Live Life Team
Urticaria also know as nettle rash is a red, itchy rash appearing on the skin, it occurs when a allergen triggers the body to release a protein called histamine. Small blood vessels called as capillaries are caused due to histamine, which leaks fluids, these fluids settles on your skin causing a rash.
There are numerous factors for Urticaria to occure like:
1] Physical triggers like pressure on the skin, water, sunlight and low temperature.
2] ACE inhibitors used to treat High blood pressure and medicines used to cure fever and pain.
3] Skin coming in contact with latex, nettles or chemicals causing irritation.
4] Allergic reactions from foods, bees sting or wasp
Urticaria affects one in six people and mostly children. It normally disappears within few days but in certain cases can last longer. In 50% cases causes cannot be determined. If this cures within 6 weeks it is know as acute urticaria. If it continues more than 6 weeks it is called as chronic urticaria. This is the most uncommon form of urticaria, as one in every 1000 people are affected. However causes for chronic urticaria are still unknown, studies suggest that there can be a problem with the immune system of the individual.
Angioedema is a condition wherein the deeper layers of skin swells, about 25% of people with acute urticaria & 50% of people with chronic urticaria also get the similar symptoms. This mostly occurs on the toes, fingers, face & neck and also near genitals of men causing burning sensation.
Urticaria can be one of the initial signs of an allergic reaction called as anaphylaxis. As this grows, airways and throat swell making it difficult to breath with drop in blood pressure. This needs emergency treatment and can be fatal.
Symptoms
Rashes caused by this condition causes swelling on the skin know as wheals. They are itchy, oval or round shape and are pink or red in color. The size can vary from the size of hand to a few centimeters. These wheals usually lighten within a few hours but are new ones are replaced with it immediately. They can appear anywhere may be on a large part or a small part of the body. These at its peak for the first 8-12 hours and stop 24 hours later. Some can last for several months or days. If they last more than 6 weeks they are called as chronic urticaria.
Anaphylaxis
It is advisable that if you have symptoms of urticaria, you need to further watch the symptoms that might indicate a anaphylaxis reaction. If you happen to experience any of the below mention symptoms, you need to call 999.
1] Extreme anxiety
2] feeling fain
3] rapid heart rate
4] skin feels clammy and cold
5] vomiting and nausea
6] swelling of lining of mouth, throat, lips and tongue.
Causes
Acute urticaria
Histamine and other chemicals are released by a trigger from under the skins surface to activate acute urticaria. Inflammation is caused an fluids are gathered under the skin which cause wheals and dilation of blood vessels. In case of acute urticaria, the triggers are unknown in the maximum cases
Some triggers include:
Physical triggers like rarely exposure to sunlight, exposure to cold, exercise etc.
Irritants like latex, insect bites, chemicals, nettles
Infections like flu, cold, hepatitis B, intestinal parasites, glandular fever.
Foods like shellfish, strawberries, citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs and nuts.
Medicines like antibiotics & aspirin.
Chronic urticaria
This is seldom occurs by such triggers, but often starts as autoimmune response, where antibodies causes chemicals & histamine to release from under skin surface causing similar response. The reasons to these are not known. Intestinal parasites, viral hepatitis, thyroid can also cause chronic urticaria in few cases. Very often chronic utricaria may come and go. There can be certain factors for it to return like: medications like NSAIDs & codeine, tight clothing, warm temperature, caffeine, alcohol and stress.
