- Poison oak is a major cause of dermatitis.Green oak leaf and acorns image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
Plants can cause a wide variety of skin problems and are the major cause of allergic contact dermatitis, i.e., a skin reaction after touching the plant.
In the U.S., the single greatest cause of allergic contact dermatitis is plants of the Toxicodendron family, which includes poison oak and poison ivy. More than 50 percent of the U.S. population shows an allergic response to these plants.
Florists, gardeners and flower arrangers are most at risk of developing an allergic response to alstroemeria, though a publication in PubMed states this occurs only in small numbers of florists. - Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) should not be confused with allergic dermatitis.
In "Contact Dermatitis, Allergic," quoted in emedicine.com, Daniel J. Hogan, M.D., explains that allergic dermatitis is inflammation of the skin caused by chemicals that come into direct contact with the skin.
ACD is an allergic reaction caused by contact with a specific allergen (allergy-causing substance) to which the individual is sensitive. The skin reaction may appear some time after exposure to the allergen. It is this type of dermatological reaction that is caused by plants such as alstroemeria. - The allergen is also found in tulips.red open tulip amid multi-colored tulips image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
The allergen in alstroemeria is an enzyme called tuliposide, which reaches the skin through newly damaged bulbs and stems of the flower. Tuliposides are also found in lilies and, as the name suggests, in tulips. The allergic reaction that may result from exposure in sensitized people is commonly called tulip fingers.
The first reports of the allergic reactions to alstroemeria were made in the 1970s, the decade in which it was introduced as a cut flower. - Florists may need to change their profession.etalage de fleurs image by pucci raf from Fotolia.com
Allergic response to alstroemeria includes redness, thickening and splitting of the fingertips, which are very sore and tender. Small blisters may also be present, and sometimes the nails gradually fall off. In rare cases, as the dermatitis resolves, the skin may show depigmentation (loss of color).
People affected by this allergy must avoid contact with the causative plants, and florists who develop the condition often change their profession. - Garlic can cause tulip finger.garlic image by koko300 from Fotolia.com
People who are sensitive to alstroemeria often have an allergic reaction to other plants, particularly the climbing plant bomarea; dioscorea hispida (intoxicating yam); erythronium (dogtooth violet); gagea (Star of Bethlehem); fritillaria (snake's head fritillary).
Cooks sometimes develop the same dermatological reactions in response to garlic, although an article in "Archives of Dermatological Research" states that garlic does not contain tuliposides.
The allergen tuliposide is able to pass through vinyl gloves; affected individuals should wear nitrile gloves.
