Yikes, my hands are a mess, help!l

[dlmrn]

Hi everyone, I'm Diana from Michigan. I've been a nurse 13 years and this is the first time I've had this problem. My hands are breaking out with small raised red itchy bumps between the knuckles. I think it might be the alcohol sanitizer. I try not to use it but sometimes the water in the patient's room doesn't get hot or there's too much equipment to get to the bathroom. I have stopped using the sanitizer but don't know what to do for my hands. I don't know if it's eczema, or an allergic reaction. I don't think it's latex. I've never had a problem with it before. I have been drying my hands thoroughly after each washing, using hand lotion and wearing gloves outside. I've tried antibacterial ointment, hydrocortizone cream. What can I do? They are getting worse and I'm stressed about doing patient care with broken skin on my hands. Advise me please, thanks.

[AndyLyn]

I second the petroleum jelly cure. It's never failed me yet.

[laughingfairy]

This year I have been worse then ever in my life, and not just my hands... we moved and the water is hard...

Doc perscribed Lac-hydren...helped some but not on really bad spots, tried vit e oil, aloe, petroleum jelly, eucerin, hydrocortisone...I have found that the perscription Lac-hydren twice a day, hyrdocortisone twice a day, coco butter in between and petroleum jelly at night are the best for my hands and feet.

Good luck

[fegleyb]

Hi! I am a pre-nursing student (just accepted last week - yeah!) and I definitely have dishydrotic eczema. My derm prescribed steroid cream (can't remember the name right now) and it works well. However, I am not great at catching a breakout early... so, my question is.... as a nurse, are you ever allowed to wear waterproof bandaids if you have a known break in your skin? Some of them seal really well and would likely stay on well through multiple handwashings. Is this a big 'no-no' since it could possibly harbor bacteria? How can I protect myself IF I'm in the midst of a breakout??? Thanks!

[CRNI-ICU20]

this sounds more like a contact dermatitis reaction as opposed to alcohol hand cleanser....I would bet it has more to do with latex allergy than anything else....you can be tested for latex allergy using two separate methods...ELISA test, which isn't always 100% reliable, and another test...which of course escapes my tired brain right now...sorry..

but....the incidence of repeated exposure over time in health care workers is on the increase...partly due to the changes in glove manufacturing and poor quality latex....I did the research on it a few months back, because I ended up having a full blown all out reaction one day at work, and landed in the ER with hives and wheezing...I pre-cursed the episode with a few incidents a month or so apart, of small red itchy patches in the webbing on my hands between my thumb and forefinger....I ended up on epi, solumedrol, medrol pack, and feeling like someone slapped the snot out of me after it was all over....(adrenalin tends to do that...ahem...) You can be checked...most hosp. offer an employee check through OSHA....and you don't have to pay....as a health care worker, they are required to keep you safe on the job...and this certainly qualifies....

good luck...hope you feel better soon....crni

[CorfuilongoRN]

I am new to this forum. But I have the same problem but only one of my index finger is experiencing this breakout with itchiness. I don't wear any rings, I don't use latex gloves and I stopped using the hand sanitizer because I noticed my whole hands itch. But I have been on a break for a week from work and I'm still experiencing itchiness and breakouts on my index finger. What else could it be from and what do I do??