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Urticaria
Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that
appear in varying shapes and sizes. They range in size from a few millimeters to several inches in diameter. Hives can be round, or they can form rings or large patches. Wheals (welts), red lesions with a red "flare" at the borders, are another manifestation of hives. Hives can occur anywhere on the body, such as the trunk, Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions; however, there are many non-
allergic causes. For example, most cases of hives lasting less than six weeks (acute urticaria) are the result of an allergic trigger. Chronic urticaria (hives lasting longer than six weeks) are rarely due to an allergy. The majority of patients with chronic hives have an unknown cause. Perhaps as many as 30-40% of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria will, in fact, have an autoimmune cause. Acute viral infection is another common cause of acute urticaria (viral exanthem). Less common causes of hives include friction, pressure, temperature extremes, exercise, and sunlight. It may be true that hives are more common in those with One hallmark of hives is their tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours. Individual hives usually last two to 24 hours. Types of Urticaria
Acute urticaria
It usually show up a few minutes after contact with the allergen and can last a few hours to several weeks. Food allergic reactions often fit in this category. The most common food allergies in adults are shellfish and nuts. The most common food allergies in children are shellfish, nuts, peanuts, eggs, wheat, and soy. It is uncommon for patients to have more than 2 true food allergies. A less common cause is exposure to certain bacteria, such as streptococcus or possibly Helicobacter pylori. In these cases, the hives may be exacerbated by other factors. Chronic urticaria
It refers to hives that persists for 6 weeks or more. There are no visual differences between acute and chronic urticaria. Some of the more severe chronic cases have lasted more than 20 years. A survey indicated that chronic urticaria lasted a year or more in more than 50% of sufferers and 20 years or more in 20% of them. Of course this does mean that in almost half the people it clears up within a year and in 80% it clears up within 20 years or less. Drug-induced urticaria
It has been known to result in severe cardiorespiratory failure. The anti-diabetic sulphonylurea glimepiride (trade name Amaryl), in particular, has been documented to induce allergic reactions manifesting as urticaria. Other cases include dextroamphetamine, aspirin, penicillin, clotrimazole, sulfonamides and Physical urticarias
They are often categorized into the following: • Aquagenic: Reaction to water (exceedingly rare) • Cholinergic: Reaction to body heat, such as when exercising or after a hot • Cold (Chronic cold urticaria): Reaction to cold, such as ice, cold air or water - • Delayed Pressure: Reaction to standing for long periods, bra-straps, elastic • Dermatographic: Reaction when skin is scratched (very common) • Heat: Reaction to hot food or objects (rare) • Solar: Reaction to direct sunlight (rare, though more common in those with fair • Vibration: Reaction to vibration (rare) • Adrenergic: Reaction to adrenaline / noradrenaline (extremely rare)
Causes of Urticaria
EXOGENOUS CAUSES
INSECT BITES
• Exposure to extremes of heat and cold, sun. ENDOGENOUS CAUSES
• Fish, prawns, eggs, strawberry, masroom. PARASITES
PSYCHOGENIC
SYSTEMIC DISEASES
GENETIC PREDISPOSITION
CLINICAL FEATURES
LOCATION
• Mucous membranes of lips, mouth, pharynx, larynx. SYMPTOMS of Urticaria
• Erythema well defined, fades on pressure. • Subside within few hours without leaving any trace. • Wheals develop along line of scratching or pressure. COMPLICATIONS
• Common sites involved: eyelids, tongue, lips, glottis, genitalia, trunk, hands, GENERAL MANAGEMENT of URTICARIA
• Identify and eliminate offending agent. There is wonderful treatment for acute and chronic Urticaria in Homoeopathy. Thousands of patients are being treated with homoeopathic medicines at Homoeo Healing Center. You precious feedback is awaited at [email protected]

Source: http://www.homoeohealing.com/pdf/DR.pdf