Cold allergy: causes, symptoms. How to treat cold allergies in children and adults? Cold allergy (cold urticaria)

Cold urticaria is a poorly understood pathological condition that doctors observe in individuals with abnormal cold intolerance. This condition manifests itself when a person stays in an environment with a low temperature, gets caught in a downpour, comes into contact with cold water, snow, ice, and consumes chilled food and drinks.

This article will dedicate you to the symptoms and treatment of cold allergy-urticaria in children and adults, tell you about the causes of the disease and its prognosis.

Features of the disease

The time of appearance of painful symptoms varies from 2 - 10 minutes to 1 - 3 hours after touching cold objects or prolonged exposure to cold air, sometimes lingering for a day. The disease in medicine is considered one of the types of physical urticaria, which is expressed by pathological skin changes - itchy rashes, hyperemia (redness) and more severe symptoms that require special therapy.

For the first time, a description of this unhealthy condition appeared more than 150 years ago, but today experts continue to study this phenomenon.

An analysis of studies and medical statistics conducted by scientists in Finland showed that out of 100 patients suffering from this type of urticaria, almost 70% are women. The average age of the initial development of the disease is 23-25 years, but an abnormal reaction to cold can appear at any age.
In children - usually at the age of at least 2 - 3 years, and very rarely - up to one and a half years.
In 30% of people suffering from this condition, a cold reaction occurs with pre-existing allergic diseases, often combined with other forms of the disease - and. Practice confirms that all symptoms in an uncomplicated course in 87% of patients subside by 5-7 years of illness.

Cold urticaria (photo)

Classification of cold urticaria

In medicine, two basic types of cold urticaria are isolated:

acquired, subdivided into primary (reflex, contact) and secondary form;
hereditary or familial, inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, in which the mutagen is inherited by a child of either sex from either parent), appearing in early childhood.

In addition, various subspecies of the acquired type of pathology have been studied and identified, for example:

urticaria with immediate and delayed reaction to cold;
local (local), manifested in a limited area;
manifested systemically, when the whole body reacts to hypothermia (generalized form).

In most case histories, physicians deal with acquired primary or idiopathic (of unknown origin) cold urticaria. It affects mainly girls and women under 35 years old, but symptoms are also observed in young children, preschoolers, and adolescents. Usually - with an already existing reaction to other types of allergic irritants: food, pollen, household chemicals and cosmetics.

The video below will tell you how a cold allergy appears and manifests itself:

Causes

The etiopathogenesis (causes and mechanisms of the appearance, development of the disease, its manifestations) of cold allergy has not been fully studied. There are medical assumptions (confirmed) about the likelihood of an allergy to cold:

The pathogenesis (development mechanism) of the hereditary form of the disease is associated with a mutation of the CIAS1 gene, leading to the transformation of the cryopyrin protein, leading to the release of the acute inflammation regulator IL-1 and the production of inflammatory interleukins IL-6, TNF-alpha and others.

External causative factors provoking manifestations of cold allergies:

exposure to the skin of any chilled objects, water, snow and cold air (drafts, frost);
frostbite or general hypothermia of the whole organism when in an environment of low temperatures;
ingestion of cold drinks (milkshakes, fruit juices with ice - smoothies, beer, soda), eating frozen foods (ice cream, chilled desserts).

Doctors attach the main importance in the development of the cold form of pathology to histamine (the hormone-regulator of allergic reactions), mast cells (producing it) and, probably, acetylcholine (as in the thermal form of the disease). An increase in the amount of histamine in the blood and skin biopsies taken from patients with cold urticaria has been found in many laboratory tests. Moreover, its concentration in the blood of patients varies significantly.

Symptoms

With a typical development of a cold allergy, changes occur on the skin within 2 to 5 minutes after exposure to cold, accompanied by:

, tingling, burning and soreness that precedes a skin reaction;
rapid formation on the skin area:
- , dense, itchy;
- (abnormal redness);
- local edema in the zone of contact with cold;
, sometimes covering reddened swollen skin (like dermatitis);
the appearance of bruises in the places of rashes after a while (a day or two).

In children, wheals and erythema often extend to the popliteal cavities, inner thighs, and lower legs.

In addition to skin symptoms, when going out into cold air, many patients develop:

nasal mucus;
sneezing, congestion with swelling of the nasal mucosa;
cough dry, hacking;
tearing, swelling of the eyelids, itching, irritation in the eyes, sensitivity to light.

These symptoms quickly disappear when returning to a warm room.

Features of manifestation

Two, three, or all of the symptoms may appear at once. Sometimes they occur only when the whole body is cooled (generalized form).
The atypical manifestation of reflex urticaria is expressed in the appearance around the cooled area of the skin of a small, itchy pink rash or blisters, despite the fact that the skin, which was directly affected by the cold, is not affected.

As a rule, with mild severity of the disease, skin changes affect the face and hands. Their maximum intensity is observed during warming of chilled places.

Signs subside within half an hour - an hour. However, with further "contact with the cold" allergic manifestations usually increase.
It happens that the disease is accompanied by urticarial rashes that occur a few minutes after contact with cold, but do not disappear on the skin for up to 7-10 days or longer.

The state of such a long retention of skin changes, as well as an abnormally slow manifestation of symptoms, warns of the development of other serious disorders in the body that require immediate diagnosis.

We will talk about how a cold allergy looks like in a severe course below.

Severe course

The severity of allergic and systemic manifestations in cold urticaria is related to the area of cooling and the degree of exposure. Prolonged hypothermia of the whole body can lead to severe disorders due to a sharp influx into the blood of a large amount of histamine released from many mast cells.

