What is dangerous urticaria in adults, as well as the causes of its occurrence and the main symptoms. Common causes of hives Urticaria where it appears

Urticaria is an allergic disease, a vivid manifestation of which are blisters on the skin and mucous membranes. They are somewhat similar to a nettle burn, which is why the disease got its name.

More than 20% of the population at least once, but faced with its manifestations. What is it - urticaria? This disease can be acute or chronic. The child is more susceptible to acute forms, the chronic form is more common in adults.

Women make up about 30% of all patients. Possible cause: hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy, childbirth, menopause. Half of the cases proceed without complications. Almost 40% is accompanied by angioedema. The disease in adults is more difficult to treat than in children.

For the most part, urticaria proceeds without complications; however, there are cases accompanied by Quincke's edema.

The biologically active substance histamine is the main culprit in the development of allergic reactions, being responsible for what causes hives. Contact with an allergen causes a powerful dose of this substance to be released into the bloodstream.

The further picture depends on the degree of sensitivity of the body to the allergen. He can react almost instantly. Possible reaction due to repeated contact with the irritant.

With a high concentration of antibodies, symptoms of pathological processes may appear. The permeability of the capillary walls increases, fluid from the vessels enters the dermis, and blisters appear on the skin.

Symptoms

The main symptoms for which urticaria can be suspected are rash and itching.

Blisters of pink, red shades, protrude above the surface of the skin. Sizes from a few millimeters to ten centimeters. They disappear when pressed. The rash can completely go away on its own in a day, leaving no traces of pigmentation.
The itching that accompanies the rash is worse in the evening. Both the blisters themselves and unaffected areas of the skin can itch.
Fever, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, increased blood pressure join when the rash captures a large area of the skin. The number of blisters (20-50) along with the characteristics of itching (mild, moderate, severe) determine the severity of the patient's condition.

The reasons

There are many reasons for this disease. Often, doctors cannot find out for years what caused the development of pathological symptoms. What causes hives? Over the years of research, the most likely factors causing this condition have been identified.

In many skin conditions, the rash develops gradually. Urticaria is distinguished by the following circumstance: most of the blisters appear in the first hour. This is explained simply: the concentration of histamine is very high.

Subsequently, some of the rashes join the existing blisters. Blisters disappear without a trace in the first hours after the appearance. But sometimes it happens the other way around - a second wave of blisters rolls. The blisters are painful and cause intense itching.

Could it be that urticaria was mistaken for a manifestation of another disease? Swollen, reddened skin around the blisters should convince the doctor: the diagnosis is correct. The situation when the area of the lesion is small, the patient's condition does not change. If the blisters continue to pour, spreading throughout the body, there may be a rise in temperature, an increase in weakness, and headaches.

Types of urticaria

Depending on the duration of the course of allergic reactions, urticaria is:

acute;
chronic;
episodic.

Having found out what causes urticaria, the following forms can be distinguished:

physical;
medicinal;
contact;
idiopathic.

Physical urticaria has several types, depending on the cause that caused it:

cold weather
sunny;
aquatic;
provoked by physical activity;
allergy on a nervous basis;
vibration.

Allergies can affect a person of any age category. Consider the cases due to which urticaria appears in adults.

Cold urticaria

From the name it becomes clear the reason for its occurrence - cold, low temperatures. Frost, swimming in ponds, ice holes, pools with low water temperature can cause allergic shock, accompanied by loss of consciousness.

The skin acquires a bright red hue, the number of blisters occupies a significant area. If a limited area of the body is exposed to cold, then all manifestations tend to pass on their own after the person warms up well.

In cases where the process affects the internal systems (central nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal tract), then serious complications join the rash. They are manifested by headache, shortness of breath, pressure drop, nausea, vomiting. Patients with these symptoms are more likely than others to go into anaphylactic shock, which develops immediately. This situation requires urgent medical attention.

solar urticaria

Solar Allergy is the reaction of the body after contact of open areas of the body with the sun's rays. The rash covers only those fragments of the skin that have been exposed to open solar radiation. Blondes with fair skin are most often affected.

Aquagenic urticaria

Often there is an unforeseen reaction of the skin to contact with water, sweat, tears. Water is not the direct cause of pathological processes. The reason for this is the substances dissolved in it. Allergy starts immediately. All its manifestations usually disappear in half an hour. Sometimes this takes several days. Question: "Is it possible to swim with hives?" requires caution. The best advice is to take a bath with boiled water for a while.

Each type of urticaria implies a specific treatment. In order to choose the right course for you, it is important to consult a specialist for advice.

Often the cause of the disease is physical activity, aggravated by food intake.

Urticaria due to stress

The symptom complex caused by this form often affects women and adolescents. They react more emotionally to stressful situations. The risk group includes people who are characterized by an unstable psyche, who have signs of emotional exhaustion, who are prone to manifestations of irritability, anger, and fear.

drug urticaria

Every year, medicinal substances increase the percentage of allergic reactions. From what does it arise? Its manifestations can be observed after a few minutes of the drug getting into the blood. A certain percentage of allergy cases are noted a couple of weeks after the end of the course of treatment. Most often, the body responds with a pathological reaction to antibiotics, NPS, antidepressants, and local anesthesia.

Contact

It develops in cases of direct interaction with the allergen. The most common things act as an irritant: wool, dust, household chemicals, latex. For the disappearance of symptoms, it is enough to simply eliminate the provoking factor.

idiopathic

This form of pathology with an unidentified cause, occurring in 40% of all cases. The disease is chronic, does not go away for several years. Skin rashes last for more than a month. The disease is permanent or recurrent in nature (exacerbation phases alternate with persistent remissions).

