Get Detailed Information on Urticaria

Urticaria (Hives) is a condition in which there are raised red spots or eruptions of various size on the surface of the skin, often itchy, which come and go. It is usually an allergy to a drug or some food item. Urticaria may vary in size and may join together to form larger swellings.

Urticaria is a common disorder, characterised by formation of weals on the skin. The disease is also known as nettle-rash as the rash of urticaria resembles the sting of a nettle. The disease may be acute, Chronic, or recurrent.

Urticaria is an allergic skin rash also known as 'nettle rash' or hives. There are two distinct types: acute urticaria is often caused by an allergy and can last between several hours and six weeks; chronic urticaria persists beyond six weeks. Most hives go away within days to a few weeks. Occasional unlucky individuals will have itches and swellings that come and go over many years. Urticaria is classified as either acute or chronic. Acute urticaria is defined as urticaria that has been present for less than 6 weeks.

The physical urticarias form a heterogeneous group of diseases due to the wide range of eliciting stimuli or clinical pictures as well as their association with other types of urticaria. Dermographic, cold, and pressure urticaria often occur together with chronic idiopathic, cholinergic, or other physical urticarias. In contrast, solar or heat urticaria mostly appear either as isolated diseases or are associated only with other types of physical urticaria.

Angioedema, on the other hand, is usually not red or itchy, but tends to sting and burn, and can be described as “numbness.” This swelling can be severe, and if it affects a person’s ability to breathe, can be life-threatening.

Urticaria also called nettle-rash or hives or wheals in a common language, simply means itching with rash and mainly effects the neck, arms, legs and trunk of the children. Urticaria is an allergic reaction pattern of the skin, characterized by eruption of wheals or hives, which are itchy, transient, reddish and edematous swelling of the skin and mucosal surfaces that spread by peripheral extension and assume bizzare patterns on the skin. Wheals are caused by release of histamine and other chemical mediators which are released by mast cells which accumulate in the dermis of the skin as a response to some immunological or non immunological allergic response in the body.

Hives may appear at any point on the body once the trigger has happened. This may indicate a cause straight away. For example, if the rash appears on the arms or legs, a sun allergy may be responsible. The rash may have appeared underneath a new ring, which could indicate a reaction to a certain metal contained within the ring.

Hives are raised, often itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin. They are usually an allergic reaction to food or medicine. Hives caused by touching cold objects are often caused by infection and often stop after a person takes antibiotics. Doctors usually recommend avoiding aspirin, the most common drug cause of hives. In hives, which is also called urticaria, large red, raisM patches (wheals) appear suddenly on the skin, accompanied by itching. The patches can range up to the size of a half dollar or sometimes even larger.