With this development of cold urticaria, the generalization of the process (spread to the whole body), more serious changes occur:

blisters with redness surrounding them grow, accompanied by acute itching and, merging with each other, form an extensive dense swelling;
in 5 out of 100 patients, after cold foods or drinking, the tissues of the tongue and pharynx swell, which, in an unfavorable condition, leads to asphyxia (more often in children due to the narrowness of the respiratory tract);
appears pronounced, nausea,;
the temperature rises to 38 - 39C;
joints suddenly start to hurt;
there is nasal congestion, lacrimation, runny nose.

With extremely pronounced sensitivity to cold, cooling a large surface of the skin can cause, in which:

The patient suffers from bouts of vomiting, chills at high temperature.
The heartbeat becomes more frequent, the rhythm of breathing and contractions of the heart is disturbed.
There is bronchospasm, cough and shortness of breath.
There is spasmodic pain in the abdomen, vomiting, diarrhea develops.
The patient complains of severe weakness, headache, nausea.
Blood pressure drops, leading to dizziness and loss of consciousness.

In medicine, there have been cases of death of patients due to the aggression of a cold factor of a high degree of intensity, affecting a large area of the body - for example, after severe hypothermia (freezing), frostbite, immersion in cold water.

The course of genetically determined pathology

In most cases, familial cold syndrome is detected in infants already up to six months according to the main signs that develop within 1 to 3 hours after exposure to cold:

Rise in temperature.
Itchy swollen eruptions, red spots, blisters.
Joint pains.

These signs increase within 6 - 8 hours, disappearing after about 20 - 24 hours. In addition, children during a cold allergic attack are often observed:

itching, lacrimation and redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes;
severe sweating, drowsiness, lethargy, children's complaints of headache;
acute thirst, nausea.

Moreover, an attack provokes even a slight cooling of the body (for example, airing the room), and relapses occur more often in the cold season. The specificity of familial urticaria associated with a gene mutation is the delayed onset of symptoms (in the range from half an hour to 2 to 3 hours).

Moreover, the main diagnostic test with the application of an ice cube to the skin, which provokes allergies, is negative. More commonly, general manifestations occur, including arthralgia (joint pain), a rash in the form of red spots with blisters, burning, fever, chills. Because in this type of disease, an urticarial rash (similar to a nettle burn) sometimes appears 10 to 30 hours after exposure to cold, doctors often make a false diagnosis of an idiopathic nature (that is, with an unexplained cause).

Atypical hereditary cold allergy

Manifested from early childhood itching, erythema (redness) and swelling, rash. It is not uncommon for this state of convulsions, severe angioedema (pronounced, dense swelling of tissues, often - swelling of the larynx),. The atypical form is distinguished by the absence of common typical symptoms of cold allergy: fever, chills, joint pain, nausea, and vomiting.

An attack in 100% of cases will cause cold air, being in an external environment with high humidity and wind, swimming in cool water (93%), chilled drinks and foods.
An acute allergic reaction with a severe course can be provoked by children playing outdoors at low temperatures (football, hockey, sledding, cycling, skiing). At the same time, physical activity in a warm room does not lead to an exacerbation of the disease, and a standard diagnostic test for cold gives a negative result.

Diagnostics

The method of diagnosing an allergy to cold is quite simple. This is a provocative test, which consists in applying a cold object to the skin to see the reaction. An ice cube is placed in a thin plastic bag to prevent contact of water and skin, since a positive test result can confuse the cold form of urticaria with (an allergic reaction to ordinary water).

Ice is placed on the back of the forearm for 4 minutes and the skin reaction is evaluated after 10-15 minutes. Provocation is considered positive if there is obvious redness, blistering at the site of application of the ice cube, accompanied by itching, swelling, tingling, or soreness.

With excessive susceptibility of the body to cold, the skin swells and turns red in half a minute.
However, with atypical development of genetically determined urticaria or with a delayed (slow) reaction, when all signs on the skin appear late - from half an hour to several hours after the test, this method is not accurate. Therefore, to confirm the diagnosis, blood tests of the patient are carried out.
If a skin test on ice does not give a positive reaction, but a person suffers from a cold allergy, then the presence of cold agglutinins (antibodies to cold), cryoglobulins, and cryofibrinogen is detected in the patient's serum.

To distinguish familial cold autoimmune urticaria from idiopathic urticaria, an analysis is made for ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and C-reactive protein. An increase in the level of these indicators is characteristic of the first form of the disease.

Today, other types of cold tests are not used, such as the patient being naked for 10-20 minutes in a room with a temperature of 4C or immersing the forearm in cold water for 10 minutes - due to the high risk of developing an acute attack of cold urticaria.

How to treat and cure a cold allergy (urticaria) will be described below.

Treatment

Therapeutic method

Theoretical and practical medicine proves that in most patients, high sensitivity to irritants-allergens (in this disease - to cold) is promoted by chronically current pathologies - inflammatory, autoimmune, infectious, diseases of the biliary tract, liver.

Therefore, the treatment of cold urticaria provides for their active detection and treatment. An obligatory basis for alleviating the symptoms of a cold allergy is the maximum possible exclusion of contact with cold, including any hypothermia of the body or individual organs (refusal to stay outdoors for a long time during the frost and rainy season, long bathing in summer , cold food and drink).

Read about ointments, creams and other remedies for cold allergies below.

In a medical way

Local treatment

Skin manifestations after exposure to tissue irritating cold, such as itching, rash, erythema, swelling, pain, are well removed with special ointments, emulsions, creams.

They use Radevit, Protopic, Skin Cap, Psilo-balm, Elidel, Eplan, Psilo-balm, La Cree, Gistan (without the letter “H”), Advantan (if these drugs themselves do not provoke allergies).
With severe painful itching, swelling, the use of glucosteroid external ointments is envisaged: Bufeksamak, Gistan N, Elokom, Sinaf-ointment, Akriderm GK, Celestoderm.

Complex therapy

To save patients from cold allergic urticaria, a therapeutic tactic is used that involves the complex use of several types of medicines that solve different problems. The following medicines are prescribed.

