Eczema - A growing decease for working class

Everyday workplace irritants such as chemicals, soaps and detergents can lead to prolonged absence from work or even unemployment, according to a Danish study.

"Occupational hand eczema has increased in humans over last few decades and has slowly become important as people have started taking longer than usual vacation time." the study authors wrote.

The disease, characterized by redness and inflammation, can also have a serious impact on how you live your life. Previous research named occupational hand eczema as very common occupational decease in Denmark and other countries.

As reported in the March issue of the Archives of Dermatology, the researchers had 564 patients fill out an initial questionnaire asking them about leave from work, job loss, depression, personal satisfaction on health and eczema severity. They also filled out a same questionnaire one year later.

After one year the facts found that 25 percent of the study participants had constant severe or worse occupational hand eczema, 41 percent showed some improvement, and 34 percent showed no change or has low to medium eczema. Butchers, kitchen workers and cooks, hairdressers and people aged 25 to 29 were the groups most affected by the problem.

Severe cases, being age 40 or older, and having low self-rated life predicted unemployment and longer leave from work (more than five weeks in the previous year) at follow-up. The study also found that patients with occupational hand eczema were at a relatively low social status (based on education and job status) and at high risk for work absence, a change of job, and unemployment.

"To avoid long leave from work that may lead to social and economic decline, physicians must try to identify subgroups of patients who are at greater risk of a poor outcome," researchers at the University of Copenhagen said in a prepared statement. Wearing eczema gloves has shown results with reduced pain while wearing them at work