Allergies to gold - dangerous jewelry

Allergy to gold is a problem that is encountered more and more often. And all because instead of pure gold, buyers get jewelry with a lot of harmful alloys that cause an allergic reaction. Let's look at the symptoms of an allergy to gold, find out how to cure it and, of course, how to avoid it.

Some people cannot afford to wear gold jewelry, it is not about the cost of the product, but about the fact that after wearing a gold chain or earrings, a terrible allergy appears. The allergy is accompanied by severe itching and a small red rash, sometimes it comes to swelling.

Are you surprised that there is an allergy to gold? Of course, no allergic reactions have been recorded to pure 100% gold without various impurities. But anyone can develop an allergy to jewelry to which manufacturers add alloys. Most often, metals such as chromium, nickel, manganese, cobalt and other substances that cause allergies are added to gold alloys.

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Is there an allergy to gold?

Is it possible to be allergic to gold? Yes, it is! If you notice that after wearing a gold piece of jewelry, a red swelling or rash remains on your body, you are allergic to gold.

The first thing you need to do is to consult about what alloys are included in your jewelry; knowing the composition of the gold item, you can easily identify the allergen, that is, what caused the allergy to gold.

It is a mistake to think that gold allergy only occurs in those who are predisposed to allergic reactions. It is enough to buy a gold ornament of inadequate quality, for example, a chain, and after the first wear a distinct red mark will appear on the neck.

The main allergen that is very often added to gold alloy is nickel. It is used because it has low cost and excellent characteristics - hardness and whitening effect.

To avoid becoming a victim of gold allergy, try wearing silver jewelry, as it does not cause allergic reactions. If you cannot give up gold jewelry, then buy gold of the highest grade and only from trusted, certified salons and stores. This will give you a guarantee that gold jewelry will not cause an allergy to gold.

Causes of gold allergy

The causes of gold allergy are no longer a mystery and they all lie in gold itself, or rather in its alloy. The general cause of gold allergy is nickel, which is contained in the alloy. Nickel is mainly used in white gold alloys, as it is inexpensive, very durable, that is, it is poorly subject to deformation and, most importantly, has a whitening effect.

The following causes of gold allergy are identified:

1. One of the reasons for gold allergy is that jewelry is not removed during washing, bathing, or basic hand washing. Particles of detergents get into the jewelry, which gradually penetrate the pores of the skin and eventually cause an allergic reaction. As a result, allergic symptoms appear, not to gold, but to detergents.

To avoid allergies, rinse your jewelry thoroughly with water and remember to remove it before using household chemicals. By the way, when using detergents on gold jewelry, your jewelry may darken, and all because of the reaction between the precious metal, the alloys that are added to it and the detergent with active chemical additives.

2. If you are allergic to yellow gold, the reason is not nickel, but the low quality of the product. Most often, because you bought a gold jewelry with a low gold content. To get rid of the allergic reaction, just buy high-grade gold, as a rule, this helps.
3. Another reason for gold allergy is individual intolerance to certain alloys and metals. Very often zinc, copper and even silver are added to gold alloy. If you have an allergy to one of the above metals, then refuse gold jewelry or buy high-quality jewelry without impurities.

Almost all causes of gold allergy are due to poor quality of the product. Therefore, buy jewelry carefully to avoid becoming another victim of gold allergy.

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Symptoms of gold allergy

Symptoms of gold allergy appear when jewelry comes into prolonged contact with the skin. Let's look at the main symptoms of gold allergy.

You are allergic to gold if:

• After wearing gold jewelry, a rash appears on your body.
• The rash appears not only in the place where the jewelry was. So, in particularly severe cases, if you wore a gold bracelet, the rash may be not only on the hand, but also on the face, back, stomach, that is, all over the body.
• The most obvious symptom of gold allergy is itching and tingling. These signs of gold allergy make themselves known after 20-30 minutes of body contact with the jewelry.
• In some cases, the allergy manifests itself immediately, the main symptoms are: red rashes with swelling and watery blisters that resemble small burns.

If you have any of the above symptoms, see a doctor immediately. In order to relieve you from pain and allergy to gold, the doctor should treat the affected area of the body with a solution or ointment that contains corticosteroids.

In very severe cases, patients are prescribed antibiotics, as there is a risk of infection. You can prevent severe consequences of gold allergy yourself, just do not scratch the redness, as this will damage the skin and cause a bacterial infection. If the gold allergy turns into a serious infectious disease, then the symptoms will not be limited to one tooth. Blisters and ulcers may appear on any part of the body. All this is possible if you have an allergy to nickel, so try to wear high-quality jewelry with a minimum of impurities.

