Allergic To School? Classroom Furniture May Be The Source

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This article is courtesy of the Baylor College of Medicine….please share your thoughts below…..

schoolbusIf your child claims to be allergic to school, there might be something to it. According to an expert at Baylor College of Medicine, allergic reactions may be caused by what students sit on.

“Sometimes we see children come in with rashes on the back of their thighs, and we typically find out that they’re allergic to something that they’re sitting on,” said Dr. Rajani Katta, professor of dermatology at Baylor. “We call this school girl or school child dermatitis because it is often caused by the nickel in bolts on chairs at school.”

If someone is allergic to nickel and wears shorts or a skirt while sitting in this type of chair for prolonged periods of times, a red patchy rash may appear. In severe cases blisters may form.

Sweat pulls more nickel out of an object, which also can cause a bigger reaction, she said.

“These reactions are a delayed allergy, which means a rash might not appear until two or three days after exposure,” Katta said. “The rash tends to be worse in areas where nickel is in closer contact with the skin and for longer periods of time.”

Besides nickel reactions, patchy rashes may also appear on children allergic to chemicals in leather furniture, she said.

Dermatologists can treat both reactions with prescription creams that cut down on the inflammation in the skin.