Urticaria is a skin disease characterized by the appearance of urticaria – changes in the skin that are raised pasta, reddish or pale, are of various sizes and shapes. Outbreaks of urticaria are usually accompanied by severe itching. Urticaria can enlarge, spread and merge. They can change shape, disappear and reappear in minutes or hours. After pressing on the urticaria she turned white. Urticaria quickly appears and disappears, and passes within 24 hours (acute form of urticaria).
What are the causes of urticaria?
When we list the causes of urticaria, it usually occurs as an allergic reaction to
food or medicine. It can be caused by shellfish, fish, eggs, milk or other food bites
insects, animal hair. Urticaria can also be non-allergic in nature and occur with some infections (e.g., mononucleosis) or illness (e.g., autoimmune disease or leukemia), emotional stress, exposure to extreme cold or sunlight, or increased sweating.
Is it contagious, ie is it transmitted from person to person?
Urticaria is not a contagious disease and there is no danger to people who are in the vicinity of a person who has urticaria.
What is chronic urticaria?
Chronic urticaria refers to the outbreak of urticaria over a period of more than 6 weeks. If there are periods without urticaria, then we are talking about chronic recurrent urticaria. While acute urticaria is more common in children and young adults, chronic urticaria is more common in adults, most commonly in middle-aged women.
How is urticaria diagnosed?
The diagnosis of urticaria is made based on a skin examination. If you are already prone to allergies, this facilitates the diagnosis. Sometimes skin tests or blood tests are done to confirm the diagnosis and find its causes. In most cases, the exact cause cannot be determined.
There is often talk of skin tests, what is their significance?
Skin testing can be performed in different ways: lance prick test, allergen skin test (intradermal test), scratch test, and patch test. The usual site of application for skin tests is the inside of the forearm, with the exception of contact tests performed on the skin of the back.
What is the course of urticaria?
Urticaria can be uncomfortable and usually passes spontaneously. However, sometimes with urticaria visible on the skin, swelling of the tongue and vocal cords can occur, which can lead to suffocation, and in these cases, urgent medical intervention is required. That is why we have to take urticaria extremely seriously
How to protect yourself from getting urticaria again?
Avoid exposure to a substance that causes an allergic reaction. Do not wear tight clothing and avoid hot baths or hot water showers after you have been diagnosed with urticaria as exposure can lead to its recurrence.
How is it treated?
If urticaria occurs after 24 hours, the severity of the disease requires treatment with medication prescribed by your family doctor or dermatologist, most often antihistamines.
Key words: urticaria, allergic urticaria, non-allergic urticaria, allergic testing, chronic urticaria, suffocation, antihistamines
In short: Urticaria is a skin disease characterized by changes in the skin called urticaria. It can be of acute or chronic course, it can have an allergic or non-allergic origin, and the cause can be unknown. If the allergen that causes it is known, it should be avoided, if the cause is unknown, the treatment is symptomatic – antihistamines.
Interesting facts
Prior to treatment Aquagen urticaria must be differentiated from cholinergic urticaria and itching caused by water.
Treatment includes coating with kerosene ointment before bathing, prophylaxis with antihistamines, exposure to UV light and the anabolic steroid Stanozolol.
Ante Perica, MD dermatovenerologist
