Urticaria in adults is an allergic disease in which rashes and blisters appear on the skin and mucous membranes.
Causes of the disease
Urticaria in adults appears when exposed to external (exogenous) and internal (endogenous) factors. External provoking factors of the disease can be exposure to sunlight, chemicals, medications, mechanical stress. Internal causative factors may be diseases of the internal organs and nervous system. Urticaria in adults, regardless of the cause, has many common links in pathogenesis. After exposure to the etiological factor, the release and accumulation in the tissues of active substances, such as histamine, occurs. They cause an increase in the permeability of the walls of blood vessels, swelling of the tissues and the appearance of blisters.
Allergic reactions of the body can trigger foreign proteins, protein products. An incompletely digested protein, entering the bloodstream, causes the formation of antibodies to this product. The same thing happens when toxins from the outside or from any disease are formed. Allergies to pathogens are known. Urticaria in adults can develop with diseases of the nervous system (cholinergic urticaria), as a result of increased release of acetylcholine with an irritating effect on the parasympathetic nervous system.
Manifestations of urticaria
After exposure to a causative factor, dense, pink blisters of various sizes and shapes appear on the skin or mucous membranes. Their size can range from a few millimeters to several centimeters. With timely treatment, the blisters quickly and completely disappear.
Several types of urticaria are known:
- acute urticaria. It is characterized by a sharp sudden onset, severe skin itching and skin rashes. Not so often you can see the appearance of blisters on the mucous membranes. Bubbles come in different sizes, can merge. This type of allergy is characteristic of a reaction to medicines or products.
- acute limited Quincke's edema, appears unexpectedly in the form of limited edema of tissues, face (urticaria on the face). Complaints presented to patients are minor, only sometimes, when the neck and larynx are involved in the process, there may be a feeling of lack of air.
- chronic urticaria appears against the background of prolonged sensitization of the body with chronic infection, diathesis, and a disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Repeated occurrences of blisters are noted in different parts of the skin, exacerbations alternate with calm. Together with the appearance of rashes, general malaise, dyspepsia, severe skin itching, insomnia and irritability are possible.
- solar (pigmented) urticaria is a type of photodermatosis. It is characteristic of individuals with liver diseases, impaired porphyrin metabolism. This type of disease is manifested by rashes located in open areas of the body. It is characterized by seasonality (warm season with maximum solar activity). Such people should not be exposed to the sun for a long time, as this can cause a deterioration in the state in the form of a general reaction of the body with impaired respiratory and cardiac activity.
Diagnosis of urticaria is usually straightforward. Perform differential diagnosis with other types of dermatoses.
Treatment of all types of urticaria consists in the possible elimination of the cause, the appointment of antihistamines, hypersensitizing drugs (calcium preparations), diet, and bowel cleansing with sorbents. Outwardly, ointments that relieve itching, hormonal ointments are used on the skin . Sedatives are used.