According to medical statistics, urticaria at least once in a lifetime has been ill from 20 to 30% of the population of our planet. And those who have never suffered this disease themselves, to one degree or another, have at least a general idea of ​​it. The opinion that this is a childhood illness is absolutely wrong. Urticaria (Urticaria), related to skin diseases (mainly allergic in nature), can occur in people of all ages. In our review article, we will try to tell what causes urticaria in adults, how to treat it, and also talk about generally available preventive measures that will help prevent this disease.
External signs of the manifestation of the disease
What does urticaria look like in adults? The main external signs of the disease are the appearance on the body of numerous severely itchy redness, thickening, inflammation, spots and blisters (fairly flat) of red or pink color. In appearance, edema is largely reminiscent of nettle burns (hence the common name). The development of the disease can occur very rapidly: neoplasms on the body can appear within just a few minutes. The size of the edema varies from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters. Over time, several small blisters can merge into one. External symptoms of urticaria appear on the legs, arms, back, stomach and other parts of the body. It is especially dangerous for human health when edema affects the respiratory tract (a person begins to choke) and genitals (which makes it impossible to urinate).
Minor symptoms
Concomitant urticaria symptoms in adults look like a sudden onset of muscle weakness, headache, nausea, chills, runny nose, diarrhea, fever, fever and cough. These secondary symptoms sometimes make it difficult to make a correct diagnosis, especially if inflammation of the skin is not too pronounced. You can easily confuse the disease, for example, with conventional food poisoning.
The mechanism of occurrence and development of urticaria
What is urticaria in adults? The composition of human skin (and other connective tissues) includes mast cells that have histamine-filled capsules inside. When an allergic reaction occurs in the human body, this substance is released, through the capillary vessels it enters the subcutaneous space, accumulates and causes swelling and a rash. That is, the mechanism of the disease is the rapid release of histamine from mast cells.
If puffiness can be stopped within 36 hours, then no damaged areas remain on the skin. Otherwise, damage to the walls of the blood vessels begins.
Important! If during the course of the disease the swelling spreads to the respiratory system, this can lead to the most serious consequences. In this case, emergency medical care is needed!
Varieties
There are two main varieties of urticaria:
- Sharp. The duration of the disease usually does not exceed 5-6 weeks. As a rule, it is possible to get rid of external manifestations with proper and timely treatment within 24-36 hours.
- Chronic Symptoms may occur within a few months (in especially severe cases, even several years). According to experts, about 0.1% of humanity is currently suffering from this disease.
Please note: one of the most dangerous types of acute urticaria is Quincke's edema. It is accompanied by the rapid formation of seals in the eyes, lips and cheeks. The main danger is possible laryngeal edema, which can lead to asphyxiation (with all the ensuing consequences). To prevent death, urgent medical treatment is required.
Causes of Allergic Hives
The main reason for the appearance of urticaria in adults is the body's reaction to a specific allergen. Moreover, a person may not even guess what substance was the “provocateur” of the disease. The main triggers that cause a true allergic reaction of the body are food, medicines, chemical compounds (including household detergents), pet hair, insect bites (bees, wasps, ticks, flies or cockroaches), and pollen, and oddly enough, even ordinary household dust. In some cases (even when conducting comprehensive examinations and numerous laboratory tests), the true cause of the manifestation of the disease cannot be determined.
One of the reasons for the appearance of urticaria in adults, however paradoxical it may sound, is age. With its increase (especially after 40 years), allergic reactions of the human body intensify. And, as a result, Urticaria can be a reaction to any everyday food product or habitual medicine.
On a note! If you found obvious signs of urticaria in an adult after sleep, then, most likely, the reason could be the bites of the so-called bed tick. In addition to treating the disease itself, it is necessary to properly process all bedding (mattress, pillows, blanket, and so on).
Non-allergic causes of the disease
In addition to allergies, the causes of hives in adults can be:
- various (especially chronic) diseases of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, thyroid gland;
- pathogenic bacteria and viruses;
- inflammatory processes;
- stressful situations;
- intestinal parasites;
- body reaction to a sharp drop in ambient temperature or solar activity.
Diagnostics
An experienced specialist during the examination of the patient and a visual examination of the skin rash can find out what causes urticaria in adults. To make the correct diagnosis, the doctor (dermatologist, allergist or immunologist), first of all, will need the patient’s detailed answers to his questions:
- When did the appearance of external signs begin?
- Was there an insect bite before it and, if so, which one?
- What medications (and in what dosages) did the person take before the incident?
- What did the patient eat during the day?
- What chronic diseases does the patient suffer?
- Have any contact with animals or chemicals?
As a rule, an experienced specialist with detailed answers to the above questions will be enough to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. The main thing is to find out the cause of the appearance of urticaria, because the next encounter with this allergen can lead to more serious consequences.
In chronic urticaria, laboratory tests are prescribed:
- general and biochemical blood analysis;
- test to identify problems with the immune system;
- skin tests;
- determination of the content of immunoglobulin E (its increased concentration indicates a predisposition to allergic reactions of the body, including urticaria);
- stool analysis to identify the presence of parasites in the body;
- checking the functioning of the kidneys, liver, thyroid gland and gastrointestinal tract.
Since sometimes even laboratory tests do not allow revealing the true cause of urticaria, a journal with records of all events preceding the incident will help to identify a trigger in case of chronic recurrent disease. The subsequent analysis of systematized data greatly simplifies the search for a “provocateur”.
