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Hives, persistent skin disease

Hives, persistent skin disease

Top Doctors
Top Doctors editorial
Top Doctors
Created by: Top Doctors editorial
Edited by: TOP DOCTORS® at 17/03/2019

Urticaria is a disease characterized by the appearance of red bumps on the skin, usually not the cause that triggers known but is related to food, drugs and infections. There are three types of hives and treatment to combat it usually ranges from six months to a year.

Dr.. Morin Leonor Sánchez

Hives are a common skin disease that manifests as red bumps on the skin and sometimes the center may be of a paler color, this is caused by an inflammatory response when the immune system releases histamine. Often it is accompanied by angioedema as larger plates that are usually located in the eyelids or lips.

It is classified as acute urticaria when symptoms are less than six weeks of presentation and chronic hives when more than six weeks persists.

Three types of urticaria

In over half the cases the underlying cause is not recognized, but usually has been associated with food, drugs and infections.

A 10 to 12% of the hives are triggered by a physical stimulus capable of releasing histamine causing the formation of a wheal, there are three types: the first is the dermografismo, this begins with itching and soon appear linear hives in areas where the patient has scratched. The second is characterized by small cholinergic urticaria hives caused by excessive sweating caused by heat, stress or exercise. And the third is the exposure to cold urticaria, which appears within minutes of exposure to cold after a sudden change in temperature or in areas of contact with objects or cold drinks.

Other causes of hives are produced by contact to an allergen, such as drugs, addictive foods, dander, animal hair or pollen derived latex.

symptoms

The hives can cause itching and sometimes burning sensation, usually are harmless and last between half an hour and a couple of days, however new hives that replace the previous disappear as these may appear. Sometimes they can produce symptoms such as joint pain and fever, and more rarely, headache and dizziness.

Tends to affect 15-25% of the population at some point in life, it is more common in women in middle age. The diagnosis is simple and is based on the observation that the welts are characterized by evanescent, i.e., disappear to pressure and lasting less than 24 hours.

thorough treatment

The ideal treatment is the identification and elimination of the cause, antihistamines, avoid foods that release histamine such as fermented foods, canned food, seafood, strawberries, chocolate, peanuts, raw tomatoes, alcohol, Chinese food, avocado, among others.

Hives are curable when you have a non-allergic origin

50% of patients with urticaria are free at six months and 70% after one year, but only 25% if associated angioedema. 80% of cases urticaria have submitted five years but 20% have lesions for more than 20 years.