Histamine H1 receptor antagonists

Fexofenadine 60 - 240 mg 2 times / day, Erius (desloratadine) 5 mg / day for patients over 12 years old (if the therapeutic effect is insignificant, take 20 mg). Children's daily doses of Desloratadine in milligrams: 1.25 from 1 to 5 years and 2.5 from 6 to 11. - adults once 10 mg.

At sharp attacks administered intramuscularly, Pipolfen.
At chronic relapses urticaria for cold use:
- Ketotifen: adults 0.001 g 2 times / day, children over 3 years old are given 4 ml of syrup, infants up to 6 months - 2.5 ml twice a day (course 2 - 5 months);
- Ebastin: for patients from 12 years of age, 10-20 mg once, from 6 to 11, 5 mg each;
- Cyproheptadine: adults take 4-8 mg (3-4 times a day, respectively), children are given a daily dose divided by 3-4 times, calculated taking into account the norm of 0.25-0.5 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

In addition to these H1 receptor antagonists, Cetrin, Cetirizine, Levocetirizine, Alerzina, Kestin, Elerta are prescribed.

H2 receptor antagonists

Add if the patient does not respond to treatment with H1 receptor blockers.

Cimetidine: adults 0.3 grams 3-4 times a day. Children from one year old - in a daily dose calculated based on the norm of 25 - 30 mg / kg of body weight, up to 12 months - the norm is 20 mg per 1 kg of infant weight), Ranitidine for adults 150 - 300 mg per day, Famotidine 20 mg 2 r /day.
A good therapeutic result is obtained by a short course of antihistamines of the 1st generation with a sedative (calming) effect - Pipolfen, Tavegil, Suprastin, simultaneously with antiallergic drugs of the 2nd - 4th generation.

Glucocorticosteroid drugs

It is used as a short course in patients who do not respond to treatment with antiallergic drugs. And for a long time - in severe cases, as well as with a high probability of an anaphylactic reaction.

0.04 - 0.06 g per day or 0.02 - 0.04 g every other day;
0.004 - 0.020 g per day.

Elena Malysheva in this video will talk about whether cold urticaria can be treated with folk remedies:

Additional medicines

In addition, patients who do not respond positively to antihistamines are shown:
- leukotriene receptor blocker Montelukast - 0.010 g / day;
- calcium channel blocker - 0.020 - 0.060 g per day.
If you suspect (little studied), in which, in addition to histamine, acetylcholine is involved in the inflammatory allergic process, appoint:
- Combined funds with m-cholinergic blockers: Bellaspon, Bellantaminal, (1 tablet 3 r / day);
- Cyproheptadine. Adults - 0.004 g 3 - 4 r / day, children 2 - 6 years old are prescribed a daily dose of 0.006 g, which is divided into three doses, 6 - 14 years up to 0.006 - 0.012 g per day.
With frequent relapses, debilitating the nervous system, accompanied by insomnia due to soreness and severe itching, the following are prescribed: antidepressants - Paroxetine, Fluoxetine, Doxepin, benzodiazepine tranquilizers.
With cold allergies associated with systemic diseases, in a certain part of patients, with the "inaction" of traditional drugs, medicines are used that are used in rheumatology, including Dapsone, Sulfasalazine, Colchicine, Hydroxychloroquine.

With general inflammatory and allergic manifestations, the symptoms are eliminated by prescribing appropriate medications:

chills, temperature - analgesics (Ibuprofen, Spazgan, Ketonal,);
nausea, vomiting - Cerucal (in tablets, injections);
abdominal cramps - Decitel, Duspalitin, Papaverine (injection), diarrhea - Loperamide, Smecta;
bronchospasm - bronchodilators to facilitate breathing, Eufillin with Dexamethasone (intravenously);
if urticaria is accompanied by allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, drops are used when going out into the cold: Acelastin, Parlazin, Allergodil, Fenistil.

Severe course

Patients who are not sensitive to traditional therapy are shown:

Androgens.
Immunosuppressants: Cyclosporine, Omalizumab.
Antiviral interferon-beta, giving in 85% of cases the complete disappearance of symptoms and cryoglobulins in the blood.
In the treatment of familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome, both non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs and high doses of corticosteroids (Dexamethasone, Prednisolone) are often prescribed during attacks. But the inhibitor of interleukin-1 - Anakinra, administered every day at a dose calculated according to the formula 0.001 g per 1 kg of the patient's weight, has a particularly high therapeutic effect.
Situations, during cooling, a life-threatening condition occurs, similar to anaphylactic shock, require the immediate administration of Adrenaline to the patient.

How to get rid of cold allergy-urticaria using other methods, read below.

Other Methods

In case of severe and frequent recurrences of cold allergy, the following is performed:

Procedures for extracorporeal purification of blood from cryoglobulins.
Autolymphocytotherapy.

It is considered as the safest technique, which consists in the subcutaneous injection of lymphocytes isolated from the blood of the patient himself. In total, 8 injections are made every other day, while the course lasts 3 to 4 weeks. With the help of autolymphocytotherapy, patients (of any age) who are contraindicated in treatment by other methods are relieved of cold urticaria. Moreover, in 90% of cases, this therapy cures patients with cold urticaria completely.

Disease prevention

Manifestations of this type of urticaria can be prevented if the patient avoids:

Hypothermia in any form (cold moist air combined with wind is especially dangerous).
Contact with ice, cold water and chilled foods.
Before going outside in the "wet" and frosty seasons:
- applies a thin layer of oily (in no case - not moisturizing) cream on the face and lips, better - children's forms;
- uses oily lanolin lipstick;
- puts on thermal underwear with a high content of natural threads, uses warm balaclavas, tube scarves that cover the face as much as possible, hands - gloves and mittens made of natural materials to protect the face from the cold.

hardening

Regarding hardening with cold allergies, experts cannot come to a consensus, but all doctors agree that hypothermia is unacceptable. Extreme caution is necessary when trying to harden children, in whom even a slight cooling can cause unpredictable consequences. For children under 3 years old, all hardening procedures associated with cold are absolutely contraindicated.

