Urticaria is a disease accompanied by the formation of blisters on the surface of the skin. This disease in the modern world is being diagnosed more and more often, therefore the issue of treating this ailment is becoming increasingly relevant. Let's talk about how and how to treat urticaria.
There is an opinion that urticaria is an allergic reaction to contact with certain substances. However, this is not quite true. Sometimes the underlying disease is an autoimmune or pseudo-allergic nature. Therefore, urticaria cannot be considered a contagious disease, as is often thought.
Symptoms of the disease
The following symptoms are characteristic of urticaria:
- the appearance of blisters or rashes, accompanied by severe itching;
- general malaise;
- headache may be observed;
- temperature rises;
- tissue edema is observed;
- vesicles containing hemorrhagic exudate may appear;
- age spots may form.
Rashes come in various sizes: from very tiny dots to giant spots that can merge into a single whole.
The acute form of urticaria lasts several days, and the entire disease lasts at least 6 weeks. Acute urticaria can go into the chronic course of the disease or in a relapsing form. In this case, the rashes are converted into papules, which are accompanied by severe itching.
Types of urticaria
There are several types of disease. Let us consider each of them in more detail.
Cold urticaria
An attack begins when a person’s skin is exposed to low temperatures, such as cold water or air. The first signs appear in just a few minutes. Sometimes weakness or headache, as well as shortness of breath and tachycardia, can be observed. A variety of this type of ailment is a reflex urticaria, which develops not with general hypothermia of the body, but as a local reaction. The rash only covers the skin around the supercooled area of the body, while it itself remains intact.
Thermal urticaria
The disease manifests itself after overheating, in particular when visiting a bath. It manifests itself in the form of small elevations on the skin.
Urticaria of physical stress
A factor that can provoke this type of disease is a big load. In this case, vessels may swell, specific (wheezing) breathing appears, and a sharp decrease in blood pressure is also possible.
Mechanical (dermographic) urticaria
This type of disease develops due to skin irritation by mechanical action, for example, vibration can become a provocateur. An ailment manifests itself in the form of small linear elevations in the affected area.
Solar urticaria
It can form under the influence of sunlight. The attack passes several hours after the person goes into the shade.
Contact urticaria
In the process of contact of the skin or mucous membrane with certain substances, an attack of a urticaria of this type may develop. It is always accompanied by blisters, severe itching and burning. Quite often, latex becomes a provocateur. This type of urticaria may be accompanied by anaphylactic shock.
Factors affecting the formation of the disease
There are a number of reasons that can provoke the development of urticaria. When can it occur?
- After the use of "forbidden" drugs for the body, which is accompanied by an appropriate reaction.
- After eating some “undesirable” foods, which cannot but be reflected externally, in this case in the form of “patterns” on the skin.
- After a bite of small insects that can provoke an allergic reaction (hives) by injecting their poison under the skin of a person. In most cases, these are bees and ticks.
- It may be pollen, which, when inhaled, causes disease.
- Hypersensitivity to sunlight, low air temperature and other natural phenomena can also occur in the form of itchy urticaria blisters.
- Dental caries, tonsillitis, adnexitis are diseases that are directly related to the occurrence of chronic urticaria.
- Hereditary genetic predisposition.
- Helminthic infestations are helminths.
- Direct contact with the coat (animals, clothing).
- If we are talking about a baby who is breast-feeding, then the cause of the manifestation of urticaria may be improper nutrition of the mother.
In order to stabilize the patient's condition and prevent a change in form to a more complex (acute) one, it is necessary to diagnose the disease itself in a timely manner. With prolonged contact with the allergen in humans, there is an excessive accumulation of intracellular proteases (cathepsins) in the body, which is the cause of the prolonged course of urticaria, that is, a chronic form of the disease. The most persistent is the papular form of urticaria. This is when the disease was not detected, and its treatment was not carried out, which served as an occasion for the formation of dense papules (nodules) of red-brown color.
Adult urticaria treatment
How to treat urticaria in adults? Regardless of the course of the disease, treatment always begins with a change in diet. Possible allergens are excluded from the daily diet. For oral administration, enterosorbents are prescribed. The selection of such a complex of vitamins, which contains the necessary substances to maintain the normal functioning of the body.
