Allergy to nickel

Here you can read how you can recognize the allergy, which utensils contain nickel (food can also trigger a reaction!) and what you can do to limit your complaints.

What is it?

Nickel allergy is a contact allergy. This means that when your skin comes into contact with products containing nickel, you will have an allergic reaction. The substance is absorbed from the outside into your skin, activating your immune system.

If your body has been in contact with nickel before, your immune system can recognize the substance as an ‘enemy’ and the white blood cells will elicit a reaction in the form of inflammation. Your immune system will try with all its might to ‘remove’ the substance from your body. This may be accompanied by itching, red spots or eczema.

How does it come about?

Wearing cheap jewelry, especially earrings containing nickel, is considered the main cause of a nickel allergy. Perhaps that is also the reason that more women than men suffer from nickel allergies: 10 percent compared to 1 percent.

It is possible that you have been wearing the same earrings for years, have never had any problems and that your body suddenly recognizes nickel as an ‘enemy’. How is it possible that your immune system is suddenly activated to eliminate a substance that you have tolerated well for years?

That’s the part of the allergy that scientists don’t have a good answer for yet. It is known that you run a higher risk of having an allergic reaction if your skin is already irritated (for example due to an open wound or chapping) than if your skin is even and unblemished. And once you contract the allergy, it will affect you for the rest of your life.

Incubation period

When it comes to an allergic reaction by wearing nickel-containing jewelry, spectacle frames or belts, ie products that are in continuous contact with your skin, the allergic reaction usually does not take long.

When your skin comes into contact with nickel products that you do not have in your hand all the time (for example coins, doorknobs or cutlery), the allergic reaction can take longer (sometimes up to 48 hours). These variants are more serious, because you are not aware of the fight your body puts up to eliminate the substance.

Nickel products

Nickel is a metal that occurs in so many products and utensils that you come into contact with something that contains the substance every day. However, not all products are equally well-known. Therefore, a list of possible ‘irritation sources’:

• (cheap) jewelry such as earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets
• glasses frames
• clothing (metal trouser buttons, bra closures, belts, zippers)
• footwear (metal eyelets, steel toe caps)
• doorknobs
• aluminum pans and pans made of stainless steel (stainless steel)
• metal oven and microwave dishes
• cutlery made of stainless steel or aluminum
• kitchen utensils made of metal
• metal stationery (pens, staplers, paper clips)
• canned food and soda cans
• batteries

Nickel in food

As mentioned, nickel can get into food through the use of metal pans and kitchen utensils. There are good alternatives for this. However, nickel already occurs naturally in many foods:

• tap water
• whole-wheat products
• nuts, peanuts and legumes (including soybeans and soy products)
• cocoa and chocolate
• drop
• certain vegetables

People with a nickel allergy, which manifest themselves after eating nickel-containing foods, often suffer from red spots around the mouth and in more severe cases of eczema in the mouth and throat.

Different degrees

Nickel allergy exists in all degrees. Few people with nickel allergies need a nickel-restricted diet. In most people, the nickel allergy only arises when wearing jewelry and clothing.

This does not mean that you should avoid all products from the above list, but it is important to be aware of them. After all, your allergy can always get worse, never less.

Nickel test

If itching, red spots and eczema only occur when wearing jewelry and clothing with metal fasteners, it can immediately be determined that it is a nickel allergy.

With food and nickel products that only trigger an allergic reaction after a longer period of time, it is not always clear where the symptoms come from. Then an allergy test can offer a solution.

A general practitioner or dermatologist can perform this test, in which possible allergy triggers are stuck to the skin with special plasters for 48 hours. When the patches are removed, a red spot will be visible if you are actually allergic.