Occupational
Severity: Moderate
Builds over exposure; minutes to hours
Acrylates allergy
Contact allergy to acrylates in nails, adhesives and dentistry.
Common triggers
- Acrylates and products containing it
Symptoms
- Skin rash or dermatitis on exposed areas
- Sneezing, runny nose or watery eyes
- Coughing, wheezing or chest tightness
- Occupational asthma over time
Avoidance & management
- Use recommended protective equipment and ventilation
- Follow workplace exposure controls
- Wash exposed skin promptly
- Report symptoms to occupational health
- Discuss adjustments or alternatives with your employer
Sources & references
Allergy safety: what everyone should know
Mild-to-moderate reaction signs
- Itching, hives or a raised rash
- Swelling of lips, face or eyes
- Tingling mouth, sneezing, runny nose
- Stomach pain, nausea or vomiting
Anaphylaxis — call 999 (UK) or 112 (EU) immediately
- Difficult or noisy breathing, wheeze, persistent cough
- Swelling of the tongue or tightness in the throat
- Dizziness, collapse, pale and floppy (young children)
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector (e.g. EpiPen) at once if prescribed, then call an ambulance even if symptoms improve
Allergy or intolerance? A true allergy involves the immune system and can escalate quickly; an intolerance (e.g. lactose intolerance) is unpleasant but not life-threatening. The symptoms overlap, so self-diagnosis is unreliable.
Getting tested: home-testing kits based on IgG are not diagnostically valid. If you suspect an allergy, ask a GP for referral to an allergy clinic for skin-prick or specific-IgE testing and a supervised food challenge where appropriate.
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