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Hives produce troublesome symptoms such as itchy skin, red blisters, swelling and puffiness. Often, however, there is a way to determine exactly what is causing them, so treating urticaria is a significant problem. Read on. what can lead to the development of urticaria, how to recognize it and how to treat it effectively.

Urticariais a rash that manifests as blisters and / or swellings on the skin. Urticaria can be acute (lasting up to 6 weeks) and chronic (lasting more than 6 weeks). The latter appears more often in people in the 4-5th decade of life.

Hives - causes

1) Allergy(allergic urticaria)

  • food (fish, milk, eggs, nuts, some fruits, vegetables)
  • drugs (most often penicillin and its derivatives, acetylsalicylic acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-tetanus serum)
  • for pollen
  • pet skin and hair
  • food ingredients (dyes, preservatives, spices, etc.)
  • chemicals
  • insect venoms
  • latex (e.g. as a result of wearing latex gloves)

2) Infectious diseasescaused by bacteria, fungi and parasites of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as viral infections (e.g. hepatitis, HIV).

3) Diseases of the thyroid gland- the presence of anti-thyroid antibodies is observed more frequently in patients with chronic urticaria than in the general population.

4) Autoimmune diseases- e.g. vascular urticaria in the course of systemic lupus.

5) Various physical factors,e.g. cold, pressure, heat, contact with water, solar radiation, vibrations, exercise provoking sweating (so-called cholinergic urticaria). This group also includes dermographism, i.e. hives caused by rubbing or scratching the skin.

Urticaria - types

Urticaria can occur as a result of contact with various factors. Due to the causes of urticaria, there are types of urticaria, such as:

  • idiopathic urticaria- also known as spontaneous urticaria, appears on the body for unknown reasons. As a result of the acute course, it occurs for less than 6 weeks. It may be accompanied by angioedema.Chronic urticaria, on the other hand, lasts more than 6 weeks. Its characteristic feature is the inability to detect the factor causing its formation.
  • cholinergic urticaria- occurs as a result of an increase in body temperature caused by both physical exertion and heating the body in a passive position. It is characterized by the appearance of lumps 1-4 mm in diameter up to 20 minutes after the body temperature rises. Cholinergic urticaria occurs on average in 11% of the population.
  • drug urticaria
    • allergic - occurs as a result of an allergy to a given substance that is a component of the drug (e.g. penicillin)
    • non-allergic - occurs after ingestion of drugs that exacerbate the symptoms of idopathic urticaria (e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), opioids, radiographic contrast agents or muscle relaxants
  • aspirin urticaria- reaction to aspirin contained in drugs, as well as in food products such as: avocado, raspberries, cherries, willow, linden, thyme, food colors, plums, dark grapes, black currants, blueberries, benzoates. Aspirin-induced urticaria occurs in up to 30% of chronic urticaria sufferers
  • contact urticaria- the cause of contact urticaria is direct contact with factors that may cause it, such as: latex, nuts, fish, crustaceans, resins, animal saliva, ammonium persulfate, formaldehyde, etc.
  • food urticaria- it is caused by an allergic reaction to various types of food (most often nuts, fish, crustaceans, various types of fruit, eggs, milk, soy) or a response to triggering products histamine.
  • physical urticaria
    • water urticaria - a symptom of water allergy
    • solar urticaria - occurs as a result of an allergic reaction to the sun's rays
    • cold urticaria - occurs as a result of a slight decrease in body temperature (even by 2-3 degrees Celsius).
    • dermographic urticaria - resulting from friction
    • delayed pressure urticaria - resulting from pressure on the skin. It is very painful
    • vibratory urticaria - occurs as a result of vibrations, e.g. when operating a jackhammer

Urticaria - symptoms

Hives appear as itchy, porcelain-pink blisters and / or swellings. These changes:

  • can appear anywhere on the bodyand be concentrated in one / more places or cover the entire body, e.g. in the case of cold urticaria, blisters develop at the site of cold leather;pressure urticaria, on the other hand, is manifested by deep swelling at the site of chronically acting pressure
  • they can have different shapes , e.g. hives caused by rubbing or scratching the skin appear as lofty red lines

The exception is vascular urticaria, in which the blisters last longer than 48 hours in one place, and the skin lesions are not accompanied by itching of the skin.

  • will turn pale under the pressure of a finger
  • stay in one place for a short time- are described as "wandering" through the body. The change disappears, and in a few hours, new blisters appear elsewhere on the body
  • may last up to 6 weeks(acute urticaria) or longer than 6 weeks (chronic urticaria)

In some cases of acute urticaria, accompanying symptoms may appear, such as: fever, general malaise, digestive system disorders, joint pain.

Important

If puffiness appears on the eyelids and / or lips, see a doctor immediately! Swelling can also affect the tongue, throat and larynx (the so-called angioedema), and further lead to difficulties in breathing and respiratory arrest, and in extreme cases even to cardiac arrest. In addition, hives may also be the first symptom of an anaphylactic shock.

Urticaria - diagnosis

History plays an important role in determining what triggers urticaria.Please inform your doctor if the appearance of urticaria was preceded by an infection(e.g. upper respiratory tract or urinary tract),whether you were in the cold or in the sun, and what medications were taken for several days before the onset of hives.If hives develop during pregnancy or at the end of your menstrual cycle, have your sex hormone levels checked.

The results of IgE levels and immediate skin tests are helpful in making the diagnosis. If hypersensitivity to drugs is suspected, intradermal tests are performed.

A very useful method of confirming food intolerance is an elimination diet. For 7-10 days, the patient consumes any amounts of rice, potatoes, mineral water and weak tea, and then in the following days introduces single, new foods, observing skin reactions.

In turn, if you suspect urticaria due to acetylsalicylic acid intolerance, you should recommend a diet composed of: mineral water, tea, lean cheese, rice, potatoes, meat except poultry and fish, and butter (tablespoon / day). In the case of intolerance, within 7-10 days there will be relief or complete recoverysymptoms.

In order to exclude that the cause of urticaria is caused by thyroid disease, measure the level of anti-thyroid antibodies and TSH.

Urticaria - treatment

When you develop hives, try antihistamines first. They are available over the counter in pharmacies. If the urticaria persists despite their use, see your doctor.

In severe cases of urticaria (especially when angioedema occurs), the doctor may decide to administer oral glucocorticosteroids (those in ointments are prescribed very rarely) - they are used as short as possible, because their use is associated with numerous side effects.

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Allergies