Diskusi mengenai alergi aksesoris selain emas ini dibuka dengan adanya curhat dari seorang Mommy yang sedang gandrung dengan aksesoris selain emas. Namun, apa daya bila Mommy memakai aksesoris selain emas akan timbul reaksi alergi yang sangat mengganggu, seperti daun telinga menjadi terasa panas, gatal dan berair.

Akhirnya Mommy memakai sistem pakai lepas berulangkali. Namun cara ini rasanya kurang praktis. Mommy melemparkan pertanyaan dan masukan dari Mommies lain yang mengalami masalah serupa.

Tanggapan pertama masuk dari seorang Mommy yang mengalami masalah tersebut sejak kecil. Setelah bekerja, Mommy dapat memakai berbagai variasi aksesoris. Rupanya Mommy menemukan cara mengatasi alerginya.
1. Dengan mengoleskan salep antibiotik(*) di kedua daun telinga sebelum memakaikan aksesoris.
2. Membersihkan anting dengan baik dan kering sebelum dan sesudah pakai. Sampai sekarang Mommy dapat memakai berbagai jenis aksesoris bukan emas dengan menggunakan metode ini.

Tanggapan yang lain masuk dari seorang Mommy yang juga alergi dengan kandungan chrom di dalam aksesoris bukan emas. Mommy yang alergi dengan perhiasan metal imitasi ini, tak mendapat persoalan bila material aksesoris terbuat dari plastik, kayu, porselen sepanjang bukan perhiasan emas imitasi yang mengandung chrome.

Cara yang dipakai oleh Mommy untuk mengatasi alergi krom ini adalah:
1. Melapisi perhiasaan emas imitasi dengan lapisan kutex bening. Hal yang sama dilakukan pula pada jam tangan dan gelang emas imitasi.
2. Melapisi ulang bila lapisan kutex memudar. Pendapat serupa dilakukan oleh seorang Mommy yang lain yang mengalami hal yang sama.

Sebenarnya alergi aksesoris selain emas ini bagaimana sih penanggulangannya?

Dari artikel di WebMD, diketahui bahwa alergi terhadap perhiasan bukan emas ini termasuk jenis alergi metal, dan termasuk alergi kontak dermatitis. Jenis dari alergi ini beragam dan tidak sama untuk setiap orang.

Untuk mengetahui secara pasti sumber penyebab alergi, perlu dilakukan semacam test dengan memberikan kontak langsung kepada kulit penderita. Dari serangkaian percobaan yang dilakukan di Klinik Mayo, ditemukan 73 sumber penyebab alergi kulit. Sepuluh peringkat teratas di dalamnya, dipaparkan pada artikel berikut.

Bagaimana cara menanggulangi alergi ini?

1. Dengan tak menggunakan sama sekali aksesoris yang mengandung material penyebab alergi.
2. Dengan menggunakan salep/krim steroid kulit seperti Hydrocortisone 1% untuk menyembuhkan reaksi alergi hingga pulih.
3. Menggunakan material aksesoris metal yang hipoalergenik seperti emas, platina, titan, dan stainless steel. Hindari produk nikel atau emas sepuhan imitasi.
4. Menggunakan pelindung/pelapis aksesori yang menghindari kontak langsung antara kulit dengan metal sumber alergi.
5. Membersihkan lubang telinga sebelum dan sesudah pemakaian aksesoris.
6. Membersihkan aksesoris dengan alkohol sebelum dan sesudah pemakaian.
7. Jangan lupa untuk meminimalisasi pemakaian aksesoris yang menyebabkan timbul reaksi alergi.

Pastikan dulu jenis sumber alergi apa yang sebenarnya Mommy punyai untuk dapat memberikan kepastian akan upaya preventif dan kuratifnya. Sediakan selalu topikal kostikosteroid/Hydrocortisone 1 % untuk berjaga-jaga bila timbul efek reaksi alergi dari sumber yang belum diketahui akan menimbulkan efek alergi atau tidak.

Selamat beraksesori-ria Moms! Dan bebas dari alergi.... (HI/WRM)

(*) Dermatologis menyarankan pemakaian topikal krim steroid/Hydrocortisone USP 1 %

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http://www.webmd.com/content/article/119/113444.htm

Top 10 Causes of Skin Allergy Jewelry Metals, Fragrances, Cosmetic Ingredients Top List
By Daniel DeNoon

Jewelry metals and fragrances top the list of substances most likely to cause serious skin rashes, Mayo Clinic dermatologists report. When you get a skin rash after contact with an allergy-causing substance (an allergen) doctors call it allergic contact dermatitis. It can be a devastating condition, says Mayo's Mark D. P. Davis, MD.

"Patients with contact dermatitis can get a very itchy rash from head to toe, or in a confined area," Davis says, in a news release. "If it's on the hands and feet it can be disabling, and patients at times can't do their jobs."

