Urticaria, commonly known as hives, is one of the most common skin diseases in society. The disease, which develops with reddening, blistering and itchy rashes, is more common in people with an allergic nature. Correct diagnosis and treatment are important in urticaria, which has similar features with the symptoms of some serious diseases.
Sudden onset itching can become chronic
There are two types of urticaria, acute and chronic. In the acute table, the rashes usually disappear within 15-20 minutes. In fact, when the patient goes to the hospital in the morning, there may be no traces left. However, these rashes are sometimes so itchy that the person’s work and private life are interrupted and problems may occur. Urticaria past 6 weeks may be chronic. While it may be possible to eliminate the rash in a short time, it can be stubborn from time to time. The patient can continue his life with antihistamine drugs.
If rashes begin to appear in the mouth…
Rashes caused by urticaria can be seen all over the body, including the scalp. However, the most important are the oral and respiratory tracts. In such a picture, the patient comes to the emergency room with respiratory distress. Certain treatments are given so that the patient can provide comfortable breathing with a special set of drugs such as adrenaline. It is not possible to do or prevent these practices at home. For this reason, if the rash spreads to the oral mucosa, that is, around the mouth and lips, and if there is respiratory distress, a doctor should be consulted without delay.
Stress plays an important role in disease development
Although urticaria is generally common among people with allergies, it can also be seen in people who are not allergic. In addition to allergies; thyroid, gastrointestinal diseases, collagen tissue diseases may be the first symptoms. Another important cause of urticaria is stress. If a person sees rashes on his body that are red, swollen, itchy and then disappear, he should consult a doctor immediately and find out the reason. With the blood, urine and stool tests taken from the patient, diseases that may cause urticaria can be detected and additional treatment can be given to the patient.
Psychological support is important in the treatment of urticaria of unknown origin.
Treatment of urticaria varies according to the patient’s condition. After the patient is diagnosed with acute and chronic urticaria, antihistamine drugs come into play as the first choice in treatment. If the complaints continue to increase, steroid treatment can be started. If no problem is detected in the examinations of the patient and the clinical picture exceeds 6 weeks, the diagnosis of “Chronic idiopathic urticaria”, that is, urticaria of unknown cause, is made. In this case, in addition to medical treatment, help from a psychiatrist can be sought.
Treatment should not be discontinued when the complaints decrease or subside.
The treatment of urticaria is long-term and drugs should never be stopped by saying “the rash is gone”. If the drugs are used and left for 3 days, the urticaria may return more severely. For this reason, the patient is usually given monthly treatments, and even if he gets better, he is told not to stop the treatment and to consult a doctor again. If the symptoms have decreased, the treatment is terminated by the doctor by reducing it step by step. However, if the complaints still continue, the process may take 2-3 months or even more.
What urticaria patients should pay attention to step by step
· Allergenic foods that activate urticaria should not be consumed. Especially avoid strawberry, egg yolk, hazelnut, peanut, chocolate and seafood.
· The person should note very well the changes in his life. If soap, shampoo, some topical substances applied to the skin in the bathroom trigger urticaria, it should be avoided.
· Laundry should be double rinsed to avoid detergent residues.
· Fabric softener should never be used while washing laundry.
· The skin should be left alone in the bathroom, no scrubbing or fiber should be made.
· It should not be in dusty environments in terms of allergens entering through respiration.
