August 06, 2025
3 min learn
Key takeaways:
- Widespread summer time irritants and allergy symptoms embody poison ivy, sunburn and bug bites.
- Though everybody could also be uncovered to those parts, just some could also be allergic or expertise a complication.
Editor’s Notice: That is the ultimate installment of a four-part Healio Dermatology summer time pores and skin collection, the place specialists focus on frequent seasonal pores and skin circumstances, remedies and tendencies. Learn half one right here . Learn half two right here . Learn half three right here .
Many individuals get pleasure from spending the summer time season in nature, however with outside actions comes the chance for publicity to summertime irritants similar to poison ivy, sunburn and bug bites.
Knowledge derived from interview.
Though some could also be unaffected by these parts, these with allergy symptoms can develop critical issues.
Lauren Ploch
Healio spoke with Lauren Ploch, MD, Med, FAAD, a dermatologist in a personal follow in Aiken, South Carolina, about these irritants, allergy symptoms and issues.
Healio: What are some summer time parts that may irritate the pores and skin? Why does this occur?
Ploch: There’s a distinction between allergens and irritants. An instance of irritant contact dermatitis is a response to persistent water or detergent publicity, similar to from swimming or washing dishes. The irritant breaks down the pores and skin barrier.
Allergic contact dermatitis happens solely when somebody is allergic to a substance. Urushiol oil in poison ivy, oak and sumac may cause allergic contact dermatitis in people who find themselves allergic to urushiol. Because of this some folks have a response to poison ivy and never others.
Mosquito bites additionally often fall into the allergy class. It is not that some mosquitos like some folks greater than others, though they are often interested in perfume, however that the individuals who get giant, purple, itchy bumps on the website of a mosquito chew are extra allergic to the protein-rich saliva that mosquitos secrete into our pores and skin once they chew.
Tick bites mix irritation and allergy. The chew itself is an irritant, however our immune system’s response to the chew is an allergic response. Lyme illness is a separate analysis. It is a bacterial an infection that ticks unfold once they chew. Not all tick bites end in Lyme illness.
Healio: Why might some folks reply to sure irritants otherwise than others?
Ploch: Though everyone seems to be inclined to irritants, not everyone seems to be inclined to allergy symptoms. This is dependent upon the individual’s immune system. Folks with atopic circumstances similar to eczema, bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis could also be extra inclined to allergy symptoms. Apparently, irritation compromises the pores and skin barrier and might make us extra inclined to allergic contact dermatitis and pores and skin an infection.
Healio: What are the critical issues that accompany these summer time irritants, and the way ought to dermatologists deal with them?
Ploch: A comparatively new and sadly extra frequent response to tick bites is alpha-gal allergy. That is when a tick transfers a sugar referred to as alpha-gal into the physique when biting. This results in an immunological response and subsequent allergy to substances with alpha-gal. Individuals who develop this allergy will typically develop an allergy to consuming sure meat merchandise. Though there may be some proof that alpha-gal allergy can wane over time, it may be everlasting.
One other complication of irritants and allergy symptoms is secondary an infection. When our pores and skin barrier is damaged down after irritation or after scratching, micro organism on our pores and skin and in our surroundings can infect the pores and skin. To simplify, our pores and skin is often actually good at holding the pores and skin flora on the skin, so a break within the pores and skin due to a compromised barrier permits the skin micro organism to get inside. Consider our pores and skin like a brick wall; any disruption to that barrier compromises our capacity to maintain issues out of our our bodies. Our pores and skin is often our first line of protection towards an infection.
Prevention is best than remedy for this, however I like to recommend topical steroids, oral steroids and/or oral antihistamines.
Healio: In terms of diagnosing these issues, what are some ideas you will have for dermatologists and main care professionalfessionals?
Ploch: The affected person’s pertinent historical past is crucial piece to this puzzle. It’s essential to ask your sufferers what they have been doing earlier than the issue developed.
Healio: What ought to folks do to forestall these circumstances?
Ploch: I like to recommend masking up whereas gardening and spraying clothes with a DEET-containing repellent. Keep away from repetitive moist work, and put on gloves when dealing with chemical substances and harsh detergents. After swimming, wash with a delicate cleanser and apply a ceramide-rich moisturizer.
Lastly, one of the crucial frequent irritants of the summer time is the solar. Keep away from peak solar publicity occasions and put on sun-protective clothes over a mineral-based sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or increased.
For extra data:
Lauren Ploch, MD, Med, FAAD, might be reached at dermatology@healio.com.
