There are four major types of medicines for metal allergies.
[1] Ointment to suppress inflammation (= topical steroid)
Each has advantages and disadvantages, so I would like to tell you in detail.
By the way, I write this column not as a medical expert, but as an expert in metals and jewelry materials.
I write in simple words as much as possible, and my first priority is to make it actually useful.
What is metal allergy in the first place?
Metal allergy is a type of contact dermatitis that occurs when the skin or mucous membrane comes into contact with the metal that causes it.
In mild cases, redness, bumps, swelling, and itching may occur where the metal has come into contact.
As the symptoms progress further, the itching becomes stronger and the inflammation spreads to the area around the contact.
And if it gets worse, systemic symptoms such as fever and general malaise may appear. This rarely happens with jewelry, but when it is caused by metals contained in dental metals or implants, harmful metal ions absorbed from the digestive system circulate throughout the body from the blood, causing systemic metals. type allergies may develop.
Metals that are particularly reactive include nickel, chromium, cobalt, zinc, tin, and copper. In addition, recently there are increasing reports of reactions with palladium contained in dental metals.
Therefore, most metals that we touch in our daily life can cause metal allergies.
Fundamental therapy if possible, symptomatic therapy in some cases
If metal allergies can be cured from the root, I would like to cure it.
It is often said that oriental medicine is fundamental therapy and western medicine is symptomatic therapy.
I don’t think it’s that simple to make a clear distinction between the East and the West, but sometimes the two approaches seem to be at odds.
For example, from the perspective of Western medicine, Oriental medicine is said to be “fake” or “unscientific,” while from the perspective of Oriental medicine, Western medicine is said to be “stoppable,” or if symptoms are suppressed with drugs. It is thought that it will progress to more serious symptoms.
In my personal opinion, the best treatment is the root cause. Also, if there is a way to prevent it in advance, I would like to do it. Even if the symptoms disappear with ointment or oral medicine, if the root of the problem is not resolved, it will appear that the problem has just been replaced. There are also concerns about side effects, such as the burden placed on organs involved in metabolism when taking drugs.
However, if the symptoms are severe when someone close to you is suffering, it may be necessary to suppress the symptoms with medicine.
Remove metal objects before taking medicine.
Regardless of whether you choose Eastern medicine (fundamental therapy) or Western medicine (symptomatic therapy), when symptoms of metal allergy appear, remove all metal products first.
If it is jewelry, clothes, glasses, etc., I think it is easy to remove, but in the case of earrings, for example, there is a concern that the piercing hole will be blocked by removing it. In this case, I think it would be better to change to silicone or resin earrings and see how it goes for a while. Also, be careful about hygiene. Be careful not to touch it with dirty hands, wash it off if you sweat, and reuse silicone or resin earrings.
In addition, if you have dental metal in your mouth, you need to consult a dentist because you cannot do anything by yourself.
Reprinted from: JM Ortho Co., Ltd.
Silver teeth (gold x silver x palladium alloy) can be replaced with ceramic or resin, and orthodontic appliances that do not contain nickel (gum metal, beta titanium, etc.) have been developed.
If the substance that causes metal allergy is continuously supplied to the body from the metal in the teeth, no matter how much medicine is taken or other physical constitutional improvements are made, there will be no effect. It is important to remove the cause first.
Titanium implants are said to be less prone to metal allergies. Zirconia ceramic implants are also available for those who have a metal allergy to titanium implants.
Symptoms are basically observed for a while
After removing all metal products from your body, it is important to wait and see for a while rather than rushing to take some medicine.
Basically, if you don’t wear metal (if you don’t take in dissolved metal ions), the symptoms of metal allergy should subside.
If symptoms do not improve, consult your healthcare provider. Food allergies, house dust, hives and other allergies are also possible.
Is desensitization therapy ineffective for metal allergies?
It is known that there is a method called desensitization therapy in the treatment of allergies.
For food allergies, pollen allergies, etc., the method of gradually ingesting and getting used to it is called “allergen immunotherapy” or “desensitization therapy” and is considered effective.
For children (babies) who have food allergies, they can get used to them by ingesting food little by little.
However, hyposensitization therapy is said to be effective for food allergy, which is type I allergy (immediate allergy involving IgE).
It is said to have no effect on metal allergy, which is type IV allergy (delayed allergy involving sensitized T cells).
Rather, there is a tendency for the types of metals that cause metal allergies to increase with age, and it has been reported that women, who had previously been fine with platinum rings, began to develop metal allergies after childbirth. I will also ask you a lot.
Also, it doesn’t seem that you will get used to it if you leave it in place for a long time with the dental metal in it. It is still necessary to remove metal that touches the skin and mucous membranes.
Topical steroids if you are concerned about symptoms
In some cases, some people may want to suppress their symptoms immediately.
If you don’t want to show redness and swelling, if you can’t sleep because it itches, and if it’s a child, you may scratch it and make it worse.
Also, it may take some time to remove the dental metal after symptoms appear.
There are medications available to treat these symptoms.
Topical steroids are used as ointments.
Steroids are one of the adrenocortical hormones produced by the human body, and those used as ointments are artificially synthesized glucocorticoids and glucocorticoid derivatives.
It has anti-inflammatory and immune-suppressing effects, soothes redness and swelling.
For atopic dermatitis, eczema, insect bites, etc., dermatologists prescribe topical steroids relatively easily.
