Description

Urticaria — also known as urticaria (ur-tih-KAR-e-uh) — is a skin reaction that causes itchy welts. Chronic hives are welts that last for more than six weeks and come back often over months or years. Often, the cause of chronic hives is not clear.

The welts often begin as itchy patches that become swollen welts that vary in size. These hives appear and disappear at random as the reaction runs its course. Each individual welt typically takes less than 24 hours.

Chronic hives can be very uncomfortable and can interfere with sleep and daily activities. For many people, anti-itch medicines called antihistamines provide relief.

Symptoms

The symptoms of chronic urticaria include:

  • Lots of welts, called weals, which can arise in any part of the body.
  • Welts that can be red, purple, or skin-colored, depending on your skin color.
  • Welts vary in size, change shape, and appear and fade repeatedly.
  • Itching, also called pruritus, can be severe.
  • Painful swelling, called angioedema, around the eyes, cheeks or lips.
  • Flares fired by the heat, exercise, or stress.
  • Symptoms that persist for more than six weeks and recur frequently and at any time, sometimes for months or years.

When to see a doctor

Consult a health care professional if you have severe urticaria or hives that last longer than a couple of days.

Seek emergency medical attention

Chronic Urticaria not to put in a sudden risk of a serious allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis. If the hives as part of a serious allergic reaction, seek emergency medical attention. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include dizziness, difficulty breathing, swelling of tongue, lips, mouth, or throat.

Causes

The welts that come with the hives is caused by the release of immune system chemicals, such as histamine, into your bloodstream. Often you do not know the reason for the chronic urticaria happen, or what short-term hives are sometimes converted into a long-term problem.

The reaction of the skin can be caused by:

  • The heat or the cold.
  • The light of the sun.
  • Vibration, such as those caused by jogging or the use of lawn mowers.
  • The pressure on the skin, as a narrow waist.
  • Medical conditions such as thyroid disease, infections, allergies, and cancer.

Risk factors

In most cases, chronic hives is not predictable. In some people, the risk of chronic urticaria increased if you have certain medical conditions. These include infection, thyroid disease, allergies, cancer, and inflammation of the blood vessels, called vasculitis.

Complications

Chronic Urticaria not to put in a sudden risk of a serious allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis. If you get hives as part of a serious allergic reaction, seek emergency medical attention. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include dizziness, difficulty breathing, swelling of tongue, lips, mouth, or throat.

Prevention

To reduce your chance of getting the hives, the use of these self-care tips:

  • Avoid known triggers. If you know what has triggered the hives, try to avoid the substance.
  • Take a bath and change your clothes. If the pollen, or contact with animals, has triggered the hives in the past, taking a bath or a shower and change of clothes if you are exposed to pollen or animals.

Diagnosis

To diagnose chronic urticaria, your health care professional is likely to talk with you about your symptoms and examine your skin. One of the stories of the characteristics of chronic urticaria is that the welts come and go at random, with each point, usually lasts less than 24 hours. You may be asked to keep a journal to keep track of:

  • Your activities.
  • Any type of medications, herbal remedies or supplements you are taking.
  • What you eat and drink.
  • Where the hives appear and how long does it take for a bump to go away, and if it leaves a bruise or another brand.
  • If the hives come with a painful swelling.

You may also need blood tests to determine the cause of your symptoms. An accurate diagnosis and guide treatment. If it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis, the health care provider may do a biopsy of the skin. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for testing in a lab.

Treatment

The treatment for chronic urticaria (hives) often starts with prescription anti-itch medicines called antihistamines. If you don't help, your health care professional may suggest that you try one or more of the prescription-strength drugs. These include:

  • Montelukast (Singulair).
  • Doxepin (Silenor, Zonalon).
  • Ranitidine.
  • Omalizumab (Xolair).

For chronic hives that are resistant to these treatments, your provider may prescribe a medication that can calm an overactive immune system. Examples include cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), tacrolimus (Prograf, Protopic, others), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept).

