Pompholyx
Pompholyx: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
What is Pompholyx?
Pompholyx is also known as dyshidrosis and dyshidrotic eczema. It is a skin disorder which marked by presence of tiny, fluid-filled blisters which are called vesicles. These blisters are present on the soles of feet or palms or both.
Within three to four weeks these blisters of pompholyx clear away. In the meantime, these blisters cause too much discomfort by itching. Gradually these blisters start drying and then crack. In the end, painful grooves get form. Exact cause of this disorder is not known. There are many options to treat its symptoms. Topical creams, wet compresses and ultraviolet light therapy are used to treat it. Pompholyx can reoccur despite the treatment.
Signs and symptoms of pompholyx
You can identify pompholyx by presence of small itchy bumps. As the pompholyx progresses, these bumps convert into fluid-filled blisters, called vesicles. Other symptoms of pompholyx include intense itching, pain in large blisters and crack or fissures in toes and fingers.
Causes of pompholyx
It is still unknown what does cause pompholyx. But due to its symptoms, it can be linked with other skin disorders like atopic dermatitis, allergic conditions like asthma and hay fever. Breaks out of pompholyx may be seasonal in allergy prone people.
During this disorder skin feels inflamed like in dermatitis. It causes the breakage of links between skin cells and fluid fills that space between cells. These fluid-filled spaces make the skin more of sponge-like and this process is called as spongiosis in clinical term.
These blisters are seen on the palms of hands and soles of feet. It is associated with intense itching which prompts scratching. Skin gets damaged and infected with scratching in some cases.
Pompholyx is observed more frequent in women than in men; approximately 2:1 ratio.
Stress seems to aggravate the pompholyx condition. Seasonal allergies also increase the tendency of pompholyx. Exposure to some metal salts like chromium, nickel and cobalt as in the times of cement or mechanical work. When skin remains wet or exposed water for long time, pompholyx flares up.
When you should consult Doctor:
If rashes of hands and feet do not go away in few days, contact your doctor. If you are already diagnosed with pompholyx and your skin got infected due to excessive scratching, there is fever or pain or inflammation, you should see a doctor.
Doctor identifies pompholyx by physical examination. But doctor may advice skin biopsy to confirm it and rule out any cause. A patch test can be done to find out the cause in case pompholyx is believed to be caused by allergy.
Complications Associated with Pompholyx:
Pompholyx is just an itchy condition for most of the people. But in many cases, pain and itching may obstruct work by hands. In some other sever cases, skin becomes damaged and infected and it becomes sponge like. It takes time to heal and treatment becomes lengthier. Pompholyx can recur which is very troublesome condition.
What Are The Treatment Options?
Treatment for pompholyx include the application of
Corticosteroid Creams or Ointment: to increase the speed of healing of rashes and improve the condition of blisters, doctor may prescribe corticosteroid topical creams or ointments like clobetasol propiaonate which high potency drugs. These creams also help treat fissures and cracks that blisters leave after drying up.
Wet compresses: To alleviate itching, to minimize blisters and to increase the effectiveness of topical creams, wet compresses are applied.
Antihistamines: There are anti-itching medications which doctor may prescribe to alleviate your itching. These medications are called anti-pruritics or anti-histamines.
Light Therapy or Phototherapy: In severe cases of pompholyx, when no other medication works for the patient, doctor may prescribe ultraviolet light therapy which is called psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA). Medicine is applied on the skin to allow the skin absorb UV light more effectively.
Botulinum toxin injections are also recommended to treat severe cases.
Self Care For Pompholyx:
There are certain self care measures which can help you manage pompholyx.
Try to avoid scratching of rashes. Do not spend much time in water or avoid excessive exposure to water. Always keep your hands and feet moisturized after washing. Avoid the contact of materials which may cause pompholyx to your skin.
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I haven't consulted a doctor about it yet because I think that it will go away soon. I just hope it will go away pretty soon but right now, it looks like that's going to take a long time!!
suffering since childhood
and now am 22 yrs old
i am fed up with treatments
my sir told me that its chronic eczema
so u should be far from the allergens
i stopped eating nonveg,egg,brinjal
now its ok....:-)
I've tried HYDROFORM, KENACOMB, ADVANTAN, PSORA.
of which NONE has worked so far! going to my doc tomorrow to get his opinion on PUVA and PENICILLIN.
any advise???? please!!
