Tests for hand eczema

 

How will your healthcare professional find the cause of your hand eczema?

Your GP or healthcare professional may start by asking you if you have noticed anything in particular that you think may be causing your hand eczema. They may also ask about your job, your daily life and if there has been a change in either that seems to have triggered your hand eczema. Then they may perform one of these tests to determine the exact cause of your hand eczema:

It is possible that the cause of your hand eczema remains unclear, or that several possible causes are identified, particularly if the condition is long-term.

Type of test What it tests How the test is performed Test results
Skin prick test Finds out if your hand eczema is caused by:
  • An allergen
    (a substance that causes an allergic reaction), or
  • An irritant
    (a substance that can damage the skin)
Small drops of allergen solution are pricked into the outer layers of your skin

This test is usually carried out on the inner forearm or your back 		If you are allergic to the allergen, you will develop a small, red, itchy swollen patch of skin
Allergy blood test Tests for substances that cause an immediate allergy reaction A small sample of blood is taken from your arm and sent to a laboratory to be tested for the amount of allergy antibodies (IgE) in the blood Results reveal how allergic you are to substances

Results may not come back from the laboratory for a few weeks
Patch test Tests suspected allergens

Patch tests have been used for over 100 years to diagnose allergic contact eczema (caused by an allergy to a substance) 		Small amounts of suspected allergens are placed on the skin of your back, upper arms or chest and covered with sticky pieces of tape (the patches) so that the allergens are absorbed into the skin After two days, and possibly again after that, your healthcare professional will inspect your skin to see if there have been any reactions

If you are allergic to an allergen, you will develop a small, red, itchy swollen patch of skin

If your allergy is strong, the skin may also blister and weep

If you are not allergic to a test allergen, there will be no effect on your skin

Your doctor may want to examine you up to three times in case your skin takes more than a couple of days to react to the allergen

Based on the results of these tests, you may be asked to modify your lifestyle or activities to see if this improves your hand eczema. If your hand eczema fails to clear it is worth discussing the further treatments that are available from your healthcare professional.

patch test

If you are visiting a healthcare professional, visit 'Download: Talking about eczema with your healthcare professional'on this website first as it has a helpful list of questions you might like to ask them during your appointment

Relevant Links