Self-care

Chronic hives can last for months and years. Can interfere with sleep, work and other activities. The following self-care tips may help control your condition:

  • To avoid the triggers. These may include foods, medications, pollen, pet dander, latex and insect bites. If you think that a medication has caused his welts, stop use and contact your healthcare professional. Some studies suggest that stress or fatigue can cause hives.
  • The use of a prescription anti-itch medicine.Over the counter anti-itching medicine, of the so-called antihistamines, which do not cause drowsiness, may help relieve the itching. Examples include loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, and others), famotidine (Pepcid AC), cimetidine (Tagamet HB), nizatidine (Axid AR), and cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy). If the itch is worse when you're trying to sleep, you can test with the type of antihistamine that causes drowsiness — diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Consult with your healthcare professional before taking any of these medicines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a long term medical condition, or taking other drugs.
  • Apply cold. Soothe the skin covering the affected area with a cold washcloth or rub an ice cube on it for a couple of minutes.
  • Take a comfortable cold shower or a bath. Some people might relieve the itching in the short term, by taking a cold shower or a bath. Try sprinkling the water of a bath with baking soda or oatmeal powder (Aveeno, other).
  • Apply an anti-itch cream or lotion. Try a cream with menthol for a soothing effect.
  • Wear, smooth-textured cotton clothing. Avoid wearing rough clothing, tight, scratchy or wool.
  • Protect your skin from the sun. Apply sunscreen half an hour before going outdoors. When you are outdoors, seek shade to help relieve the discomfort.
  • The follow-up of their symptoms. Keep a diary of when and where they occur urticaria, what they were doing, what it eats, and so on. This can help you and your healthcare professional to identify what brings on the symptoms for you.

The use of a prescription anti-itch medicine. Over the counter anti-itching medicine, of the so-called antihistamines, which do not cause drowsiness, may help relieve the itching. Examples include loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, and others), famotidine (Pepcid AC), cimetidine (Tagamet HB), nizatidine (Axid AR), and cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy). If the itch is worse when you're trying to sleep, you can test with the type of antihistamine that causes drowsiness — diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

Consult with your healthcare professional before taking any of these medicines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a long term medical condition, or taking other drugs.

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely to start by seeing your primary healthcare professional. Or you may be referred to an allergy specialist or a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions. This type of doctor is called a dermatologist.

What you can do

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your appointment.

  • List of the symptoms, when they occurred and how long they lasted.
  • List of all the medications you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, and supplements. Better yet, take the original bottles, and a list of the dose and directions.
  • List of questions to ask your doctor.

For chronic urticaria, questions to ask include:

  • What is likely causing my symptoms?
  • How long do hives last?
  • What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
  • What treatments are available, and which do you suggest?
  • What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
  • Do these treatments have side effects?
  • I need prescription medicine, or can I use over the counter medications to treat the disease?
  • How the medicine you're prescribing is a generic version?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare provider is likely to ask you some questions, such as:

  • When was the first you have symptoms?
  • What made his reaction in the skin to look like when it appeared for the first time?
  • The symptoms changed over time?
  • Have you noticed anything that makes your symptoms worse or better?
  • Do their hives, mainly itch or burn or sting?
  • The skin lesions disappear completely, without leaving a bruise or a mark?
  • Do you have any known allergies?
  • Have you ever had a similar reaction of the skin before?
  • Have you tried a new food for the first time, changed the cleaning products or adopting a new pet?
  • What prescription, over-the-counter medicines and supplements that you are taking?
  • Have you started taking any new medication or start a new course of medication that you have taken before?
  • Has your health in general changed recently? Have you had a fever, or has lost weight?
  • Has anyone else in your family ever had this type of reaction in the skin? What other family members have any known allergies?
  • What at-home treatments have you used?
Symptoms and treatment of Chronic urticaria