Nickel allergy | nickel dermatitis | nickel contact allergy | Gesundheit-Aktuell.de

Nickel allergy is the most common contact allergy and affects almost ten percent of the population. Nickel is a heavy metal that almost everyone comes into contact with on a regular basis. The main sources of nickel are drinking water, food, all types of jewelry, watches, zippers, eyeglass frames, cutlery, cans and some cosmetics.

A nickel allergy is dependent on certain skin reactions. Most costume jewelry is made of alloys in which nickel is in the so-called metallic form, i.e. unoxidized. The only important factor for an allergic reaction is the amount of nickel released on the surface of the jewelry. More or less daily sweat from the skin releases nickel from these alloys. It is now in ionized form and is highly reactive. If an object comes into close contact with the skin for a long period of time, it will become increasingly irritated, even leading to sensitization, which is the prerequisite for an allergy. The basis for this is less the nickel content of the object, but rather the amount that escapes from the alloy per unit of time and skin area, and the more sulfur an alloy contains, the faster the nickel is released. Therefore, even jewelry to which you have not had an allergic reaction for a long time can trigger an allergy over time.

For an allergy to occur, the skin must have been made hypersensitive by previous contact with the contact allergen in question. Nickel usually only leads to sensitization after months of contact and is therefore a delayed immune reaction via the so-called Langerhans cells in the skin. The reaction is almost exclusively limited to the points of contact between the allergen and the skin. The so-called T cells of the immune system are responsible for the triggering mechanism of nickel allergy. The causes of nickel allergy can also include hereditary factors.

Nickel allergy is an allergic contact dermatitis and, in its acute form, manifests itself as reddening of the skin, itching and blisters. The skin may also swell in the area. The only way to prevent the allergy is to avoid the allergen. Nickel allergy, on the other hand, is treated with cortisone products that are used in the form of ointments. Since cortisone acts very quickly in nickel allergy, the ointments are usually only used for a very short period of time, about three days. Side effects of cortisone are therefore hardly to be expected. To suppress the itching caused by allergic eczema, antihistamines can also be helpful, and moist compresses and cooling lotions can have a supportive effect. The chances of recovery depend on how much of the allergy-causing substance can be avoided, as treatment only alleviates the symptoms.

In most cases, people with a nickel allergy are not exposed to any additional stress from their diet. However, a number of patients also experience an allergic reaction when eating foods containing nickel, which can cause a flare-up or worsening of skin eczema. Therefore, in individual cases, it can be helpful to avoid even the smallest traces of nickel in food. These include mainly whole grain products such as bread, cakes and muesli, cocoa and chocolate, fish such as herring, oysters and lobster, oats, legumes such as lentils, beans and peas, soy products, mussels, nuts, starting with hazelnuts, ground grains and whale – and cashews up to pistachios and almonds, black tea and parsley.