In this case, the doctor usually prescribes ascorbic acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, and other medications. If the disease is accompanied by constipation, then laxatives and probiotics are prescribed.
Acute treatment
What is the treatment of urticaria in adults in this case? In an acute attack of urticaria, the following treatment is prescribed:
- antiallergic drug that reduces vascular permeability, as well as increasing their tone;
- antihistamines that relieve itching;
- ointments containing glucose steroids or anestezin, antiallergic gels.
If Quincke edema develops, then adrenaline hydrochloride is administered subcutaneously to the patient. With suffocation, it is necessary to administer intravenous corticosteroids, as well as antihistamines and calcium chloride. Additionally, the introduction of diuretic drugs.
Chronic treatment
A disease that has become chronic is amenable to therapy rather difficult. What is the treatment of urticaria in adults with this course of the disease?
Here, the daily routine, diet, and the elimination of chronic infections require special attention. To diagnose the disease, a number of laboratory tests are required to identify the source. Only after a comprehensive study, the doctor selects an individual treatment that not only relieves the symptoms of the underlying disease, but also eliminates the associated disorders.
Drug therapy in this case includes:
- Desensitizing drugs. Patients are prescribed a solution of sodium thiosulfate in a course consisting of 15 injections. Injections must be done either daily or every other day.
- Antihistamines.
- In the case of a severe course of the disease, glucocorticoid hormonal drugs are prescribed.
- If detoxification of the body is necessary, then hemosorption is prescribed.
- Medicines that can stimulate the activity of the adrenal glands.
Treatment of the disease in children
To the question of how to treat urticaria in children, there is no general answer. There is simply no single drug. A doctor can prescribe therapeutic treatment only after finding out the true causes of such a reaction.
Most commonly used drugs and procedures
Although there is still a certain technique. So, how to treat urticaria in children?
The first remedy that you need to give your baby with an attack is an antihistamine. Taking medications in this category can stop the development of the disease, as well as improve the well-being of the child.
You can use ointments, which include hormonal drugs. However, these funds are permissible to use only with severe development of urticaria, since in addition to an excellent therapeutic effect, the use of ointment can give many side reactions.
The next thing a baby is given is diuretics. This category of drugs accelerates the removal of fluid from the body, which helps to reduce swelling and, accordingly, improve the condition of a small patient. However, at the same time, electrolytes are eliminated from the body along with the liquid, so there is a need to control blood quality.
Absorbents, possessing excellent absorbent qualities, remove all harmful substances from the body. And since urticaria is a manifestation of an allergic reaction that occurs almost immediately after a provoking substance enters the body, there is a possibility that it has not yet been completely absorbed and can be eliminated with an absorbent.
Sometimes a child needs plasmapheresis. During this procedure, the resulting allergic complexes are removed from the blood plasma. However, plasmapheresis is used only in very severe cases.
How is urticaria treated in children if it provoked the development of Quincke edema
If Quincke's edema began to develop , then the following set of measures is carried out.
- The child needs to enter a solution of adrenaline.
- Then, the hormone Prednisolone is administered intravenously.
- Antihistamine drugs are prescribed.
- Diuretics are also administered intravenously.
- In severe cases, mechanical ventilation can be used.
There is already enough information on how to treat urticaria in hospitals. It's time to turn to traditional medicine.
Treatment of the disease with folk remedies
Let's talk about how to treat urticaria in children with folk remedies. There are a lot of treatment options, but remember, before using a prescription, you need to consult a doctor. What is the treatment of urticaria in children using "grandmother's" methods?
Here are some effective recipes.
- Insist 4 tablespoons of peppermint in 300 ml of hot water. Take the infusion three times a day, 50 ml.
- A glass of dry yarrow pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 40 minutes. Take the broth three times during the day, one third of a glass.
- An excellent natural diuretic is celery. The plant removes all excess fluid from the body. The root of the plant is ground on a grater, squeeze the juice and take it an hour before eating a tablespoon.
Alternative methods of treatment act only as additional means, but they cannot be a complete replacement for drug therapy. It is also necessary to make sure that the plant used does not become a source of allergies and does not exacerbate the course of the disease. Now you know how to treat urticaria with folk remedies.
Be healthy!