Complications

Often, areas of the skin affected by a rash become a favorable environment for bacterial infections. Furunculosis, various purulent inflammations join the existing rashes.

Dangerous conditions that can cause death:

Anaphylactic shock. It has a rapid development, in a matter of seconds, the strongest edema of all body tissues develops, a strong drop in pressure. Of particular danger is edema of the larynx, which entails obstruction of the airways. Asphyxiation can cause rapid death. This condition requires emergency hospitalization.
Quincke's edema - suddenly developing edema of the subcutaneous adipose tissue and mucous membranes. Lips, tongue, palate, tonsils are especially often affected. Damage to the larynx gives symptoms of "barking cough", the voice becomes hoarse. Failure to provide timely assistance can lead the patient to serious consequences, up to death. The most dangerous swelling of the face due to the possible involvement of the meninges in the process.

Such complications, even before the arrival of doctors, require the provision of first aid to the victim:

Stop taking the medicine immediately (drug allergy).
Give a laxative, gastric lavage (food allergy).
Pull out the sting of the insect to stop the flow of poison (stings of bees, wasps, hornets).
Free the skin from the irritant (contact urticaria).

After the measures taken to alleviate the patient's condition, it remains to wait for an ambulance. Doctors will assess the severity of the condition, determine the subsequent treatment regimen. Calling an ambulance is recommended if the rash first appeared in a child. This will help to avoid possible complications, to understand the reasons that caused the allergy (this is urticaria, or symptoms of another disease).

Many people have heard about hives - as well as the fact that in most cases it is associated with an allergic reaction. A food product, an insect bite, washing powder - this is not the whole list of probable provoking factors for the occurrence of itchy blisters. But is urticaria dangerous to health and life? What are the consequences for a patient who does not receive treatment? Read about all this in the article.

This term is understood as a group of diseases that, despite different causes, development mechanisms and provoking factors, have a common feature: the presence of an itchy homogeneous rash in the form of blisters on the skin. Elements (urticaria) appear suddenly and disappear without leaving traces; last no longer than 24 hours. In this case, episodes of the reaction can be repeated (i.e., recur) for 6 weeks (acute form) or more (chronic course).

At risk for developing urticaria:

people with a hereditary predisposition to allergies;
patients with autoimmune disorders;
patients with pathologies of the endocrine, digestive, nervous systems, including those with intestinal dysbacteriosis syndrome;
people who abuse or for some reason are forced to take a lot of drugs;
patients carrying infections (bacterial, viral, fungal).

The development of the disease contributes to stress, improper diet, lack of breastfeeding. Provocateurs (triggers), contact with which triggers a skin lesion reaction, are different substances (allergens). These are food products, medicines, insect poison, chemicals, cosmetics. There is a possibility of sensitivity to physical influences - vibration, pressure, heat, cold.

Thus, urticaria can occur not only as a form of allergy, sometimes it is also provoked by physical factors (non-immune option).

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Both the patients themselves and their relatives show reasonable concern about whether urticaria can pose a serious threat to health. Let's try to figure this out.

Why is urticaria dangerous?

The rash itself does not have a long-term poor prognosis. A blister is an element without a cavity, resulting from swelling of the papillary layer of the skin. It disappears, as it appears, quickly enough and without traces - without forming any erosions or wounds. Therefore, with isolated urticaria, although the patient is irritable and frightened because of the rash, there is no direct threat to health and life.

At the same time, one should ask the question: why did the urticaria make itself felt? What disease led to its development? After all, if you do not pay attention to episodes of a rash, they can become more frequent over time, and the underlying pathology (for example, intestinal damage, accompanied by dysbacteriosis) is aggravated.

You should also be aware of the risk of developing Quincke's edema. This is a swelling of a dense consistency that can be localized externally (cheeks, eyelids, lips), in the digestive and respiratory tract, and affect the nervous system. Because of it, there is a risk of asphyxia (suffocation), due to the blocking of the lumen for the passage of air in the larynx.

In addition to the above, it should be borne in mind that urticaria is a component of the clinical picture of dangerous immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions in allergies. In addition to Quincke's edema, this is bronchospasm (narrowing of the airway lumen due to muscle contraction) and anaphylactic shock (critical drop in blood pressure, resulting in oxygen starvation - hypoxia; has a high risk of mortality).

What complications exist in adults?

If the reaction proceeds easily and is limited to blisters existing for several hours in separate areas of the skin, usually no adverse effects should be expected. The greatest danger in such cases is scratching: due to the increased friction of itchy zones, tissue is traumatized and an infection can penetrate into the formed “entrance gates” (scratches, wounds).

If we are talking about a severe course, the consequences of urticaria in adults can be in such conditions as:

development of respiratory failure and asphyxia (suffocation) with laryngeal edema, bronchospasm;
trauma and neurological disorders as a result of a seizure;
anaphylactic shock.

Such disorders are usually associated with allergies. It is very difficult to predict how severe an exacerbation episode will be, but in all cases attention must be paid to prevention.

Possible complications in children

A child, like an adult, can tolerate reactions of varying severity. Most often they are caused by allergic sensitivity - to food, insects and other provocateurs. The likely consequences of hives in children are:

Asphyxia (suffocation) with bronchospasm, swelling of the larynx;
Trauma, neurological symptoms after an attack of seizures;
Infection as a result of active scratching;
Dehydration (dehydration) due to frequent vomiting, diarrhea, high body temperature.

The younger the child, the stronger any complications of the reaction affect him. The lumen of the respiratory tract in children is narrow, so the development of life-threatening respiratory failure with laryngeal edema occurs faster than in adults. The danger of dehydration should not be underestimated either: with the liquid, the patient loses electrolytes - substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body. As a result, cardiac arrhythmias and other secondary pathological conditions may occur.