In adults, with careful monitoring of symptoms, it is better to start hardening from the face, hands and feet, at first simply wiping them with water, the temperature of which is very slowly lowered. If the reaction does not cause concern, they proceed to hardening the face, arms and legs with water - with a gradual (within months) decrease in its temperature, being in constant readiness to immediately stop the procedure and having all the therapeutic agents to prevent an attack.

Complications

Any type of urticaria is dangerous by provoking complications:

The penetration of harmful microbes deep into the skin in places of scratching with itching with its further infection.
Severe swelling of organs, including the larynx, which threatens to block the airways and suffocate the patient (extreme danger for children).
Spasm of the bronchi according to the type of asthmatic reaction
Anaphylactic shock, which can cause death from cardiac arrest in 2 to 5 minutes.

Therefore, if with cold urticaria, in addition to itching and a rash on the skin, there is a cough, wheezing and whistling when breathing, dizziness, “gnats” in the eyes, vomiting, dizziness and loss of consciousness, and any other signs that cause concern, the ambulance call is not subject doubt.

cold allergy prognosis

With proper treatment of urticaria itself, concomitant diseases and prevention, relapses are less common, and in 3 to 7 years the disease can disappear without a trace.

But cold urticaria can become deadly with general cooling (with a massive release of histamine). So, even after a harmless bath in cool water, a patient with a severe allergy to cold can die due to systemic damage (falling blood pressure, loss of consciousness, coma, suffocation).

You can find more useful information about cold urticaria in this video:

Cold allergy is not a myth but a sad reality for many people. Until recently, such a concept did not exist. But recent studies by scientists prove that low temperature causes irritation of receptors that contribute to the production of an allergy mediator.

Causes of allergies on the skin of the face

Who can be affected by cold allergies and why? There are many factors contributing to the appearance of this pathology:

With a pronounced predisposition to cold allergies, situations that contribute to its occurrence should be avoided. This is being in severe frost and draft, bathing and washing dishes in cold water, a sharp change in opposite temperatures, drinking very cold drinks.

The manifestation of allergies

How to identify an allergy to cold? The disease is diagnosed by the following signs:

The surface of the skin exposed to cold turns red.
At the site of redness, a rash appears, resembling a burn after contact with nettles. That's why it's called urticaria.
There is itching of the skin and its swelling - usually on the face, on the hands, inner thighs and under the knees. The body itches a lot.
With severe allergies, the affected area begins to hurt.
There are all the symptoms that are characteristic of any allergic reaction: nasal congestion, shortness of breath, tearing, headache, reaction to bright light.

To understand that the cause of all the symptoms is precisely the cold is quite easy: a piece of ice is placed on the skin, literally for a few minutes. In the presence of a cold allergy, the rash appears immediately. To confirm the diagnosis, a more complete examination is prescribed.

Allergy on the cheeks

The most tender places are prone to cold allergies. The skin of the cheeks is no exception. Such an external defect becomes a misfortune for girls and women, because it looks extremely unaesthetic. Complicating the situation is that an allergic rash can spread to the delicate skin of the eyelids and forehead.

First, nodules called papules appear on the skin. They are swollen, red, painful when pressed. Further, such bulges can be filled with pus, which forms a white head. They may leave scars. Sometimes, as a result of an allergy, real blisters with large blisters may appear on the skin of the cheeks, but they disappear within a day.

As soon as a rash appears, you need to seek the help of a dermatologist-allergist.

How to quickly get rid of allergies on the face

In order not to experience all the consequences of a cold allergy, you need to be able to protect yourself from it:

wear hats and thick scarves made from natural fabrics;
avoid being outside in windy and frosty weather;
harden by pouring, but begin the healing procedure gradually.

If all the symptoms of an allergic reaction are already on the face, then treatment should be started urgently. After all, Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock are possible consequences of not even a neglected form of the disease.

Tablets, creams and ointments

Cold allergy is treated with the same medicines as other types of the disease. Are used:

Antihistamine tablets. These include Tavegil, Cetrin, Suprastin, Claritin, Cetirizine, Fexofast. They can be used for their intended purpose only on the recommendation of a doctor and according to the instructions.
Antihistamine creams and ointments. These can be hormone-based drugs (Skin-cap, Gistan N). But there are drugs made on the basis of drugs (La Cree, Gistan). You can use normal eye cream.
Antihistamine nasal drops. These are Fenistil, Allergodil, Parlazin.

If a cold rash appears on the face, this does not mean that you need to use only a cream or ointment. Treatment must be comprehensive.

Diet

For allergies of any kind, it is recommended to follow a diet, excluding from the diet foods that irritate the mucous membranes. These are salted, fried and smoked dishes. Food rich in omega-3 fatty acids should prevail: good fish, quality vegetable oils, vegetables and fruits.

Alternative treatment

Traditional medicine considers badger fat to be the main protection against the effects of cold. Before going out into the frosty air, it is recommended to apply it on the skin of the face. Also popular are the following recipes:

Solution with mummy. To prepare it, 1 g of mummy is diluted in 1 liter of boiled water. You need to take half a glass every morning. For greater effect, you can lubricate the skin of the face with a solution, but for this purpose, 1 g of the therapeutic component is poured into 100 g of water.
Blueberry compress. They are ground to a gruel and applied to areas of skin in need of healing.

Even specialists can prescribe healing decoctions of medicinal herbs.