4 or5 years ago a spot appeared on my right thumb,I thought it was a small burn but it did not go away a few weeks later I had pompholoxy equal or worse than any pictures I can find on the net.
Doctors, herbalist etc cant help I found anything I rubbed on made it worse.
I think I have something that helps.
I live in the tropics and when mango season arrived I ate my usual 3-4 a day and the pompholoxy ALMOST disapeared and came back when the mangos finnished.
Canned mango also helps but not as good.
The next thing I found is magnesium chloride.
Magnesium chloride is not toxic, it is in seawater and it is used in making tofu and it can be purchased cheaply.
I dissolve 5 teaspoons in 600 ml of water I keep it in the fridge and take 4-5 30 ml shots a day, right now both hands are almost completly clear.
when I stop taking it after about a week my hands start to flare up and get worse and worse,I go back on the mag chloride and it goes away in a couple of days.
Thank you
it itches like CRAZY!
the first time i noticed the tiny blisters because they itched so badly. i mad the mistake of scratching my finger and then they began to weep. i freaked out and poured peroxide on it and it bubbled like crazy and spread a little further :( then it looked horrible began to dry and crack. i wont make that mistake again. lol.
now when i feel any itch begin on my fingers i slather the area up with burts bees diaper ointment that is rich with zinc. this helps it to run its course quicker. right now im ignoring the dry spots on my fingers and it doesnt seem any different than when i use any lotion. i dont know. i just try not to let it get me down.
im thankful its only on some fingers.
The winter is the worst-- I think because wearing shoes is so necessary. I think it is due to the sweat on my feet not being able to evaporate, wearing sandals helps a lot, too.
Vinegar baths (a remedy I found on another site) helped a little bit, but did not fix the problem and were smelly and inconvenient. My feet are constantly torn up right now.
Steve, how on earth did you decide to try Magnesium Chloride?
The thing that works best for me is making sure my feet get plenty of air and stay dry and don't sweat much-- change my socks frequently throughout the day even if they don't seem sweaty, wash my feet, and if I know I have to wear shoes for several hours, often wrapping tissue paper around my toes seems to mitigate the situation. It doesn't stop completely, but it helps a lot.
I keep wishing that there is a reason for this to occur. Tonight I found an explanation that there is some kind of separation between cells that allows fluid build up. This makes sense. Also, the fact that the "spongier" (sweatier) one's skin is, the more likely it is to develop, really hits home. Has anyone tried a topical astringent? I know it is counter-intuitive to make the skin dry up since it seems dry enough already, but since the vinegar seemed to help, I only wonder if witch hazel might do a comparable job.
I'm 30yrs old, and never suffered from eczema or anything in my life. I have two fingers left that look normal. Worst part, I have a 3 month old and a 2yr old...can't bath them, swim, play, do dishes...prolly going to have to quit my job because of this dang problem!! After 4 diff perscribed creams and several over the counter I'm going to a dermatologist...in 5 months!! I have a feeling nothing is going to help my hands...thank God it's not on my feet too!!
I'm going to eat mangoes like mad after reading this.
It has been in flare up mode for almost 6 months now...ruining my life.
What the hell did we do to deserve this??!!
Atleast this thing has a name!! just found it last night :D
I used to be a mechanicand had to get out of the job because of this thing! Now im in real estate and its really embarrising having to write up contracts when my hands are at the bad stage. just so happens that the lady i work with also has it too...(small world)
i've had it for 3 years, been to doctors, dermatologists and they gave me creams, ran tests, everything and nothing solved it.
i really do beleive that it is stress related as i think it sprung up when my sister got diognosed with cancer!
I am definately going to try mangos as the only thing i can find that helps relieve the pain is running my hands in boiling hot water every time i have a shower.