What happens if the disease is not treated?

If the question refers to the period of the acute course of the reaction, there are two main options for the development of events:

cessation of an episode of disorders after a few hours (up to a day) from the onset of symptoms;
the occurrence of complications, the formation of secondary pathological conditions and, possibly, death.

The prognosis must take into account the likelihood of the worst ending - if the disease is not treated, there is always a danger to life. Between attacks there is no cause for concern, but after provoking a reaction, the patient should be treated immediately - the risk is too obvious to ignore even a mild form of the course. In addition, urticaria can be combined with other allergic diseases:

Pollinosis;
allergic dermatitis;
Bronchial asthma.

It may also be a precursor to their development. Not the cause, since there is no direct connection, but the primary pathology in the "allergic chain" or "march" in a particular patient. However, reasonable treatment in combination with prevention helps to prevent the formation of such unfavorable links.

Is the disease curable?

It is difficult to completely get rid of this disease, especially if its development is associated with the presence of chronic pathologies of the functional systems of the body. But with adequate therapy and compliance with preventive measures, there is every chance to transfer the patient to a state of remission. In a broad sense, this is a recovery, and in a narrow sense, the absence of symptoms until a new contact with the trigger.

Currently, there is a way to reduce sensitivity to provoking substances - allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT).

The patient is sequentially injected with increasing doses of a potential trigger, and in case of a successful outcome, he develops tolerance (immunity) to it. This means that repeated contact will not trigger a reaction involving antibodies (protective complexes) of the IgE class - and there will be no symptoms, respectively. The method is not 100% effective, it requires a long course of treatment, it has contraindications (childhood, pregnancy, the presence of a tumor, etc.). May be dangerous for patients who have experienced anaphylactic reactions in the past, including shock.

How to recognize?

In order not to confuse this pathology with another, similar disease, one should have an idea of the main clinical signs. Urticaria in adults and children is characterized by such symptoms as:

the presence of a rash in the form of blisters - red, porcelain, one-color or with a border;
lack of exudate (liquid) in the elements;
itching of varying degrees of intensity;
the possibility of damage to absolutely any part of the skin;
the risk of Quincke's edema in the area of the lips, cheeks, external genitalia, mucous membranes.

All these are local symptoms; both the patient and the attending physician can be confused by the so-called systemic, or general manifestations:

The combination of manifestations resembles an infection, and with severe abdominal pain, even surgical pathology can be suspected. Therefore, vigilance and care are required.

Blisters with hives disappear within 24 hours and are not combined with other types of rashes.

However, there are exceptions (often characteristic of childhood). This is the presence of small bubbles on the surface of the elements, the appearance of spots and nodules. However, blisters still predominate; careful differential diagnosis is needed.

How to treat?

Different methods of therapy are used, which at the same time are measures for the prevention of exacerbations:

diet;
elimination (limitation of contact with a provocateur);
medication.

In the acute period of the reaction, you should not eat foods that cause symptoms and those types of food that have a high allergen-provoking potential:

Citrus;
tomatoes;
Mushrooms;
Shrimps;
Crabs;
Eggs;
Milk;
Chocolate;
Coffee;
Nuts;
Peanut.

Elimination is determined by the type of provocateur; diet is one example of restrictive measures. Urticaria can also be treated with the help of pharmacological drugs:

antihistamines ("Cetrin", "Zirtek", "Erius");
glucocorticosteroids ("Prednisolone", "Dexamethasone").

They are used in a course to provide planned and emergency care to patients of different ages.

Urticaria is a disease, the main symptom of which is the appearance of blisters on the skin. In their appearance, they resemble blisters that occur when a nettle burns. According to statistics, every fourth inhabitant of the earth during his life had manifestations of urticaria. Most often people from 20 to 40 years old get sick.

Need to know! This disease is not contagious. Communication with people who have this disease is absolutely safe.

You can watch the video material, which describes in detail the mechanism of the occurrence of urticaria, its symptoms.

Symptoms

When you get urticaria, blisters appear on the skin that look like a bubble from an insect bite or a nettle burn. The sizes of blisters vary. The skin around them is usually red.

The rash can occur anywhere on the body and is sometimes accompanied by itching. Painful sensations do not occur. After the end of the inflammatory process, the skin takes its former form. Scars, pigmentation, ulcers are not formed.

Kinds

By the nature of the occurrence and course of the disease, urticaria is:

Acute.
Chronic.

According to statistics, the acute form is usually ill in childhood and adolescence. The disease lasts about 6 weeks, the chronic course is typical for the adult population. Women are 20% more likely to get sick than men.

Need to know! The disease can be inherited.

Do not think that the chronic form of the disease will accompany a person all his life. With properly organized treatment, healing occurs within a year. There are cases when the acute form for some reason becomes chronic.

Causes

It is not always possible to identify the causes of the disease, but most often it is:

The main reasons are allergic. A sharp development of the disease can provoke:

Taking medications - antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs.
Eating food allergens - milk, nuts, eggs, chocolate, fish, shrimp.
A bite of an insect.
Physical contact with allergic chemicals.
SARS in children.
Hormonal disorders.

Chronic urticaria

In 30% of cases of chronic urticaria, the causes of the disease remain unidentified. In the remaining 70%, it is the presence of autoimmune diseases in patients. Autoimmune urticaria occurs due to problems with the immune system. In the body, antibodies are produced that fight not with infection from the outside, but with the cells of the body. The result of this struggle is bubbles.