Herbs

Quickly get rid of an allergic rash on the face will help folk recipes using only natural ingredients:

A decoction of walnut leaves, violet flowers and burdock root. Dried ingredients are taken in equal proportions of 1 tablespoon. The collection is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused for an hour and filtered. Scheme of administration: three times a day, a quarter cup.
An emulsion of burdock, marigold, celandine and mint. It is necessary to prepare 10 g of the listed herbs and grind, then pour vegetable oil so that its level is 1 cm higher than the mixture. The prepared product is heated in a water bath and filtered. The emulsion for lubricating the skin is ready.

With all their effectiveness, medicinal plants pose a serious threat: the patient may have an individual intolerance to any herb. Therefore, it is better to carry out such treatment under the guidance of a specialist. If there is no trust in home medicine, as well as time to prepare medicinal decoctions, you can purchase medications at a pharmacy.

How to remove the allergen from the body

Again, nutrition, which includes absorbents, will help to cope with this task. It can be wholemeal bread, hard vegetable salads with lemon juice, apples, legumes - everything that improves bowel function. For this purpose, special medicines are also prescribed: Polysorb, Smecta, Filtrum and others. The second important point is the organization of the drinking regime. Every day you need to drink 2-3 liters of boiled water. In severe cases, diuretics and laxatives are prescribed.

Prevention and timely treatment will help prevent the discomfort that provokes an allergy to cold, and alleviate the course of the disease.

Allergy to cold- a disease that has begun to manifest itself on the skin of a modern person more and more often. Sometimes it can be almost imperceptible and not interfere with a full life, and its symptoms go away on their own for several minutes or hours after a person has entered a warm room.

But often such symptoms may indicate a malfunction of organs or systems, the presence of an infectious disease, reduced immune defenses.

Causes of cold allergy

Many residents do not know a disease like cold, but it is not rare. Such an allergy is not contagious and very rarely becomes chronic, but it is still important to detect the causes of such a manifestation in a timely manner.

Main reasons:

Dysfunction of skin cells which are very close to the surface of the skin. The main reason for such changes may be a decrease in the protective functions of the body, which provokes not only cold allergies, but also an increased risk of infections and diseases for the body;
Eating cold foods or exposing the skin to cold temperatures- it can be wind, rain, snow, frost;
Sudden movement from warm to cold;
Frequent contact with cold water- when washing dishes, washing, bathing in cold water and other situations;
severe stress- most often suffer from cold allergies are people who are constantly exposed to stress, depression, suffer from frequent lowering of the immune system.

Factors that provoke the development of cold allergies

Several groups of factors are known that can provoke an allergy to exposure to low temperatures.

These include:

Tendency to allergic reactions of various origins:
- vegetable;
- household;
- food;
Recent illnesses that were infectious.
Frequent violations of the functions of the ENT organs or the gastrointestinal tract, helminthiases.
Endocrine diseases or oncology.
Skin diseases that are chronic.
genetic factor.

How does cold allergy manifest itself?

Cold allergy in both adults and children is manifested by the following symptoms:

With all seriousness, it is worth taking symptoms such as tachycardia, vomiting, and fever. This may be a sign of the first serious complications of an allergy.

The main places of localization of rashes:

Photo of what an allergy to cold looks like:

Stages of manifestation of an allergy to cold

Medicine knows 3 main stages of the disease:

1 stage- immunological. It is a reflex of the body to the effects of low temperatures. The process is accompanied by the release of antibodies;
2 stage- under the influence of special chemicals - heparin, histamine, serotonin, reddening of the skin occurs, blood vessels dilate;
3 stage- it is already characterized by serious symptoms: swelling of the skin, large areas with a rash or blisters, anaphylactic shock is possible.

The first stage of the disease for the human body is practically not noticeable.

Types of cold allergies

Doctors call several types of cold allergy, each of them has its own symptoms and characteristics:

How to identify a cold allergy?

From the first time, cold allergy is not always diagnosed, since the symptoms can be identical with other diseases, such as a cold or allergic manifestations that are triggered by other factors.

Cold allergy can be diagnosed at home. Methods for determining the disease depend on the type of urticaria or its severity.

The main diagnostic method is considered to be a test with a piece of ice. It is applied to the skin area for 12-15 minutes, after which it is removed. If there is redness or other changes in the skin, the test can be considered positive.

With a chronic or familial form of allergy, such tests may be ineffective, so it is better to undergo clinical studies for antibodies to cold. For the study, the patient's blood serum will be required.

How to treat cold allergy in adults?

Of course, after the diagnosis has been made, you need to choose an effective course of treatment and quickly relieve symptoms.

Before proceeding to taking medications or using folk remedies, you need to pay attention to factors that can speed up recovery:

Be sure to warm up when going out in winter weather or while in an unheated room. People who are allergic to cold need to think not about fashion, but about comfort and warmth.
35 minutes before visiting the street at low temperatures, do not forget to use a moisturizing or nourishing cream on exposed skin. Don't forget about lip balm.
Drink a warm drink before going outside. It can be tea, coffee, but not drinks with alcohol.
Pay attention to the hardening of the body and a more balanced diet.

Medical therapy

There are dozens of medicines for cold allergy, both for internal and external use.

The type of drug therapy depends on the symptoms and their severity. After the first sensations of a cold allergy, be sure to warm yourself with warm tea, if possible, then wrap yourself in a warm blanket.

For swelling and itching, use antihistamine ointments that will alleviate the condition. Such funds will also accelerate the healing of damaged areas. If in the cold there is irritation of the mucous membrane of the nose or eyes, drip drops before going out.