Allergy to white gold

Allergy to white gold, as well as allergy to yellow or red gold, occurs due to the alloys that are part of the gold jewelry. Palladium is added to white gold, it gives white gold preciousness, shine, beauty. Palladium is an expensive and quite rare metal, but even it can cause an allergy.

A cheaper additive to jewelry is nickel, which is most often the cause of allergies to white gold. Unlike palladium, nickel has a low cost and a strong bleaching effect, in addition, it gives the product strength, which is very important for jewelry that can easily be deformed.

An allergy to high-quality white gold can also occur due to the use of deodorant. Deodorant acts as a factor that contributes to the development of an allergic reaction to precious metals and increases its manifestations. If you notice irritation or redness on your body and believe that this is a sign of an allergy to gold, then stop using the product for a while and try to minimize the consequences of the allergic reaction.

Diagnosis of gold allergy

Diagnosis of gold allergy involves the use of several methods that provide the most accurate results and help identify the allergen, that is, the source of the allergy.

A correct and accurate diagnosis of gold allergy can be made after a comprehensive examination, but not after one test. The first stage of a comprehensive examination is an appointment with an allergist. The doctor asks about the onset of the disease, complaints, symptoms and characteristics of the disease. And only after this, certain methods for diagnosing gold allergy are prescribed.

How is gold allergy diagnosed?

After talking to an allergist, you will have to undergo several tests to identify the true cause of the disease.

• Skin diagnostic method – diagnostics are performed using a scratch or prick of the skin using the suspected allergen. This is the safest and most painless diagnostic method.
• Antibody test method - the essence of this method is to take blood to identify the cause of the allergic reaction and search for antibodies.
• Elimination tests - the essence of the method is that in order to identify an allergen, it must be removed. That is, if you have a possible allergy to gold, you need to give up gold jewelry for a while and monitor the allergic symptoms. If the rash and redness go away, then you really have an allergy to gold, if the symptoms remain, then the reason is not in the jewelry.
• Provocative tests are a dangerous diagnostic method, as they involve the direct use of an allergen to observe symptoms. This method of diagnosing gold allergy is only carried out in the presence of a doctor who can immediately provide medical assistance.

An accurate diagnosis of gold allergy can only be made after a series of tests and a doctor's examination. This will give the most accurate picture of the cause of the allergy and allow you to create the right treatment plan.

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Treatment of gold allergy

Treating gold allergy is a rather complicated process, since the allergic reaction to the metal does not manifest itself immediately. It may take about a month or even more until the first signs of gold allergy appear on your skin. The allergy is treated very slowly, just as it manifests itself. After the start of treatment, unpleasant sensations and visible marks on the body may remain for another month.

The main principle of treating gold allergy is to remove the jewelry and prevent contact of the irritant with the skin. Special ointments are used to treat allergies, which speed up the skin recovery process. If you want to quickly get rid of the signs of gold allergy, then buy one of these ointments:

• prednisolone.
• Polcortolone.
• hydrocortisone.
• Advantan.

These are potent drugs, so when using them, you should carefully read the instructions. Basic precautions: apply a thin layer and use no more than three times a day, the course of treatment is no more than a week.

Another good drug that allows you to quickly remove toxins in case of metal allergies is Fitosorbovit Plus (active biological supplement). The drug eliminates allergies thanks to the medicinal herbs that are part of it. The drug is a powder that must be taken before meals for two weeks.

Conventional anti-allergy medications do not help in the treatment of gold allergy. If you need a truly effective remedy for the treatment of allergies, then be sure to consult a doctor who will create the best course of treatment for you.

Prevention of allergy to gold

An allergy to gold can be caused by a low-quality product. For example, low-grade gold can contain about 30 percent pure metal, and the remaining 70 percent are impurities of other metals that make the gold product more attractive and harder. Prevention of gold allergy involves buying only high-quality products with a percentage of pure gold greater than 60.

Another way to prevent gold allergies is to treat jewelry with an antiseptic. If you wear gold earrings that may have caused the allergy, then you should take the jewelry off at night. And never take a bath with jewelry on, as this will only increase the allergy to gold.

You are probably wondering what to do with allergenic jewelry. The best option is to not wear the jewelry anymore, or wear it for no more than an hour or two, otherwise the allergy to gold will make itself known again.