Varieties of urticaria

Physical.
Sunny.
Aquagenic.
Mechanical.
Thermal.
Cold.
papular.
Nervous.

Physical impact on the skin with hard objects or tissues causes blisters to appear on the body.

Bubbles form when a person is in the sun. Radiation of a certain spectrum provokes the onset of the disease.

Aquagenic urticaria

It occurs extremely rarely. When a person comes into contact with water, itching begins, swelling appears, and blisters form.

Small solitary vesicles form on the skin. The affected area is large. It causes them to sweat, which increases due to physical exertion, stress or fever.

Thermal urticaria

It is rare, occurs when the patient comes into direct contact with a warm object.

Cold urticaria

Very common. Causes of occurrence:

being in a cold room or outdoors;
cold food or drinks;
tactile contact with a cold object.

papular urticaria

Papules appear on the skin - small bubbles that cause their bites:

mosquitoes;
fleas;
bedbugs.

Nervous urticaria

It provokes severe stress or anxiety.

Need to know! In case of urticaria, there should be no increase in body temperature. If during the illness there is an increase in it, this is a sign of another disease.

Diagnosis of urticaria

Diagnosis of the acute form is reduced to a visual examination of the patient. In the chronic form of the patient, an allergist examines. Assign tests for antibodies in the blood. Conduct various tests to identify allergens.

Treatment

Acute urticaria

To relieve the symptoms of acute urticaria, the doctor prescribes antihistamines to the patient, the intake of which is necessary until a complete cure. With timely treatment to the clinic, on the third day the rash disappears, the patient's condition improves.

Chronic urticaria

For chronic urticaria appoint:

Medications: loratadine, ceterizine, ranitidine.
Physiotherapy procedures.
Ointments.
Individual diet.

During the diagnosis of the disease, the allergen that caused the urticaria can be detected. If this is some kind of food product, then it is recommended to exclude it from consumption. Also exclude all products with its content. The same goes for drug allergies.

Urticaria in infants

In infants, an acute form of urticaria occurs when allergic to:

artificial mixtures;
mother's milk, if the mother ate food allergens;
medicines.

To eliminate the causes of the disease, products, medicines that cause allergies are excluded from consumption.

Manifestations of this disease can be observed both in adults and in children of various ages. They are expressed by the appearance of local swelling of the dermis and varying degrees of blisters. The clinical picture of this disease is complemented by severe itching and skin irritation. There are many causes of this disease, so cases of seeking medical help are not uncommon. To protect yourself from its unpleasant effects, you should study in detail: what is urticaria, photos, symptoms and treatment of this disease.

Knowing all the information about this problem will help not to panic when you find its symptoms. You can also find out how to proceed in such a situation, so as not to aggravate their condition.

Urticaria: photos, symptoms and treatment

The reaction of the skin and the state of health when a disease is detected depends on the individual characteristics of the human body and its sensitivity to the action of various allergens. Treatment of symptoms is also individual. It all depends on the nature of the impact of the disease and the age of the patient.

It is very important to know well what urticaria looks like. Its signs in the form of skin lesions can be found on all parts of the body. In most cases, urticaria is localized on the hands, a photo of such manifestations is posted below.

As you can see, inflammation of the skin is quite serious and cannot be invisible. One of the most unpleasant consequences of the disease is considered to be when urticaria appears on the face, the photo of which causes horror, especially among the female half of the population. After all, such signs cannot be hidden with cosmetics, which, in fact, is strictly forbidden to do.

What causes hives

So, let's consider in detail what urticaria is, what causes the disease. This disease often manifests itself as a result of allergies to various antibiotics, for example, penicillins, streptomycin, tetracyclines, as well as to anti-inflammatory drugs: aspirin, indomethacin. It can appear two weeks after the start of a course of treatment with penicillin.

There are also other reasons that indicate what causes hives:

Substances that come into contact with the skin for a long time. For example, latex gloves, household chemicals.

Food. Many of them can cause the release of histamine, which will lead to the manifestation of allergic symptoms. Most often these are fish dishes, seafood, nuts, eggs, cow's milk.

Insect bites, which provoke the occurrence of signs of acute urticaria. Their poison leads to the appearance of rashes that can persist on the skin for a long time. Therefore, one should be wary of bees, wasps and hornets.

Various diseases can serve as a trigger, often these are:

Physical causes, the most common of them:

Frost action
Sun rays
Water
Pressure
Vibration
Rubbing

Unexplained reasons. It is believed that in 30-40% of the established facts of the occurrence of permanent signs of the disease, the specific cause of the disease cannot be found. Therefore, experts traditionally diagnose such patients with autoimmune urticaria. That is, they believe that the body produces antibodies to its own receptors and molecules, which leads to the appearance of the disease.

Important!

All these causes lead to characteristic skin formations, and the state of health can also deteriorate significantly.

Signs of hives

Many are interested in how urticaria manifests itself in adults and children, whether the symptoms differ depending on age. Experts say that everyone has a disease runs almost the same. The only difference is that children often have an acute form of the disease. The main symptom for all is the same: sudden rash and blisters. They are often painful. Also note redness, itching, burning.

Bubbles, the appearance of which is characteristic of this disease, are dense, their color can be either white or pink. The shape is oval, ring-shaped or irregular, but with clearly defined edges. Such bubbles disappear as quickly as they appear. They are on the body for no longer than a day.

It happens that as a sign of illness, it may appear simple redness of the skin. It often comes in the form of rash or clustered blisters spread over a large area of the body. After their treatment, no scars and scars remain.

How the urticaria looks like can be judged by its name. After all, she received it because of the strong similarity of her signs of skin lesions with irritation after a nettle burn, the appearance of which many have seen on her body more than once.