Zyrtec- recommended for the treatment of any type of allergy (year-round or seasonal). It is especially effective in such manifestations as lacrimation, nasal congestion, fever, rashes. Can be used by adults and children from 6 months. The dosage depends on age. The average dose for adults is 10 mg per day;
cetirizine- tablets are used at the first manifestations of rhinitis or conjunctivitis, which are provoked by allergies, urticaria, itching, swelling. Can be used from 6 years of age (recommended weight not less than 30 kg). Use with particular care in the elderly. The average dosage for adults - 1 tablet - 1 time per day. It is not advisable to use during pregnancy and lactation;
Tavegil- prescribed for allergic rhinopathy, urticaria, and dermatoses of various types. Use for allergies to medication or insect bites is allowed. Forms of release - tablets and solutions for injections. It can be treated with adults and children from 6 years of age. Dose for adults - 1 tablet 2 times a day (preferably before and after sleep). In severe conditions, it is possible to increase the dose to 6 tablets (6 mg) per day;
Suprastin- it is recommended to take it for various types of urticaria, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and dermatitis of various origins. You can apply, eczema, drug allergies and. May be a prophylactic for Quincke's edema. Not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, children under 3 years of age. Dosage for adults - 1 tablet 3-4 times a day;
Tsetrin- its use is allowed from 2 years of age (in the form of syrup) and in the form of tablets (from 6 years). Recommended for the treatment of rhinitis of any kind, the removal of symptoms of allergies, urticaria, dermatoses. Can be used as a prophylactic against allergies (seasonal, periodic and chronic). Do not use during pregnancy and lactation. Taking the medicine does not depend on eating, it is advisable to do this before bedtime. The average dosage for adults is 1-2 tablets throughout the day;
Parlazin- eliminates the symptoms of allergies of various origins, rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, urticaria, dermatoses. It is used as a prophylactic against puffiness in cold allergies. Can be used from 6 months of age. The average dosage of antihistamine drops for an adult is 20 drops per day;
Allergodil- an antihistamine spray against conjunctivitis, which is used to eliminate symptoms. It is relevant for the treatment of both seasonal and year-round diseases. Before treatment, be sure to study the list of contraindications and side effects. The spray bottle is designed so that 1 required dose of medication is released at a time. Used from 4 years of age.

Skin Cap- apply for eczema, dermatitis and urticaria of any origin. The drug is available in the form of an aerosol. They treat the affected areas of the skin at least 2 times a day until the desired result is achieved. Can be used for children from 3 years of age;
Gistan N- the affected areas are treated with any form of dermatosis, psoriasis, urticaria. It is applied in a thin layer on the skin no more than 1 time per day, it is a hormonal preparation. The course of treatment should not be longer than a month. Use for children only if there is no analogue;
La Cree- removes the pronounced symptoms of cold allergies: removes inflammatory areas, peeling, dryness, redness. In addition, it can be used for 2-3 days as a skin care product after allergy symptoms have been relieved.

Treatment with folk remedies

Folk methods are very popular in the fight against cold allergies. But both adults and children need to be wary of such treatment. Their abuse can adversely affect health.

Top 5 most popular ways to deal with cold allergies:

Allergy to cold in children

In children, the causes of cold allergies may be the same as in adults. But the main provoking factor is the effect of low temperatures on exposed skin.

How to treat cold allergy in children?

When the type of allergy is diagnosed, you need to proceed with the treatment prescribed by the doctor.

It is important to remember that more effective results can be achieved if everything is done in a complex way:

Medicines and folk remedies to eliminate the disease in young children should be used with extreme vigilance and only after consultation with a pediatrician or pediatric allergist.

Internal preparations:

Zyrtec- Sold in the form of tablets and drops. Can be used to treat children from 6 months. It is recommended for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatoses and manifestations that accompany them. The dosage depends on age. Children 6 months - 1 year - 5 drops per day. 1-2 years - daily rate - 5 drops - 1-2 times a day. 2-6 years - daily rate - 10 ml;
- the remedy is recommended for the treatment of any kind of urticaria and other allergic reactions. It is produced in the form of drops, tablets or syrup. Tablets can be used to treat children from 6 years of age. Dose for a child 6-12 years old - 1 tablet per day. Drops can be applied to children from 12 months. Depending on the age and complexity of the disease, the daily rate can vary from 5 to 20 drops. The syrup has also been used since the year;
Suprastin- recommended for hives, rhinitis caused by allergies, dermatitis, eczema, allergies after insect bites. It can also be prescribed as a prophylactic. With severe symptoms, it is allowed to use from 1 month. The exact dosage of the medicine for children is determined only by a pediatrician or an allergist.

External preparations:

Fenistil gel- applied to the skin with itching eczema, dermatoses, urticaria. It is allowed to use from the age of one month up to 2-4 times a day. Apply to the skin in a thin layer. Use with caution in the first months of pregnancy and when feeding a child. In severe situations, the use of the gel can be supplemented with a tablet form to enhance the effect. In rare cases, as a result of using the ointment, dry skin may appear;
Panthenol- helps to heal damaged areas faster after rashes and peeling in children. It is used not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes. Spray or ointment can be applied 2-3 times a day;
- the damaged areas are treated with the product, including areas that are prone to peeling, inflammation. It is recommended for treatment and preventive measures in children from infancy. Ointment is applied as needed. The frequency of application of the remedy for infants is determined by the doctor.

Treatment with folk remedies:

Cold allergy prevention

Cold allergy manifestations can be avoided or significantly alleviated if preventive measures are taken.

Procedures and actions that should be paid attention to people suffering from this disease:

What to avoid:

If possible, do not buy clothes made from synthetics;
Minimize situations of skin contact with cold objects, air, water;
Prevent the development of infectious diseases into chronic ones;
Avoid stressful situations.

Consequences of allergy to cold

In most cases, this type of urticaria does not pose any harm to health in the future.

But some situations can provoke unpleasant, sometimes fatal, consequences in the form of:

Conclusion

It is better to deal with all suspicious symptoms and causes of the disease. Moreover, it is often confused with the normal reaction of the body to low temperatures.

