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Article: Contact Dermatitis
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Contact dermatitis
Definition
Contact dermatitis is the name given to any skin inflammation that results from surface contact. There are two kinds of contact dermatitis, irritant and allergic.
Description
Thousands of natural and synthetic substances can cause contact dermatitis, which is the most common skin condition requiring medical attention, and the foremost source of work-related disease. Florists, domestic workers, hairdressers, food preparers, and employees in heavy industry, construction, carpentry, dry cleaning, farming, health care, and the military are the people most at risk of contracting work-related contact dermatitis. Americans spend roughly $300 million a year in ...