Additional symptoms that worsen a person's condition can be:

Increase in body temperature(nettle fever)
Difficulties in breathing(occurs with the development of edema of the lungs or nasal passages)
Vomiting, diarrhea(with damage to the gastrointestinal tract)
Soreness in the joints
General weakness
Migraine
A sharp drop in blood pressure
Quincke's edema - the most dangerous manifestation of the disease

Important!

All these signs require immediate medical attention. Qualified doctors will tell you how to get rid of hives.

Urticaria: treatment, drugs or how to recover quickly

To find out - how to cure urticaria once and for all, it is enough for the patient undergo a thorough examination. It will help the specialist to make a carefully verified diagnosis, which will allow you to quickly carry out the necessary therapy and develop recommendations, the observance of which allow the patient to never experience the disease again and don't worry about your health.

The main goal in the treatment of this disease is allergen elimination which might have caused it to appear. Further therapy depends on the form of the disease. When it is acute (it appeared for the first time and instantly), it is not difficult to treat it if immediately after the onset of symptoms, an immediate visit to the doctor followed. The result of treatment, in this case, will become noticeable already in the first two days. In the case of a chronic course of the disease, when the symptoms of urticaria appeared in the patient repeatedly over a long period of time, the treatment will be long and may take more than two weeks.

If the manifestations are minor, appeared for the first time, then ingestion of activated charcoal may help. They are able to eliminate traces of the allergen from the body and stop the process of its intoxication. In this case, antibiotics are usually not required.

How severe is the form that the urticaria has taken, how to treat it, the doctor decides immediately after examining blood, feces, urine tests and the results of other necessary studies, such as X-ray.

Methods often used for treatment are:

Medical
Using folk remedies
With the appointment of a diet and rules of conduct carefully designed for each individual case

Important!

Any of these methods is effective if it is chosen correctly, and the combination of all the above methods gives the maximum effect.

Medicines for hives

Drug treatment involves the use of various drugs. So to eliminate acute symptoms use:

In addition, other means are often used for treatment:

Important!

Even if the signs seem insignificant to you, you should not self-medicate and choose drugs for yourself. Even the doctor selects them on the basis of various studies to prevent the occurrence of side effects.

Is hives contagious

Noticing the extensive signs of this disease in the open areas of the body of sick people, many are interested in the question: "Is urticaria contagious or not?" Knowledge of the occurrence of the main types of the disease helps to answer it negatively:

Also, knowing the mechanism of development of this disease helps to eliminate doubts about whether urticaria is transmitted from person to person. From its study, the conclusion follows that this is an allergic reaction that appears under the influence of various provocateurs on the skin, nasal passages, digestive system, and blood. In response to their action, a large amount of histamine is released, which, acting, increases vascular permeability. This causes redness of the skin, the appearance of their swelling, rashes.

Disputes about whether urticaria is dangerous or not, whether it is contagious to others, have been going on for a long time. This all happens because there is a form of the disease that develops under the influence of an infectious agent. In this case, signs of hives can appear much faster than the symptoms of infection. Dangerous infections can be: SARS, hepatitis. The fact that rubella will be the result of an infectious disease is not necessary. The rash characteristic of the disease will appear only as a result of the individual tendency of the body to react to a particular agent. There is a negligible chance that this feature will develop in a person who has some kind of infection. From this it follows that it is impossible to get infected with urticaria.

Urticaria on the face

The appearance of signs of this disease on the most exposed part of the body is very disturbing for patients. They often have serious complexes about their appearance. In addition, discomfort caused by severe itching and burning of the face, its swelling, the appearance of blisters. Treatment of formations that appeared on the surface of the face passes without complications. They are pass quickly leaving no trace behind.

An allergic reaction of the type of urticaria is characterized by the fact that:

Appears after a short period of time after interacting with a provocateur
Rashes occur unexpectedly, while the patient is in good health
The nature of the rash is always allergic, associated with itching.

Such a disease can occur in an acute form, which can last up to two months. The chronic course of the disease is characterized by a duration of several months. If the patient did not seek therapy, she may not leave it for several years. Pathology on the surface of the face can appear at any age.

The main features that allow distinguish urticaria on the face from other diseases are: itching, tingling, blistering rash, insomnia, headaches, irritability. They also note: high fever, weakness, malaise. The disease, the signs of which are localized on the surface of the face, is dangerous for the development of Quincke's edema. Its features are: hoarse cough, hoarseness of voice, swelling of the tongue (tonsils, lips, palate), pale skin.

Important!

To eliminate urticaria on the face, the same methods and means are used as for other parts of the body.

Urticaria on hands

Often appears due to frequent hand contact with irritants, as well as due to other numerous causes characteristic of this disease. According to statistics, the acute form of this disease is more often observed in young people, and in most cases, older women are affected by the chronic form.

The symptoms that appear on the hands are the same as on other parts of the body. They are completely not contagious but need urgent treatment, which will prevent further combing, because it can provoke an additional infection. How to cure hives on the hands the doctor decides, based on the diagnosed causes and examination of the depth of the skin lesion.

Often to eliminate such a disease antiallergic drugs are prescribed, medicinal ointments with lavender and kalanchoe. A therapeutic diet may be prescribed, tea with herbs, which can have an anti-inflammatory effect, is recommended for use.

Urticaria on the legs

In the event that the spots on this part of the body itch strongly, then usually such manifestations disappear very quickly. Their appearance can be caused by shaving or epilation. Short-term symptoms also include contact of the skin of the legs with chemical irritants, poisonous plants.