With the initial manifestation of cold allergy symptoms, it is better to contact an allergist to diagnose the disease and prescribe the optimal course of treatment. In such situations, one should not forget about complex treatment and preventive measures.

Allergy to cold is skin reaction to low temperatures in winter. Most often, it manifests itself on the face, although it can pour out on the neck, décolleté, and hands.

People of any age are susceptible to allergies to cold. Until recently, it was considered a pseudo-allergy, since the allergen, as such, impossible to identify.

However, the body's response to cold is manifested in the release of histamine, which causes all the characteristic symptoms.

Today, there are products for the care of dry skin during the period of allergy. You can also use folk remedies.

How to choose a foundation for dry skin? cosmetologists on our website.

Signs of the disease

Often the symptoms of the body's reaction to cold are similar to food, contact or drug allergies. But they appear only during cold weather. These include:

To accurately answer the question of whether all of the above signs are symptoms of an allergy to cold or is it a real allergy can only be dermatologist.

He will refer the patient to an immunologist, endocrinologist and other specialists, and will also offer to take tests to detect allergens, and, based on all studies diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Reasons for the appearance

Like any other, an allergy to cold is a consequence of dysfunction immune system organism.

It can occur after a disease that has taken a lot of energy and disrupted metabolism, as a result of dysfunction of the thyroid gland, blood diseases, anemia, and past infectious diseases: measles, rubella, mumps, and others.

The body is depleted even as a result of such seemingly insignificant manifestations as caries, giardiasis, helminthiasis, not to mention chronic diseases like sinusitis and cholecystitis.

As a result, a cold allergy may develop. Allergy to cold can occur as secondary against the background of dermatitis or food allergies.

Find out how to properly care for oily skin from ours.

First aid

How to get rid of cold allergies on the face? With recurring symptoms of a cold allergy, you should not delay contacting an allergist. He will spend ice cube test and follow the reaction of the skin.

For a reliable diagnosis, the doctor will suggest to go through more than deep research, and as a first aid will prescribe antihistamines.

Self-help for cold allergies consists in immediately returning to a warm room, reducing the time spent outside in frosty weather, wearing a warm scarf, hood or other headgear that covers the face well.

Doesn't hurt the skin apply cream with ultraviolet light half an hour before leaving the house. Increase the consumption of fish and vegetable oils, which include omega-3 fatty acids.

How to treat?

How to treat a cold allergy on the face? What ointments and creams to use? Treatment is complicated by the fact that it is impossible to eliminate the cause of its appearance.

Of course, a person can change his place of residence, leaving for a place where there are no sub-zero temperatures, but this is a way out only for a few.

For most, it remains to endure and look for ways to treat the disease.

To prevent cold allergy from developing against the background of food, you need to follow a diet, excluding citrus fruits, chocolate, coffee and other foods in which may contain an allergen.

With the onset of winter, it is worthwhile to forget about fashion for a while and wear clothes and a hat, well protecting body and face from cold. With an exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to take antihistamines prescribed by a doctor.

Before going outside, be sure to apply a greasy cream to exposed skin, you can use it for children.

Can be used for this purpose badger fat. It contains vitamins A and B, which have a beneficial effect on the skin, as well as unsaturated fatty acids.

It can also be applied to the lips. For a general strengthening of immunity, badger fat is taken orally in the morning in a tablespoon. Similar properties have ointments, which are based on mink oil.

If the skin condition worsens, you can take baths or make lotions with burdock root, walnut leaves and violet tricolor flowers. You can drink a decoction of this collection simultaneously with external use.

Perfectly heals chapped skin a decoction of pine or spruce cones. They are ground, poured with water and boiled for half an hour over low heat. Decoction wipe the skin.

If an allergy to cold manifests itself in the form of a runny nose, it will help horsetail. It is poured with boiling water, cooled, filtered and taken orally half an hour before breakfast.

Content

This is a little-studied phenomenon that is observed in people with cold intolerance. Cold allergy is a kind of reaction of the human body to sub-zero temperatures, while urticaria appears on the skin. Outwardly, the pathology manifests itself when a person gets exposed to rain or cold wind, contact of the skin with snow, cold water, ice, and the use of chilled drinks and food.

What is a cold allergy

Even doctors do not agree on the answer to the question “is there an allergy to cold?” Therefore, many of them reject such a diagnosis, arguing that there is no allergen that causes a specific reaction of the body, and cold is a physical effect. However, under the influence of low temperatures, some people release histamine, which provokes allergic reactions - vasodilation, itching and redness of the skin or mucous membranes, and the development of edema. A cold allergy is a negative response of the body to an irritant in the form of a low temperature.

cold allergy symptoms

This problem can manifest itself in any way, and the symptoms of an allergic reaction can follow each other or develop in isolation, forming one pathological process. In this case, the symptoms of an allergy to cold, as a rule, are complex and occur in a certain order. By tracking the timing of their manifestation, one can distinguish cold urticaria from another disease similar in symptoms. The most common signs of pathology:

angioedema;
bronchospasm;
red skin rashes;
anaphylaxis.

On hands

The manifestation of cold urticaria is not yet fully understood pathological process. Doctors can only say that irritation on the hands from the cold appears due to the increased sensitivity of the body to cryoglobulin (protein), which begins to transform when a person is exposed to low temperatures. As a result of this process, an allergic reaction occurs.

The cold allergy on the hands that is common today has a complex mechanism of development and manifestation, which modern medicine cannot yet explain. Often the disease is disguised as dermatitis, so it is sometimes difficult for an unknowing person to distinguish between these pathologies. An allergy to cold begins to manifest itself with itching and peeling of the skin, after which rashes similar to hives begin to appear on the skin of the hands and the limbs swell.