I am back to eating the mangos. After 1 week without eating them, my skin on my hands and feet began to get those little splits which turns into big cracks. I also have noticed if it is a lot of moisture in the air, my hands and feet are affected. I have been using Desitin for diaper rash. The zinc oxide helps with cracks, splits and tenderness. I had been using zinc that you use when sunbathing. The magnesium chloride oil is great to soak your hands and feet in but....it is not that much of a healer. I am going to order some drinkable magnesium chloride from the Swanson catalog. The mango contains high levels of magnesium chloride and that is a cell salt that our bodies are lacking. MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE read up on it. I am in a state of not hurting too much. Hope we can help each other!:-)
I found that creams and ointments on my fingers make it worse. I discovered that every time I wash my toes with soap (Irish Spring) the condition resurfaces and fairs up right away and can take months to get under control. Now I only swish my feet in soapy water, no rubbing soap on them.
Cycle on toes: the top of toes experience severe itching and severe burning, followed by redness, never any bubbles/blisters, crack lines form in toe joints on top, crack lines get worse w/bleeding, skin starts turning yellow, thickens, itching and burning reduces, skins eventually starts to peel and no more pain, discomfort is gone until recurrence.
Cycle on fingers: slight itching sides and tops, severe itching, blister-like bubbles form, itching with redness and more bubbles, condition gets to its worse point (embarr[@]ing / unable to hide at all) then starts to show signs of drying, skin gets harder, yellowing, crack lines, itching stops, skin hardening and gets thicker, starts peeling, then after peel is removed over time, skin is clear again until the itching starts the cycle all over.
WHAT WORKS FOR ME….
DUCT TAPE on fingers. Ensure the area is dry and wrap duct tape around fingers –not tight, but make excellent contact with skin to allow no air to the skin surface. I found it best to rip the duct tape into long skinny strips because wide strips tend to not stick so well over time for fingers that want to bend. Overlap the tape strips. You want to keep that seal with your skin. If the tape begins to not stick, replace with new strips of duct tape. I wear this from the early evening (because I go to work during the day) and keep it on until I shower in the morning and repeat every day until 2 weeks AFTER flair-up is gone. As soon as the itching starts, start using duct tape again for 1 – 2 weeks to avoid another flair-up. DO NOT put creams or anything on your skin before applying the duct tape, just dry clean skin.
I have not figured out how to rid flair-ups on my toes or keep from occurring. Try to keep from wearing socks and shoes for too long. My feet get sweaty from 8 – 14 hours of work in dress shoes and duct tape does not adhere so well over time due to my naturally sweaty feet. Wearing socks for long periods of time worsens the situation. I can tell because the longer I wear the same pair of socks at work the more my toes itch and burn. I sometimes change my socks or take my shoes and socks off if I can. When my toes are NOT having an issue, I have found that when I apply oily athletes anti-fungal spray on the usual problem areas (toes and sole) and then put on my socks, it seems to greatly reduce the chance for flair-ups, but flair-ups can still occur. I think the oily spray helps blocks sweat / moisture.
I hope this info helps some of you. I know how terrible it is dealing with this condition. Please let me know if the DUCT TAPE works for you. Its helped me tremendously.
Permitted foods: all meats,fish(except herring),poultry,eggs,milk,yougurt butter,margarine,cheese,one medium potato per day,small amounts of ethe following: cauliflower,cabbage,carrots,cucumber(c must be good)lettuce,polished rice,flour (except whole grain),fresh fruits, except pears,coffee,wine,beer
I started noticing it when I took a job at a bar and had my hands in sanitizer water all of the time.
Have been to many many dermatologist. Of course few have ever seen it really flared up because I can never get an immediate appoinment.
I have tried many things over the years. It even completely disappeared for about 2 years then came back. I have noticed it is worse when I am nervouse/stressed for a period of time. (Usually due to work). Nothing I have tried works completely. However I have been using Triamcinolone (a topical steriod) when I experience a flare up. For me it has been great. I still get the blisters, but it takes the itch out of them so I do not scratch them and get to the blistery peeling stage. Might be worth a try if you are just looking for a little relief. It is a generic and inexpensive, even if you are uninsured. ($4/80mg tube at Giant Eagle and CVS)
However I think I am going to start eating mangos!!
else having this problem? Can anyone
suggest how I can read the end of each line?
Thanks.
I am suffering from this now and it is at peeling stage. I have been to natropath and I am taking zinc and fish oil and it appears to be helping.