A rash with urticaria, the description of which coincides with the main signs of this disease, may vary in appearance depending on the time of onset and concomitant symptoms. Such additional inconveniences can be: sneezing, coughing, fever. To find out the cause of the rash on the legs, skin tests and other studies should be performed to help identify the allergen.

Urticaria emergency care

It happens that severe manifestations of this disease can provoke the patient's condition is severe. An ambulance should be called immediately. In such cases, doctors often have to take the necessary measures directly at the call site in order to prevent irreversible consequences.

If urticaria suddenly appears in severe form, emergency care should consist of clear actions:

Immediate exclusion of the resumption of interaction with the stimulus, if it is set
If the urticaria develops against the background of an insect bite, a tourniquet is applied. Tighten it should be slightly higher than the bite
Mezaton or Adrenaline is administered intramuscularly or intravenously, Norepinephrine is also suitable
When the pressure normalizes, antihistamines are administered.
Symptomatic treatment is carried out

Important!

If everything is done correctly, then the signs of the disease will immediately begin to recede: the patient turns pale, the itching and rash disappear. When this does not happen, the patient is hospitalized.

Urticaria, treatment with folk remedies

Elimination of the disease using traditional medicine maybe. Oddly enough, nettle is considered to be the raw material for the effective treatment of this disease.

The skin deformations that urticaria causes, how to treat them at home using folk remedies, has long been known to those who have already encountered such a disease.

Drink with a string. It is brewed just like tea, pouring boiling water and waiting for 20 minutes. They should replace all the usual daily drinks.

A tincture that is very easy to make from nettles. You need a tablespoon of dried flowers of this plant to pour 200 ml. boiling water. Then you should cover the dish with the drug with a cloth, leave for 30 minutes, and then strain. It should be drunk in half a glass several times a day (4-5).

Lotions with nettle. To make the desired composition for them, you need to put 30 gr. leaves of the plant, pour two glasses of water and wait for the boil. Then reduce the heat, wait 3 minutes, remove the dishes and leave to cool for 60 minutes. Next, strain everything. Such gadgets can apply several times a day.

Mint infusion. It is valued for its remarkable calming properties, as well as for its beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive tract. To make it, you need to brew mint leaves with boiling water and drink sip several times a day.

How to treat urticaria at home can be suggested by numerous tips from folk practice. Recipes of the most common, great for local therapy:

Ointment for hives on the skin(it is able to quickly eliminate the signs of the disease. To prepare it, finely chop the head of garlic and pour two cups of boiling water into it. Then you need to boil everything until half of the liquid has evaporated. Next, the solution must be removed from the heat, add a glass of oil to it ( vegetable or olive) and a small amount of beeswax, mix. Apply this ointment to clean, affected skin several times a day. Store it in the refrigerator)
Soothing irritated skin paste(you need to mix 3 tablespoons of soda, a large spoonful of water and the same amount of vegetable oil. All ingredients are mixed and applied to irritated areas repeatedly, all day)

Important!

Choose your home remedies carefully. Give preference to those that do not contain substances that aggravate the disease. Before using them, you need to consult a doctor.

Diet for allergies urticaria

The doctor should select products for compiling a list that is suitable for treatment. From this list follows exclude those that are established as allergens that caused the disease.

Little by little you can eat butter, lamb, bananas, carrots, onions, garlic. For recurrent illness, the popular diet #5 is recommended, which restricts fat, salt, and fluid intake.

Popular dishes allowed for this disease

Potato soup.

To prepare it, you need to take: 3 peeled potatoes, 2 leeks, 2 large tablespoons of olive oil, a little salt, water. Pour the oil into a saucepan, then put the finely chopped white part of the onion. It should be simmered over low heat until transparent. Then add potatoes cut into squares to it and continue stewing for another 5 minutes. Then you need to add 500 ml to the pan. boiling water, salt and cook for 15 minutes. When the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, the contents of the pan should be chopped with a blender. Immediately before eating, you can sprinkle the soup with herbs.

Macaroni with apple or cheese sauce.

Durum wheat pasta should be cooked in the same way as usual. For cheese sauce, a large spoonful of butter and twice as much cream are heated in a suitable bowl. To them should be added two large spoons of mild grated cheese and mix everything until a homogeneous consistency. To prepare apple sauce, two apples should be freed from the skin and seeds, cut into pieces and poured with water. Then they must be put on fire, and when they soften, grind into gruel. There you need to put sugar and a little cinnamon to taste, put it back on the fire and cook a little, stirring constantly.

Patients should follow the diet at least four weeks. Only after the signs have completely disappeared, are they allowed to consistently, in small portions, add food to the menu from products that were previously under a strict ban. The only exceptions are those that can cause a relapse of the disease. It is also advised to keep special records in which all foods eaten and the skin reaction to them will be recorded.

Remember!

The main thing in following a diet is not only the use of products from the list and the exclusion of provocateurs from the diet, but also proper preparation. Food should be cooked mainly by steaming and baking.

Is it possible to swim with hives

Due to the fact that this disease is characterized by allergic manifestations, it is believed that bathing can provoke adverse reactions on the skin. But, despite this, to the question: is it possible to wash with urticaria, doctors answer in the affirmative. This is also due to the fact that completely abandoning water procedures for the duration of the illness, infection of the rash can occur. It can lead to serious complications and suppuration.

People suffering from this disease hygiene procedures should be carried out regularly by washing. The only condition is to follow the rules.