I think there are pros and cons to getting it relatively easily, but you can also buy Chromy-P ointment containing antibiotics (antibacterial agents) and steroids as a topical anti-suppuration drug on Amazon.
Steroids are classified into several classes according to the strength of the drug, and you should consult with a medical institution before prescribing it, including consideration of side effects.
oral antihistamine drug
Oral antihistamines are used.
It seems that it is often prescribed when symptoms are severe rather than ointment steroids.
Since excessive secretion of histamine produced in the body causes allergic symptoms, it is a drug that suppresses this histamine.
It is also included in hay fever medicine and cold medicine, and is also included in other motion sickness medicines. Recently, second-generation antihistamines with fewer side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, and dry mouth have become available.
Second-generation antihistamines with the same ingredients under product names such as Allegra FX and Alesion are commercially available as oral medicines for hay fever, and the mechanism of action for metal allergies is basically the same. We recommend that you get a prescription.
What is the Chinese medicine that improves metal allergies?
Then, are there any herbal medicines that improve metal allergies?
As far as I have researched so far, it is not about curing with Chinese medicine (the idea of curing with one drug is a symptomatic idea itself), but it is said that the toxin elimination effect of Chinese medicine improves symptoms in the long term. seems like a way of thinking.
The point is to discharge metal ions accumulated in the body (promote metabolism) or create a constitution that facilitates discharge (adjustment of metabolic disorders).
Here, the human body normally tries to excrete harmful substances such as metal ions that have accumulated in the body. is thought to be expelled with
Unlike topical steroids and oral antihistamines, it does not act directly on the mechanism of symptoms, so it seems difficult to claim efficacy in Kampo medicine. I can’t say that the symptoms will always improve, and I can’t say how long it will work.
On the other hand, the release of harmful substances accumulated in the body (so-called detox) can be expected to have multiple effects such as improving not only metal allergies but also rough skin, atopy, infertility and dysmenorrhea, so it is worth doing. It is considered that there is.
As a detox Chinese medicine that is easy to obtain, Kracie’s Jumihaidokuto has a good reputation, but it is better to consult a specialist before taking it. prize.
Also, I often hear about the reputation of Dr. Hitoshi Matsumoto of the Matsumoto Kampo Clinic in Osaka regarding Kampo treatment for allergies.
→ Matsumoto Kampo Clinic
There are methods other than Kampo for detox
It was found that the effect of Kampo on metal allergy is mainly the excretion of harmful substances.
Then, even if it is a method other than Kampo, it is recommended that you can incorporate a detoxifying method into your life.
Familiar methods include bathing, a diet rich in dietary fiber, the habit of drinking a glass of clean water in the morning, the habit of drinking plain hot water, sweating with light exercise, and increasing metabolism. There are other ways to detoxify fasting as well. It’s good to promote discharge with familiar methods and habits.
In modern life, it is difficult to avoid pollution such as pesticides, endocrine disruptors, water pollution, air pollution, and bioaccumulation, and it is said that anger and irritation produce toxic substances in the body. Even if it is not related to metal allergy, I would like to adopt a method that does not accumulate harmful substances and helps the body’s inherent ability to excrete harmful substances.
It’s a good idea to incorporate it into your lifestyle within a reasonable range without expecting too much dramatic effects.
If you wear metal products, wear safe ones
And once again, if you wear metal products or jewelry, we recommend choosing materials that do not leach out metal ions.
See this column for more information on safe materials that do not leach out metal ions.
→ [Metal allergy] 5 safe materials and 10 materials to avoid
Coating agents applied to metal products
Another option is to apply a plastic coating to your favorite piece of jewelry if you really want to wear it. It is a coating material that can be easily applied like manicure.
However, the coating is easy to peel off, and if the coating peels off, the metal parts will be exposed and the metal ions will leach out, so frequent repainting is required.
I think that it is easy to use the coating agent to apply it to the post (shaft) of the pierced earrings. This is because the thin post of the piercing is difficult to peel off.
It cannot be used for chains (it will harden). Also not suitable for rings. It can be used as an emergency measure, but it will peel off in a few days.
Currently, there are three types of coating agents available on the market: Metal Coat, Allergy Clear, and Sweat Barrier.
Since the Metal coat is an acrylic resin, it can be removed with an organic solvent such as a remover or nail polish remover, making it easy to use.
Allergy clear ingredients are denatured silicon and IPA (isopropyl alcohol) solvent. It has higher covering power and durability than acrylic resin and seems to last longer.
Sweat Barrier consists of fluorine resin and fluorine solvent. It is a thin, colorless and transparent film that does not appear to change much when attached to jewelry.
All three have slightly different covering power, but there is no difference in that they will peel off at some point, so considering that you will be using them repeatedly, you can remove them cleanly and reapply them. I personally think that the easy-to-use Metal coat is easy to use.
Summary
I introduced four classifications of medicines for metal allergies.
[1] Ointment to suppress inflammation (= topical steroid) [2] Oral medicine to suppress itching (= antihistamine oral medicine) [3] Medicine for improving constitution (= Kampo) [4] Medicine to apply to metal products (= coating agent)In order, remove the metal first. And in the long term, life and habits that discharge harmful substances such as metal ions. And in the short term, we also take help from medicines. That’s the ideal.
Even in medical institutions, it is recommended to use medicines for acute symptoms and reduce the amount of medicines used in the long term while continuing to discharge toxic substances.
