skin hand problem hormone related?

[davenancy]

My wife is 47. She had her first child at 28. Soon after she began having trouble with her hands. The skin would would crack open and bleed on her pillow. Thinking it was "dry skin" she began trying every creme around. Vaseline with gloves, hand cremes. They seemed to make the problem worse. She eventually went to an allergy doctor and had the litany of tests. They came back saying she was allergic to some basic chemicals (all found in the products we used to care for the baby) and told her to avoid contact with water! A new mom who owned a restaurant with me! They told her it was most likely caused by hormone Re-alignment when she had the child. Maybe it would go away when she has another baby. In 1997 we had another baby and  no change. Now nineteen years later the problem is worse than ever. She cannot do basic cleaning at home because she has to limit the number of times she washes her hands. She cannot even help with mowing because the gripping and vibration breaks her skin open. Let me say she is stubborn and says going back to the doctor would be a waste of time and money. Whats funny is that we had a pool until this year and exposure to the pool water actually improved the situation, and at the end of the week sometimes her hands looked better, but then she would clean the house one time and the problem would be right back. I am an eternal optimist and a born troubleshooter and I have stepped in to find a solution to the problem. I saw this forum and thought I would try it out. Thanks for your time and I hope you can this woman I love

[Chakravarthy Mazumdar, MBBS]

Hi,

Thanks for query,

It seems that she has got some allergy to some things handling. It may be chemicals, cosmetics, soap, shampoo or due to some clothes.Keep hands smooth by applying Vaseline or soothing cream.Consult dermatologist for diagnosis.

Hope this answers your query.

Take care

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be contact dermatitis or dyshidrotic eczema. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

For mild-moderate symptoms a weak steroid may be used, whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).But they are available under prescription and should be taken only after consulting a dermatologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.