Additional symptoms
Depending on the substance that caused the reaction, you may also experience some additional symptoms.
For example, allergens may cause affected areas of the skin to itch and irritants may cause a burning or stinging sensation.
Occasionally, areas of skin affected by contact dermatitis can become infected. Signs of an infection can include:
- your existing symptoms getting rapidly worse
- discharge from your skin
- increasing pain
- feeling generally unwell
- feeling hot or shivery
Seek immediate medical advice if you think your skin may have become infected, as you may need to take antibiotics.