Drug treatment of acute urticaria
Various antihistamines have been used successfully to treat acute urticaria. Most of these medicines are dispensed without a prescription. And although experts do not recommend medical medication, success in the fight against the disease largely depends on the efficiency (often running to the pharmacy for a medicine will take much less time than waiting for the arrival of the local doctor).
The list of the most popular and very effective drugs that are used for hives in adults: Diazolin, Cetrin (Cetirizine), Zirtek, Fexofenadine, Erius. These medications help block the negative effects of histamine, reduce external rashes, and stop painful itching. In most cases, after the surgical use of these medications, a positive effect is observed. But further actions related to how and how to treat urticaria in adults should be performed only after consulting a specialist. It is he who will determine the duration of the course of treatment and give all the necessary recommendations.
Treatment of chronic urticaria
In the treatment of chronic urticaria, antihistamines (even in sufficiently large doses) cannot quickly reduce swelling and itching. How to treat urticaria in adults in this case? Specialists use special hormonal drugs - glucocorticosteroids for the treatment of chronic urticaria. The most famous and commonly used medications of this group, produced in the form of tablets or injections: "Prednisolone", "Dexamethasone", "Prednisone", "Triamcinolone", "Betamethasone".
Using hormones on a regular basis is quite difficult due to the risk of such serious side effects as osteoporosis, glaucoma, diabetes, as well as weakening of the immune system as a whole. Therefore, the so-called monoclonal antibodies have recently been successfully used to treat severe cases of frequently recurring urticaria. The injection drug Omalizumab (Omalizumab or Xolair) blocks the molecules of the protein immunoglobulin E, which plays a major role in allergic reactions of the body. A positive effect is observed even in the treatment of urticaria of unknown origin. The course application of this drug leads not only to the elimination of symptoms, but also removes the causes of a chronic disease until its complete cure.
First aid for urticaria in adults
Prior to examination by a doctor and prescribing treatment methods, the patient can give himself first aid at home:
- First of all, we ventilate the room;
- we accept any anti-allergic agent (if it is available in the home medicine cabinet);
- take off clothes or put on more loose (from soft, non-traumatic skin materials);
- take a cool shower or bath;
- apply cold compresses to the most itchy areas;
- we go to bed (you can not carry urticaria on your legs in any case).
When is emergency medical assistance required?
In severe cases of allergic urticaria, urgent medical attention is required. The main features for calling an emergency are:
- swelling of the lining of the mouth, tongue, lips, and throat;
- labored breathing;
- high body temperature (39 ° C or more);
- loss of consciousness or inadequacy in the presentation of thoughts;
- heart palpitations;
- severe nausea and vomiting;
- cold and clammy skin.
If a patient with the above symptoms is not provided with emergency medical care, this can lead to very serious consequences, up to a fatal outcome.
Diet
An important role in the treatment of urticaria is played by strict adherence to a certain diet. First of all, foods that affect histamine reproduction in the mast cells of the body should be excluded from the diet. These include spinach, chocolate, strawberries, fatty meats, tomatoes, yogurts, fish and other seafood (shrimp, crab and so on). Also during the treatment period you can not drink alcoholic beverages, honey (and other sweets), eggs, coffee and strong tea.
What you can eat with hives: porridge (oat or rice), boiled potatoes, fresh vegetables (cabbage, zucchini or cucumbers), boiled meat of low-fat varieties (turkey, chicken breast or beef), pears and apples.
Folk remedies in the fight against urticaria
The treatment of urticaria with folk remedies in adults should be approached with extreme caution. Some ingredient (or maybe several at once) may be a trigger for an allergic reaction, which the patient may not even suspect, since he has not encountered it in everyday life. Before putting into practice recipes of traditional healers, it is better to consult with a specialist first.
How to relieve itching with an urticaria in an adult:
- Pour a mixture of equal parts of a string, chamomile and oak bark with boiling water. Let it brew for 1-1.5 hours. We filter the broth and gently moisten the blisters with it.
- Grated raw potato gruel applied to the inflamed areas helps significantly reduce itching and swelling.
- To reduce pain symptoms, a bath helps with the addition of infusion of Valerian leaves, celandine, St. John's wort and a string of water to the water.
Two simple and affordable recipes for the treatment of urticaria in adults with folk remedies:
- Pour mint leaves with boiling water and insist 30-40 minutes. Take orally three times a day before meals.
- Tea made from walnut leaves, prepared at the rate of 2 teaspoons per 0.5 l of water. A cooking feature is the brewing time - at least 10 minutes.
Preventative measures
With a question about what happens in hives in adults and how to treat it, we briefly figured out. However, the implementation of fairly simple preventive measures will significantly reduce the risk of this disease:
First of all, it is necessary to completely eliminate contacts with specific allergens known to a person from personal experience or identified during clinical trials.
Getting rid of bad habits (for example, drinking alcohol and smoking) will not only positively affect overall physical health, but also strengthen the anti-allergic capabilities of the body. Timely treatment of gastrointestinal, liver and kidney pathologies will help reduce the likelihood of urticaria.
Both overheating and overcooling of the body should be avoided. Therefore, sunbathing and walking in the cold should be reasonably dosed. Emotional stresses not only undermine the nervous system, but can also trigger the occurrence of urticaria. Therefore, naturally, whenever possible, they should be avoided, or at least minimized.
And the last (but no less important) thing to pay attention to is the daily diet. The exclusion of highly allergenic products from it significantly reduces the likelihood of a disease.