Warm water should be used for washing, within 37 degrees(this will help prevent itching from getting worse and further progression of the rash. During the entire flare phase, contact with both hot and cool water should be avoided)
You should take a bath once a week, and you can use the shower daily.(water action time should be limited to 20 minutes)
Means used for hygiene should not provoke allergic manifestations(The best solution in this situation is the use of special body products, designed taking into account all the characteristics of the disease. They are hypoallergenic, have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect)
The impact of washcloths and scrubbing agents must be abandoned
After the procedure, it is necessary to dry the skin well by blotting with a clean towel.(The use of rubbing is strictly prohibited!)
After a shower, a nourishing, softening cream should be applied to the skin.

Experts also note good effect of sea water on the skin of the patient. It helps in relieving itching and irritation, the disappearance of the rash. But before you go swimming in the sea, you should consult with your doctor. He will give the necessary recommendations based on the diagnosed type of urticaria. Also, exposure to sea water is often prohibited during an exacerbation.

Patients often ask: Is it possible to go to the bath with hives?» The answer to this question depends on the factors that caused the disease. In the event that the disease was provoked by drugs or physical factors, it is allowed to visit the bathhouse. For other types, such visits should be canceled for a while. For water procedures in the bath, it is recommended to use various infusions that have antipruritic and antiallergic properties, for example, using nettle, chamomile.

The collected information fully answers the question: What is hives and how is it treated? After studying it, you should carefully monitor your health and detect signs of the disease in time and seek help from a doctor.

According to medical statistics, from 20 to 30% of the population of our planet have had urticaria at least once in their lives. And those who have never suffered this illness themselves, to one degree or another, have at least a general idea of \u200b\u200bit. The opinion that this is a childhood disease is absolutely wrong. Urticaria (Urticaria), related to skin diseases (mainly of an allergic nature), can occur in people of all ages. In our review article, we will try to tell what causes hives in adults, how to treat it, and also talk about publicly available preventive measures that will help prevent this disease.

External signs of the manifestation of the disease

What does urticaria look like in adults? The main external signs of the disease are the appearance on the body of numerous severely itchy redness, seals, inflammation, spots and blisters (rather flat) of red or pink color. Poe are in many ways reminiscent of nettle burns (hence the common name). The development of the disease can occur very rapidly: neoplasms on the body can appear within just a few minutes. The size of the edema varies from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters. Over time, several small blisters may merge into one. External symptoms of urticaria appear on the legs, arms, back, abdomen and other parts of the body. It is especially dangerous for human health when edema affects the respiratory tract (the person begins to choke) and the genitals (which leads to the inability to urinate).

Minor features

The accompanying symptoms of hives in adults are the sudden onset of muscle weakness, headache, nausea, chills, runny nose, diarrhea, fever, high fever, and cough. These secondary signs sometimes make it difficult to make a correct diagnosis, especially if the inflammation of the skin is not too pronounced. You can easily confuse the disease, for example, with ordinary food poisoning.

The mechanism of occurrence and development of urticaria

What causes hives in adults? The composition of the human skin (and other connective tissues) includes mast cells that have capsules filled with histamine inside. When an allergic reaction occurs in the human body, this substance is released, enters the subcutaneous space through the capillary vessels, accumulates and causes swelling and rash. That is, the mechanism of the disease is the rapid release of histamine from mast cells.

If puffiness can be stopped within 36 hours, then no damaged areas remain on the skin. Otherwise, damage to the walls of blood vessels begins.

Important! If, during the course of the disease, edema spreads to the respiratory organs, this can lead to the most serious consequences. In this case, emergency medical attention is needed!

Varieties

There are two main types of urticaria:

Acute. The duration of the disease usually does not exceed 5-6 weeks. As a rule, with proper and timely treatment, it is possible to get rid of external manifestations within 24-36 hours.
Chronic. Symptoms may appear within a few months (in especially severe cases, even several years). According to experts, about 0.1% of humanity currently suffers from this disease.

Please note: one of the most dangerous types of acute urticaria is Quincke's edema. It is accompanied by the rapid formation of seals in the area of the eyes, lips and cheeks. The main danger is a possible swelling of the larynx, which can lead to asphyxia (with all the ensuing consequences). Urgent medical treatment is required to prevent death.

Causes of allergic urticaria

The main cause of hives in adults is the body's reaction to a specific allergen. Moreover, a person may not even guess what substance was the "provocateur" of the disease. The main triggers that cause a true allergic reaction of the body are foods, drugs, chemicals (including household detergents), pet hair, insect bites (bees, wasps, mites, flies or cockroaches), pollen and, oddly enough, even ordinary household dust. In some cases (even when conducting comprehensive examinations and conducting numerous laboratory tests), the true cause of the manifestation of the disease cannot be found out.

One of the reasons for the appearance of urticaria in adults, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, is age. With its increase (especially after 40 years), the allergic reactions of the human body intensify. And as a result, Urticaria can become a reaction to any everyday food or conventional medicine.

On a note! If you find clear signs of hives in an adult after sleep, then most likely the bites of the so-called bed tick could be the cause. In addition to treating the disease itself, it is necessary to properly process all bedding (mattress, pillows, blanket, and so on).

Non-allergic causes of the disease

In addition to allergies, the causes of urticaria in adults can be:

An experienced specialist, when examining a patient and visually examining a skin rash, can find out what causes hives in adults. To make a correct diagnosis, a doctor (dermatologist, allergist or immunologist), first of all, will need detailed patient answers to the questions posed by him:

When did the appearance of external signs begin?
Was there an insect bite before this and, if so, what kind?
What medications (and at what dosages) was the person taking prior to the incident?
What did the patient eat during the day?
What chronic diseases does the patient suffer from?
Has there been contact with animals or chemicals?

As a rule, detailed answers to the above questions will be enough for an experienced specialist to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. The main thing is to find out the cause of the hives, because the next encounter with this allergen can lead to more serious consequences.