How do you know what causes your itchy rash? Using a panel of common allergens, doctors put a small amount on a patch of skin and see whether there is a reaction. It's called patch testing. Davis' and other Mayo researchers patch tested more than 1,500 patients with a series of up to 73 allergens in their study. The top 10 culprits:

• Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate). A metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing.
• Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate). A precious metal often found in jewelry.
• Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae). A fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin.
• Thimerosal. A mercury compound used in local antiseptics and in as a preservative in some vaccines.
• Neomycin sulfate. A topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments, also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap, and pet food *
• Fragrance mix. A group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes, and dental products.
• Formaldehyde. A preservative with multiple uses. It's found in paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products, and fabric finishes.
• Cobalt chloride. Metal found in medical products; hair dye; antiperspirant; objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools; and in cobalt blue pigment.
• Bacitracin. A topical antibiotic.
• Quaternium 15. A preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish, and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints, and waxes.

Davis reported the findings at this week's annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco. When a patch test is positive, the best thing for patients to do is to avoid the substance to which they are allergic. Treatment with corticosteroid cream can help -- but 3% of patients are allergic to the cream, Davis says.

How well does patch testing work from the patient's point of view? In another conference report, Mayo's Leigh Ann Scalf, MD, and colleagues surveyed about 1,500 patch-test patients. More than three out of four said they were at least "somewhat satisfied," and more than half said they were "very satisfied." After testing, 58.3% of patients reported improvement in their condition. Why so few? A third conference report suggests an answer. Davis, Scalf, and Joseph Genebriera, MD, find that fewer than half of patch-test patients remember all of the things that make them itch.

SOURCES:
Davis, M.D.P. Abstract, American Academy of Dermatology, San Francisco, March 3-7, 2006. Genebriera, J. Abstract, American Academy of Dermatology, San Francisco, March 3-7, 2006. Scalf, L.A. Abstract, American Academy of Dermatology, San Francisco, March 3-7, 2006. News release, American Academy of Dermatology. *************************************************************************************************

http://www.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/sig250789.asp?navbar=hw250808

Hypoallergenic Accessories:
# Is made from metals that do not cause allergic reactions. Only use nonallergenic jewelry. Surgical stainless steel, gold, platinum, and titanium are the only types of jewelry you should use in a new piercing. Do not use nickel or brass-plated jewelry.
# Is sterilized before it is put into the piercing site. Choose jewelry that has not been used or worn or that has been sterilized in an autoclave.

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http://www.webmd.com/content/article/42/1689_50306.htm

Allergic to Earrings?

My earrings are giving me an infection. Why?
By Ronald Wheeland, MD

You may have experienced an allergic reaction; these can develop over time, which may explain why it's taken years for your symptoms to appear. You may be allergic to a metal in your earrings and have developed contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation arising from physical contact with a substance that the body can't tolerate. These reactions -- which can include itching, redness, swelling, rashes, or blistering -- result when the immune system identifies something as foreign and attacks it.

Why would it take so long for this allergy to develop? Perhaps you weren't exposed to a particular metal before, or you only recently became sensitive to it. Jewelry is made of alloys -- mixtures of different metals -- to add strength. People most commonly have an allergic reaction to nickel, which is often found in earring posts. If your earrings are new, they might have higher concentrations of nickel than your other earrings. If you have a true metal allergy, you will react to rings, watches, necklaces, or anything else that comes in direct contact with your skin and contains the metal you are allergic to.

To ensure a proper diagnosis, see your physician, who can examine your earlobes, test for allergies, and prescribe the best treatment for you. If you haven't already, take a break from earrings to give your earlobe time to heal.

If it turns out you're allergic to nickel, don't fret -- you don't have to give up earrings. You can try alternatives to nickel like stainless steel, which usually doesn't cause allergic reactions. Also look for higher-quality metals, such as sterling silver or gold that's at least 10 karat. (Gold that's 18 to 24 karat is the safest.) You may have luck -- and save money -- with silver- or gold-plated jewelry, or earrings made of plastic or plastic-coated metal (usually labeled "hypoallergenic").

If nothing helps, or if any rash starts to spread, swell, or secrete liquid, see a doctor. This could indicate a worsening allergic reaction. A physician can prescribe a topical steroid cream or other medication to relieve the itching and speed healing. These creams are usually used two to three times per day for a week or two, until the reaction subsides.

It's also possible that an infection could be causing your ear problems. We are in constant contact with bacteria that can invade tissues and cause swelling or irritation. Bacteria on your earrings can travel down the posts. When you insert the posts into your earlobes, you can scratch the skin and create a perfect environment for infection.

To prevent an infection, keep earrings clean. Apply rubbing alcohol to the posts before and after each use, and be sure to clean the ear itself. You'll also want to change earrings regularly and remember to take them out every night. If this doesn't help, and your ears still itch or feel sore, see your doctor.

Ronald Wheeland, MD, is president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology and visiting professor of dermatology at the University of Arizona, Tucson. He practices privately in Santa Fe, N.M.