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Urticaria also known as hives or hives

Urticaria: Characteristics, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Urticaria, also known as hives or hives, is a skin rash that often causes intense itching. This rash develops rapidly, with individual spots usually disappearing within a few hours, but always within 24 hours.

Characteristics of Urticaria:

  • Starts with red spots that may turn into thickened red or pale patches.
  • Patches may coalesce into larger spots, also called urtica or quads.
  • The entirety of these skin abnormalities is called urticaria.

Acute and Chronic Urticaria:

  • Acute urticaria lasts no longer than 6 weeks in total, which is usually the case.
  • When the duration exceeds 6 weeks, it is referred to as chronic urticaria.

Occurrence and Causes:

  • About a quarter of the population gets urticaria in their lifetime.
  • Occurs in both men and women and at all ages.
  • Histamine plays an important role in the development of urticaria.
  • Histamine is released from cells in the skin under the influence of various stimuli.

Stimulus Groups that Release Histamine:

  1. Physical stimuli (physical exertion, pressure on the skin, cold, heat, sunlight, water, vibration).
  2. Medications (especially painkillers and antibiotics).
  3. Infections (especially viruses and parasites).
  4. Food allergy (e.g., peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, fruit).
  5. Food additives (dyes, preservatives, flavor enhancers).
  6. Insect stings and bites.
  7. Allergy to inhaled products (mold spores, animal dander).
  8. Contact allergies.
  9. Internal diseases.

Special Forms of Urticaria:

  1. Exercise urticaria: Itchy bumps on exertion, perspiration or heat.
  2. Urticaria Factitia: Reaction to pressure or rubbing of the skin, streaky quads.
  3. Cold Urticaria: Quads in places where the skin is cooled.
  4. Delayed Pressure Turticaria: Painful, hardened swelling several hours after pressure on the skin.

Diagnosis and Treatment:

  • Urticaria is usually recognized by physicians.
  • Avoiding the eliciting stimulus is the first step in treatment.
  • Antihistamines are often used to block the action of histamine.
  • If there is insufficient response to antihistamines, other medications, such as montelukast or prednisone, may be considered.
  • Omalizumab, a drug that inactivates mast cells, can be prescribed if other treatments are ineffective.
  • If there is insufficient response to omalizumab, immunosuppressants such as ciclosporin may be considered.

Outlook:

  • In most cases, urticaria is short-lived.
  • However, chronic urticaria can persist for months to years in some individuals.