I will try eating mangoes though as I like that option.
ointment but doesn't help much. I'm gonna try and eat the mangos. The only
time the pompholyx went away for the longest was when I got pregnant.
After I gave birth it cameback again. :-[]
I'm 24 and I've had this on and off for about 3 months. It flared up really badly though recently. I am just recovering from the flu and I took a lot of hot showers and long baths which may have been a factor (long exposure to water).
I too only started getting this after working at a bar where you are constantly washing things in "sanitized" water. It is just on the side of my right ring finger which is the finger that has the most contact with the motorized brush in the gl[@] washer at the bar. I will probably see a doctor soon, but try some of these remedies first.
soaking in vinegar, the dermatologist prescribed Clobetasol for
but it only worked for a while. Now my hands look horrible! Sometimes
I wake up in the middle of the night and I'm scratching my hands
until they start bleeding. The itching is insane! I'm soooo tired of having
this on my hands... The only time it went away in these 9 years was when
I got pregnant. I don't know if it was because of the increase in blood or
what, but my hands looked normal. No blisters, cracking or itching. But it
soon came back after I gave birth. I don't know what to do!
So as far as I can tell pompholyx is a symptom of high cholesterol and can be cured through your diet.
I have been using Witch Hazel Gel for a couple of years now with mild success - My Pompholyx only happens on my feet and is mild most of the time.
Maybe its bad, but I'm one of those who pops the blisters so I can walk properly. I get very little itching, but that may be down to the occasional use of the Witch Hazel. I sometimes have to pop the blisters a number of times but they always go down (and crop up somewhere else a while afterwards).
Good luck to all those fighting this!
I have been doing much research snce my diagnosis, and have committed myself to finding a way to manage this disease....I have been to many websites and found some things that may be helpful for others. I have made a Sage cold compress and am drinking 1 sage tea per day. I have found that the sage's antiseptic properties have taken away the infection with no need for antibiotics, as well as it's anesthetic properties have stopped the itching (for about 1 hour, at which stage I apply it again for apx. 10-15 minutes) because the compress is wet, i liberally apply fragrance free moisuriser as soon as i remove the compress, and I have noticed an ENORMOUS improvement in just 2 short days. I am no longer using cortisone. My pompholyx is contant, as my skin usually is blistering and flaking at the same time. Today I have NO new blisters, and only have thickened skin (scabs) around the knuckles on all my fingers...very slight itching, and very little pain.
The sage tea is also benificial in relieving anxiety, nervous tension and stress. I know for myself and a lot of other sufferers that stress is a MAJOR contributor to breakouts.
The recipe for the tea and compress is the same and is as follows.....
4-5 fresh sage leaves roughly ripped up and put in a gl[@] container. Pour boiled water over and leave to steep for 5mins or up to half an hour. Add honey or sugar to taste for tea, or apply cold to a clean cloth and apply as a compress.
WARNING: NEVER boil the water with leaves in it, as it can release toxic oils. ALWAYS boil water first and pour over leaves
I hope that this is helpful as it has been extrordinry for me. I will be trying a few more herbal remedies soon such as Witch Hazel as this is particularly good for skin irritations but Idon't have any in my garden. I will keep you posted as i find out more.
Good Luck everyone
Katie
all have stated in this thread. I have been a
cook for the last ten years, dealing with it
overtime as it has progressed to the point of pain,
discomfort and uncertainty. For a few years I had
to leave my profession that I enjoyed Managing
and cooking in a busy restaurant, which I enjoyed,
because it had gotten so bad. I have been to a dermatologyst
which put me on a steroid cream, but over time
that is not treatment, as it continues to break down
the effectiveness of your skin as a protective barrier.
I am headed back to college to finish my BA in Science,
and am fully fustrated that I cant enter into research or
lab work without putting myself through agony
and pain in my hands. I sympathize with anyone
with this condition. I find that Magnesium Oil helps, and will try to eat more Mangos. At the time I am still cooking and trying to use thongs as much as I can to avoid washing my
hands every ten minutes. I feel like my career choices
are limited and hate that we have to suffer this
disability. I hope there is a "cure" or systemic cause
for this found in the very near future so we can all go back
to doing jobs we need to do to survive and being able to
use our hands like everyone else without the pain and
annoyance of feeling like they are cracked and on fire.
