sanitizers or cologne in cases where soap is not available have been recommended for cleanliness. Another recommendation was to wash every product coming into the house and to use bleach frequently. As a result, everyone's contact with cleaning materials such as bleach, soap, hand sanitizers, and cologne, which contain high levels of allergens, has increased. In addition, there has been an increase in the frequency of taking showers and trying to eliminate the virus by using hotter water. These cleaning measures were certainly important, but uncontrolled and excessive chemical exposure caused a serious increase in eczema patients. The number of patients with complaints of cracking, itching, redness, dry skin, and even itching and redness on the eyelid who applied to dermatology clinics increased significantly.
Although our patients think that hand eczema is due to excessive chemical exposure and frequent washing, they have difficulty understanding the relationship between eyelid eczema and this condition. The eyelid skin is the thinnest, most sensitive, and most allergen-sensitive part of our body. Because of its general characteristics, not every product can be applied to this area. Hand sanitizers, colognes, or soap residues that come into contact with the skin are transferred to the eyelid through scratching, and shampoos, shower gels, and soaps used in the bathroom affect this area. In addition, moisturizers, sunscreens, makeup materials, and cleaners that we use for our face also affect our eyelids. Airborne allergens (chemicals in the workplace, perfumes, chemicals in the steam from dishwashers or washing machines, cooking steam, etc.) also directly affect the eyelids.
What precautions should be taken?
As much as possible, chemical exposure should be reduced. Take a shower with warm water. Use less chemicals in the shower and stay under the water for a shorter time. The soaps and shampoos used in the bathroom should also be selected from dermocosmetic products with low allergen content. Moisturizers applied while the body is still moist after showering trap moisture in the skin, causing hands, eyelids, and the body to remain moist for longer periods of time. Wash hands with warm water and use solid soaps with low chemical content (such as glycerin, olive oil, etc.) with moisturizing effects when washing hands. After washing hands, moisturize them with dermocosmetic moisturizers or petroleum jelly with low allergen content.
If eczema has developed, avoid using makeup on the eyelids as much as possible, and choose products that are suitable for allergic skin and have reduced allergen levels. If the eyelids are very dry and itchy, use specially prepared moisturizers for the eyelids. People exposed to chemicals at work can wear protective glasses. Sunglasses should be worn outside.
If itching and redness are intense, creams containing cortisone are recommended by doctors. Since the eyelid is very thin and the absorption of drugs is high in this area, cortisone creams used for the body are not used here as they can cause many disorders such as cataracts, glaucoma, and thinning of the skin by direct absorption. Therefore, mild cortisone ointments used in the eye are used for a short period of time on the eyelid and provide healing in a few days. In severe cases, oral cortisone treatment can be given for a few days under doctor control, and all creams can be discontinued.
