Ayurvedic management of recurrent pesticide-induced bilateral palmar contact dermatitis: A case report

Abstract

Allergic responses are found a major reason for occupational contact dermatitis and have a prevalence of 30% of reported cases. Those exposed to pesticide spraying have been more prevalent of being affected with occupational contact dermatitis. A 46-year-old female, working in agriculture fields, presented to the hospital with chief complaints of intense fissuring, painful cuts, scaly, and itchy lesions affected over the palms of both hands and sides of fingers for the four months. She frequently come across the pesticides while mixing them, spraying on crops, sowing pesticide-preserved seeds, and harvesting previously treated crops that recurred every season mainly during the rainy season. The present case of palmar dermatitis was treated with the principles of Gara visha chikitsa. The major symptoms such as Kandu (~itching), Twak paka (~inflammation), Vedana (~pain), Sphutana (~cracking of skin), and Rukshata (~roughness) were reduced within 20 days of treatment; major lesions healed within one month of treatment. After 90 days, lesions were completely healed, and no fresh symptoms were noticed even during the follow-up period of one month. The present observation and approach endorse a step toward the practice of Ayurvedic intervention in pesticide-induced hand dermatitis.