Many people have had hives, what causes them? How to treat hives? We hope to help you by answering some of your questions!
What is hives?
Urticaria is an itchy, pruritic wind-blown rash that appears in batches and subsides in 1 to 2 hours, usually not more than 24 hours, and leaves no trace after it subsides.
Q1: People call hives “wind bumps”, is it caused by the cold wind?
A: Twenty percent of people have hives at least once in their lives. Some of the hives are cold-related, and the skin becomes red and itchy when blown by cold wind, which is called “cold urticaria”, and of course, similar conditions can occur when you encounter cold water, and even swelling in the mouth and throat when you eat cold food.
However, cold urticaria is only a minority, and the main reason why urticaria is called “wind bumps” or “rubella” is more likely to be that the location of the rash is variable, and it may appear from time to time, making it elusive.
Cold urticaria: Ice can trigger the appearance of wind bumps
Q2: Will acute urticaria turn into chronic urticaria if not treated promptly?
A: No, urticaria is divided into acute urticaria and chronic urticaria, most urticaria is acute and will soon be well, but there are a few will be recurrent for a long time, generally more than 6 weeks called “chronic urticaria”. Chronic urticaria is often caused by an obscure cause and/or the persistence of triggers, and is not chronic because of inadequate treatment.
Q3: What causes hives?
A: Common causes of urticaria: 1. food or food additives; 2. inhalants; 3. infections; 4. drugs; 5. mental factors, other physical factors, endocrine changes, visceral diseases, genetics, etc. Specific causes need to be combined with medical history and necessary tests, even so, there are still urticaria can not be a clear cause.
Q4: What should I do if I can’t find the cause of urticaria?
A: For chronic urticaria of unknown origin, allergens can be investigated (e.g., prick test, blood IgE, etc.). Although allergen testing is helpful in clarifying allergens, about 3/4 of urticaria have unknown causes, called “idiopathic urticaria”, of which 25-45% are autoimmune urticaria, and can be done with autologous serum The diagnosis can be confirmed by autologous serum skin test (ASST) followed by autologous blood desensitization treatment.
Q5: What should I do if I have been tested for allergens and I have many food allergies?
A: All allergen results are for reference only and need to be combined with reality. For example, if the allergen check is positive, but there is no allergic reaction every time you eat, you can eat and the test result may be false positive and vice versa.
Q6: Do I need to avoid “hairy foods” if I have hives?
A: If it is not caused by food, you don’t need to avoid it. Even if it is caused by food, you only need to avoid eating the corresponding food, not all the so-called “hairy things”.
Q7: Hives often appear around the waist of the pants, and where I wear a watch can be very serious, what is the cause?
A: This kind of hives is related to pressure, also known as artificial hives, and will appear as a result of your scratching. However, ordinary urticaria can also appear in pressure areas and is called “cutaneous scarring”.
Q8: Why do I get hives when I exercise, get hot or excited?
A: This condition is called cholinergic urticaria, which occurs in 15% of normal adolescents and is smaller than normal hives, only 1 to 3 mm in size. It often recurs for months to years and often resolves itself or heals on its own.
Cholinergic urticaria: appears with exercise, heat or excitement, with smaller clusters
Q9: Does urticaria grow not only on the surface of the skin, but also inside the body?
A: Urticaria not only appears on the skin, but can also cause gastrointestinal edema, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, etc. Laryngeal edema causes breathing difficulties and even suffocation. Severe urticaria may also cause life-threatening shock.
Q10: How to treat urticaria?
A: Antihistamines are preferred, and it is best to choose antihistamines with little drowsiness effect. If the control is not good, the dosage can be increased or 2 to 3 kinds of combination can be used. Patients for whom antihistamines are ineffective need to use glucocorticoids, or even immunosuppressants, and gradually reduce the dosage and discontinue them after good control. In case of respiratory distress or shock, patients need to be resuscitated in hospital in time, otherwise their lives will be in danger.
Q11: Do I need antibiotics for hives?
A: Most urticaria does not require antibiotics, but a few cases caused by bacterial infections with fever and elevated white blood cells do require antibiotics.
Q12: What medication should I use if I have hives during pregnancy?
A: If the condition really requires it, it is relatively safe to take oral loratadine tablets, etc. under the guidance of a doctor.
Q13: What should I do if I have recurrent urticaria for a long time?
A: It is crucial to identify and remove the cause of the disease. Even if the cause is unknown, about 50% of cases are cured within 1 to 2 years. However, some urticaria does recur for a long time and affects life and work, so it is necessary to adhere to long-term oral antihistamines and gradually reduce the dosage to maintain good control of symptoms.
Q14: Under what circumstances do I need desensitization treatment?
A: Desensitization treatment can be considered for those who have recurred for a long time and can clearly identify the allergen, but desensitization treatment takes 2 to 3 years and requires adherence to a sufficient course of treatment.