In addition to hives, blisters may appear on the skin of the hands, the formation of which is accompanied by unpleasant sensations - increased itching and burning. As a rule, a cold allergy resembles burns. In some cases, the body reacts more seriously to an irritant - snow, frost, cold rain or wind - while the hands are immediately covered with swollen red blisters filled with a transparent substance. These symptoms become more pronounced after warming up (contact of a person with warm water or clothing). After half an hour or an hour, the skin becomes clean again.

On the face

Mastocytes are responsible for the appearance of skin allergic reactions - cells that are located in the upper layers of the skin. Cold for them is a strong irritant, so the cells react negatively to it, stimulating the occurrence of edema, skin peeling, headaches, chills. Cold allergy on the face appears with reduced immunity, but it can also be provoked by various chronic (rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, etc.) and acute viral diseases.

A healthy body copes with the effects of cold, while a weakened body cannot prevent the development of unpleasant symptoms. At the same time, after a walk down the street in winter in the cold, reddening of open areas of the skin occurs normally, due to a rush of blood into the vessels, which first narrow under the influence of low temperature, and then expand in warmth. Such a reaction in a healthy person lasts no more than 40 minutes.

How does cold allergy manifest itself? In people with this type of allergic reaction, low temperature provokes:

profuse tearing;
sneezing/coughing;
swelling of the tongue, larynx, lips, sinuses;
the appearance of seals and blisters;
blue skin;
headache;
noise in ears;
chills;
dizziness;
mild convulsions;
the appearance of pink or bright red spots.

On foot

Cold urticaria occurs in the lower extremities and has the appearance of rashes (more often, allergies affect the thighs and calf). At the same time, the disease is more often diagnosed in women, which is associated with the wearing of short skirts in the cold periods of the year. An allergy to cold on the legs can manifest itself only after direct contact of the extremities with the allergen, and a temperature of +4 and below can provoke a reaction. As a rule, the symptoms of an allergic reaction in the legs are:

pain, discomfort in the joints of the knees;
dermatitis, which is accompanied by a small rash and peeling;
small blisters on the skin of a pink-red color;
chills, low-grade fever (rarely).

Causes of cold allergies

Experts say that allergy to snow and frost is not an independent disease, but only a symptom of some pathology of the somatic type. The likelihood of developing cold urticaria increases when another disease, characterized by a long duration, can greatly weaken the human body. In this case, cryoglobulin serves as a stimulator of an allergic reaction, and low temperature serves as a trigger.

The reaction of the skin to cold is not fully understood, however, experts who study this phenomenon divide it into several different types. What are the types of cold allergies? There are two main types of pathological reaction:

hereditary / family (passes in an autosomal dominant way from parent to child and manifests itself at an early age);
acquired.

There are other classifications of cold urticaria. So, experts will distinguish:

local allergy to cold (appearing in a certain limited area of the body);
with a delayed and immediate reaction to an irritant;
systemic urticaria (severe pathological reaction of a generalized type).

cold allergy treatment

You should not independently choose therapeutic measures to combat allergies. If characteristic symptoms occur, contact a specialist who, taking into account the results of the tests, will establish the primary source of the disease and advise adequate therapy. Treatment of allergy to cold is complicated by the specifics of the allergen - it is always impossible to avoid it. Patients with cold urticaria are treated symptomatically with antihistamines.

Ointment for cold allergies

With mild symptoms of the disease, external agents are used - creams and ointments. You can buy them at any pharmacy, the main thing is to check the composition of the drugs, giving preference to those made from hypoallergenic raw materials. The ointment for cold allergies gives an effect after a day of use, while the unpleasant symptoms of the pathology gradually disappear (the burning sensation disappears, peeling, itching, redness, etc.). Doctors recommend with cold urticaria to pay attention to such remedies:

Skin cap;
Gistan N;
Panthenol cream or spray;
D-Panthenol;
La cree (can be used after the disappearance of rashes, to prevent their reappearance).

cold allergy medications

To be able to breathe freely and not suffer from such manifestations of cold allergies as red skin rashes, itching and peeling, adults should take antihistamines during periods of exacerbations. Thanks to their action, you can quickly eliminate the unpleasant manifestations of an allergic reaction. Demanded, effective drugs for cold allergies that you can drink when the first signs of the disease occur are:

Suprastin;
Tavegil;
Claritin;
Fenistil;
Levocetirizine;
Parlazin;
Zyrtec.

Treatment of allergies to cold folk remedies

Alternative medicines can be used along with antihistamines to reduce the severity of an allergic reaction. Treatment of cold allergies may include the use of vegetable, herbal juices, tinctures, decoctions, rubbing, compresses, ointments. For the treatment of cold urticaria, badger fat is often used, which effectively eliminates the unpleasant symptoms of the disease. Cold allergy treatment with folk remedies can be carried out using the following recipes:

Herbal collection against cold urticaria. It is necessary to combine violet flowers, burdock roots and walnut leaves in equal proportions. After pour 2 tbsp. l. mixture with boiling water (1 tbsp.), leave for an hour, then strain. The daily dose of the allergy remedy should be drunk 3 times.
Celery juice. Prepare a fresh drink from the root of the plant and take it three times a day for ½ tsp. before food.
Pine bud oil tincture against cold allergies. Pour young pine shoots (50 g) with the same amount of vegetable oil and infuse the mixture for 5 months. The resulting product is easily rubbed into the rash 1-2 times a day.
Pine baths. Pine branches should be boiled in water, and then poured into a filled bath. The tool will help eliminate the symptoms of cold urticaria, if done daily.
Oil tincture of herbs against allergies. Mix the same amount of burdock roots, calendula flowers, celandine herbs, mint leaves. Pour 10 g of the product with oil in a ratio of 1: 2 and insist for a day. Hold the tincture in a water bath for 10 minutes, stirring the contents of the container. From the moment the product is ready, use it 3-4 times a day. After about 5-7 days, the skin will look better.