Dermatitis Stats and Facts

FACTS

1. Allergic contact dermatitis is an individual response and can occur at any time in a person’s life. E.g. after first exposure or after many years of exposure.
2. Allergic contact dermatitis only requires a very small amount of contact with the allergen to cause a reaction and takes days or weeks to heal. It is a lifelong allergy and is diagnosed by patch testing.
3. Affected people may or may not have a personal or family history of asthma/ eczema/ hayfever. 
4. Common causes of allergic contact dermatitis include:

• hair dye
• nickel
• cement and leather
• glues and coatings
• preservatives in some products. 

STATS

• Occupational contact dermatitis accounts for 90% of all cases of work-related cutaneous disorders.
• It can be divided into irritant contact dermatitis, which occurs in 80% of cases, and allergic contact dermatitis.
• The hands are the primary site of involvement in 80% of cases of occupational dermatitis.
• Occupational contact dermatitis presents as eczema in 90% of cases.
• Approximately, there had been 850,000 cases of work-related dermatitis among workers in the USA
• Occupational skin diseases are responsible for an estimated 25% of all lost workdays.
• Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) accounts for 70–90% of all occupational skin diseases, which deteriorates functional capacity and the quality of life.