Kevin
kevinhoward143@gmail.com
Unfortunately you need a prescription.
I use it at first sign of flare up and ,after applying
this ointment for a few days, skin is free of blisters
and itching. Once, a doctor prescribed something
that he said was just as good, but it did nothing.
I've also just started to use glysomed hand cream (most drugstores carry it). It seems to keep me moisturized for a long period of time, again without causing flair-ups.
if my hands are itching, running them under the hottest water i can handle seems to be the only thing to make the itching go away.
i stay away from any soaps and creams that have flowery scents. they seem to make it worse. i have more luck with fruit scented ones. but also trying aveeno baby - fragrance free is also really good. i use it after every shower, just in case.
i'm definitely gonna try the mangos. hope it works!
I'm going to try the mangoes too, as well as nuts/seeds which are high in magnesium. I know for a fact the reason why I contracted pomphylox is because of hand sanitizer use. The high alcohol content as well as chemicals in the gel can absorb through your skin causing dermatitis such as eczema.
If we took a poll of how many people on these boards use hand saniziter, you will see a correlation with dishydrotic eczema. Don't use hand sanitizer!
I simply can't take it anymore. I do feel relief reading about everyone here.;-)
If one doesn't like Mangoes, it works. The other day I had eaten a Green Giant bag of creamed Spinach and I noticed the next day I felt like my self again for the first time in two months.
Once again I am glad I discovered this sight. Maybe we can get this under control for all of us.
Cherie.:-D
ive tried many products, treatments and even natural remedies but unfortunately to no success. in the begining the steroid creams helped slightly but in the long run its side effects justmake things worse, thining of the skin makes it more sensitive and infects easier. vinegar, coconut oil, olive oil and manuka honey helped a bit but not much. chinese herbal and indian ayurvedic was just very expensive and pointless. at least for me anyway - i know these treatments have helped some.
my pompholyx after the 1st extremely painfull and depressing year calmed down and was seasonally on and off. but recently it is coming to haunt me again just like in the begining and has also travelled to my feet with dry eczema patches all over my body! ive noticed that when i clip my nails it does help slightly because it is impossible not to itch if your nails are long than the bacteria accumulated in your nails makes it infect easier. hot water kills the itch but i think also aggravates it. im just hoping that one day, soon something, anything takes effect and cures it. i sympathise will all those also suffering.
PLEASE be [@]ured that the Paw paw cream from Tom McArthur, email contact in Janine's post above has given her immediate & tremendous relief from the itching & most of her pain. It has not healed her wounds and redness as yet. At about $95 for a 250ml bottle it is not cheap..but what price do you put on pain relief? It has taken half of Janine's life to get a diagnosis for Pompholyx. I am very much aware of the stress, pain, itch and burning skin wounds and a whole lot more that you are all going through. Be [@]ured I am in no way connected with McArthur products.....You order Direct from the company with a 12 day delivery. We were influenced by a demonstration on TV with Tom McArtur putting his finger in boiling oil, witnessing his pain, then almost immediate relief. Love you Janine xxx. Dad
Mine was triggered after i caught scabies in a hotel on a holiday (Sigh).
Have tried steroids, anti-histamines, witch hazel, aloe vera.
Will try out the mangoes and magnesium, as well as the gamophen soap!
Good luck to everyone!
And thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences
Best immediate relief is hair dyer approx 300mm from itching for about 1 minute then rub pure aloe vera straight frm plant. AAAh
SLOUCACA
Now it's gone!
I used a combination of 3 products. The most effective was Lucas's paw paw cream, made in qld Australia. I can't recommend it more and I'm sure it's primarily responsible for getting rid of it. I also used a natural product called skin rescue which again was all natural and I put it on throughout the day and night whenever I was incredibly itchy. I got it from a herbal remedy shop in bowral NSW Australia and if you google it you can buy it online. I also used a waleda antiseptic cream, again all natural, to help combat infection from the cracking and bleeding.
Altogether the pomphylix was gone in a couple of months but nothing medicated the doctors could give me worked for at least 18months.
So I highly recommend you google those 3 products and give them a go!!!