In chronic urticaria, laboratory tests are prescribed:

Since sometimes even numerous laboratory studies do not allow revealing the true cause of urticaria, in a chronic recurrent disease, a journal with records of all events preceding the incident will help to identify the trigger. The subsequent analysis of the systematized data greatly simplifies the search for a "provocateur".

Medical treatment of acute urticaria

Various antihistamines have been successfully used to treat acute urticaria. Most of these medicines are available without a prescription. And although experts do not recommend engaging in drug self-treatment, success in the fight against the disease largely depends on efficiency (often running to the pharmacy for medicine will take much less time than waiting for the arrival of the local doctor).

The list of the most popular and very effective drugs that are taken for urticaria in adults: Diazolin, Cetrin (Cetirizine), Zyrtec, Fexofenadine, Erius. These medications help block the negative effects of histamine, reduce external rashes, and stop painful itching. In most cases, after the surgical use of these medications, a positive effect is observed. But further actions related to how and how to treat urticaria in adults should be done only after consultation with a specialist. It is he who will determine the duration of the course of treatment and give all the necessary recommendations.

Treatment of chronic urticaria

In the treatment of chronic urticaria, antihistamines (even in sufficiently large doses) cannot quickly reduce swelling and itching. How to treat urticaria in adults in this case? Specialists use special hormonal preparations - glucocorticosteroids for the treatment of chronic urticaria. The most famous and commonly used medications of this group, produced in the form of tablets or injections: Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, Prednisone, Triamcinolone, Betamethasone.

Using hormones on a regular basis is difficult because of the risk of serious side effects such as osteoporosis, glaucoma, diabetes, and a weakened immune system in general. Therefore, so-called monoclonal antibodies have recently been successfully used to treat severe cases of frequently recurring urticaria. The injectable drug "Omalizumab" ("Omalizumab" or "Xolair") blocks the protein molecules of immunoglobulin E, which plays a major role in the body's allergic reactions. A positive effect is observed even in the treatment of urticaria of unknown origin. The course use of this drug leads not only to the elimination of symptoms, but also removes the causes of a chronic disease until it is completely cured.

First aid for urticaria in adults

Before being examined by a doctor and prescribing treatment methods, the patient can give himself first aid at home:

First of all, we ventilate the room;
we accept any antiallergic agent (if it is available in the home medicine cabinet);
take off clothes or put on looser clothes (made of soft, skin-friendly materials);
take a cool shower or bath;
apply cold compresses to the most itchy areas;
we go to bed (it is impossible to carry urticaria on the legs in any case).

When is emergency medical attention required?

In severe cases of allergic urticaria, urgent medical attention is required. The main signs for calling an emergency are:

swelling of the lining of the mouth, tongue, lips, and throat;
labored breathing;
high body temperature (39°C or more);
loss of consciousness or inadequacy in the presentation of thoughts;
cardiopalmus;
severe nausea and vomiting;
cold and clammy skin.

If a patient with the above symptoms is not provided with emergency medical care, then this can lead to very serious consequences, up to a fatal outcome.

Diet

An important role in the treatment of urticaria is played by strict adherence to a certain diet. First of all, foods that most affect the reproduction of histamine in the mast cells of the body should be excluded from the diet. These include spinach, chocolate, strawberries, fatty meats, tomatoes, yogurt, fish and other seafood (shrimp, crabs, and so on). Also, during the treatment period, you can not drink alcoholic beverages, honey (and other sweets), eggs, coffee and strong tea.

What you can eat with hives: cereals (oatmeal or rice), boiled potatoes, fresh vegetables (cabbage, zucchini or cucumbers), boiled lean meats (turkey, chicken breast or beef), pears and apples.

Folk remedies in the fight against urticaria

The treatment of urticaria with folk remedies in adults must be approached with extreme caution. Any ingredient (or maybe several at once) can be a trigger for an allergic reaction, which the patient may not even be aware of, since he did not encounter it in everyday life. Before putting into practice the recipes of traditional healers, it is better to first consult with a specialist.

How to relieve itching with hives in an adult:

Pour a mixture of equal parts of a string, chamomile and oak bark with boiling water. Let it brew for 1-1.5 hours. We filter the broth and gently moisten the blisters with it.
Grated raw potato gruel applied to inflamed areas helps to significantly reduce itching and swelling.
A bath with the addition of infusion from the leaves of valerian, celandine, St. John's wort and string helps to reduce pain symptoms.

Two simple and affordable recipes for the treatment of urticaria in adults with folk remedies:

Pour boiling water over mint leaves and leave for 30-40 minutes. Take orally three times a day before meals.
Tea from walnut leaves, prepared at the rate of 2 teaspoons per 0.5 liters of water. A feature of the preparation is the brewing time - at least 10 minutes.

Preventive measures

With the question of what happens to urticaria in adults and how to treat it, we briefly figured it out. However, the implementation of fairly simple preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk of this disease:

First of all, it is necessary to completely eliminate contact with specific allergens known to a person from personal experience or identified in the course of clinical studies.

Getting rid of bad habits (for example, drinking alcohol and smoking) will not only positively affect overall physical health, but also enhance the anti-allergic capabilities of the body. Timely treatment of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys will help reduce the likelihood of urticaria.

Both overheating and hypothermia should be avoided. Therefore, sunbathing and walking in the cold must be reasonably dosed. Emotional stress not only loosens the nervous system, but can also be a trigger for hives. Therefore, naturally, if possible, they should be avoided or at least minimized.

And last but not least, what you should pay attention to is the daily diet. The exclusion of highly allergenic products from it significantly reduces the likelihood of the onset of the disease.