Nickel is the most common metal that causes allergies, with an estimated 12% of women and 6% of men experiencing nickel allergies. Symptoms include a rash, swelling, and fluid-filled blisters. Cheap jewelry should be avoided, and precautions can be taken to minimize discomfort. Topical steroids can be prescribed by a doctor, and emollient creams can relieve the rash. It is possible to avoid discomfort and lead a normal life with a metal allergy.
A metal allergy is an allergic reaction to metal, usually shown in the form of jewelry. Although different types of metal can cause allergies, most people with allergies react to nickel. These allergies are more common in women, with an estimated 12% experiencing nickel allergies, compared to just 6% in men.
An allergic reaction to nickel can be a very irritating and even painful experience. Typically, the skin breaks out in a rash, known as eczema, where it has come into contact with nickel. The affected skin turns red, becomes itchy, and usually develops into painful, fluid-filled blisters. This type of eczema is known as pompholyx.
In the case of pierced ears, symptoms of a nickel allergy usually include swelling of the lobe around the piercing, becoming red and itchy. The hole also usually weeps a clear, yellowish liquid, a sign of infection. While piercings can sometimes become infected from other causes, persistent symptoms and infections that appear to occur after wearing certain earrings may indicate an allergic reaction.
The reason so many people are susceptible to nickel allergies is because nickel tends to dissolve in moisture, forming salts. For example, when a person bathes, washes their hands, or sweats while wearing jewelry that contains nickel, salts build up and the skin becomes irritated. Nickel is a strong irritant and repeated or continued contact with it can weaken the body’s natural resistance.
For people with metal allergies, jewelry can still be worn, but a little extra care is needed. Cheap jewelry almost always contains nickel and should be avoided. Even jewelry marketed as gold or silver may contain nickel, as this metal is often added to those metals to harden them. Even seemingly innocuous objects, like the metal buttons on jeans, the buckle on a watch, and even the metal-coated keypad on a cell phone, can irritate the skin wherever they come into contact with it.
There are no allergy medications that can cure a metal allergy, but precautions can be taken to minimize or prevent discomfort. Whenever the wearer notices a rash developing, the cause should be removed as soon as possible. Topical steroids can be an effective treatment for allergies but must be prescribed by a doctor. Emollient creams offer another form of treatment, but all they can do is relieve the itchy rash, not prevent it. You can buy inexpensive plastic earring covers, but the common approach of painting earring studs or necklace chains with clear nail polish isn’t recommended, as sweat and moisture will quickly dissolve it.
Living with this type of allergy can be challenging at times, because it requires the person to anticipate whenever the metal might come into contact with their skin long enough to cause an allergic reaction. With a little foresight and planning, however, it is possible for a person allergic to metals to avoid discomfort and still lead a normal life.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
