Urticaria

Urticaria or hives is a relatively common form of allergic reaction that causes raised red skin welts. The release of chemicals from mast cells in the skin causes small blood vessels to leak and results in tissue swelling. A hive, or wheal, is a circular, red, spongy lesion that evolves and changes over minutes to hours. Most people experience what is called acute urticaria where the hives are short lasting, of a known origin, and do not recur. Chronic urticaria can be caused by allergic, and non-allergic processes. Allergic urticaria is a hypersensitivity disease that results when the immune system mistakenly overreacts to something that is otherwise harmless. They cause red, itchy, and inflammed areas of the skin in different shapes and sizes. Hives are very common 10-20 percent of the population will have at least one episode in their lifetime. Hives usually go away within a few days to a few weeks. Occasionally, a person will continue to have hives for many years. When hives form around the eyes, lips or genitals, the tissue may swell excessively. Although frightening, the swelling usually goes away in less than 24 hours.

Urticaria is basically a skin disease typical to youth, but it may occur to the people at any age. In most cases there is no known cause but they can be a result of an allergic reaction to food, medication or a virus or insect bite. The wheals vary in size and shape, and tend to come and go within a period of less than 24 hours. If this causes airway obstruction or is associated with a fall in blood pressure, the condition is termed anaphylaxis . In some cases the problem may be provoked by physical factors such as cold, scratching, pressure on the skin or sweating. Treatment for angioedema associated with urticaria is usually the same as the treatment for urticaria. When the condition lasts for months it is the classified as chronic causes that are external to the body are almost never found in these patients. Histamine, once released from mast cells, can make blood vessels leak fluid into and under the skin to cause swelling, and can stimulate pain-sensing nerves in the skin to cause itching. The treatment includes use of two types of antihistamines, and for severe episodes, corticosteroids taken orally. Symptoms of the hereditary enzyme deficiency problem typically include attacks of abdominal pain, vomiting, upper airway obstruction and visible non-itchy angioedema. This relatively rare disease requires treatment different from that of chronic urticaria and angioedema.

Causes of Urticaria

The common Causes of Urticaria :

The cause of acute generalized urticaria often is undetermined.
Emotional stress and exercise.
Acute Urticaria is an allergy due to exposure to pets, horses, latex rubber, food such as shellfish, nuts, egg and dairy products or bee and wasp stings.
Environmental factors (eg, pollens, chemicals, plants, danders, dust, mold).
Cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, cryofibrinogenemia, or syphilis.
Physical factors like cold, heat, exertion, ultraviolet radiation and pressure can cause hives in sensitive individuals.

Symptoms of Urticaria

Some Symptoms of Urticaria :

Urticaria (or hives) is an eruption of weals.
Appearance of brownish lesions on skin .
Headache.
Facial flushing .
Itching of the skin.
Diarrhea.
Swelling of the face, tongue or hands.
Welt or hive formation when lesions are rubbed or scratched.

Treatment of Urticaria

Avoid aspirin and codeine.
Frequent use of moisturizers on the skin may add an extra layer of protection.
Keep the skin cool.
Apply 1% menthol in aqueous cream to soothe the affected skin.
Oatmeal baths and anti-pruritic lotions can also be used to relieve the itching.
Highly specialised treatments may include Immunosuppressive drugs (Cyclosporine, Methotrexate, and Azathioprine), Androgens and Warfarin.
Oral steroids (prednisone) are useful for severe acute urticaria (have side effects).

Nails Care

Anychia
Clawing of the Nails
Clubbing
Discoloration of the Nail Plate
Ingrowing Toe Nail
Koilonychia
Longitudinal Striations
Loss of Nail Plate
Onycholysis
Paronychia
Pitting of Nail Plates
Pterygium
Thickening of Nail Plate
Transverse Ridges

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