Symptoms of urticaria
The symptoms of urticaria have several manifestations.This may be a rash, flaky plaques and blisters. They are the most common symptom of the disease - they really look like a nettle burn: bright pink, with jagged edges, dense, very itchy and hot to the touch. Because of this, the rash is accompanied by a rise in temperature to 38 ° C. The peculiarity of urticaria is the sudden appearance of symptoms and their disappearance, leaving no traces. Usually blisters appear all over the body and limbs, less often - on the mucous membranes. This situation requires an immediate response, since due to swelling of the nasopharynx and larynx, there is a risk of suffocation. Acute and chronic types of urticaria are distinguished. In the acute form of the disease, typical for young children and adolescents, the attack lasts for several hours and is particularly intense. In just a few minutes, the child becomes covered in blisters, shows anxiety or becomes lethargic, and starts to be capricious. Against the background of an increase in temperature, children experience a lack of appetite, headache, fever, or chills. The first time, this can frighten the child's parents, because the process looks quite frightening. However, after a couple of hours, the hives and all the symptoms disappear, so they rarely go to the doctor. If moderate rashes appear regularly, remain for several days, and are renewed, this is an indicator that the disease has become chronic.
Causes of the disease
In adults, urticaria is quite common.rarely and, as a rule, in an acute form. Accompanied by an increase in temperature to 39 ° C, a feeling of acute discomfort in the whole body and increased irritability. It is necessary to carefully monitor the patient's condition, since the symptoms of urticaria can lead to the development of such severe consequences as Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock. If swelling of the face, neck and signs of suffocation appear, emergency medical care is needed. The development of the disease in adults is associated with disturbances in the functioning of internal organs (liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract) and a decrease in the functions of the immune system. The cause of urticaria in children is most often the periodic influence of allergens of both a food series and a physical nature. The autoimmune nature of the disease should not be excluded either. The appearance of symptoms, for example, is possible after taking a too warm bath, eating familiar foods, emotional outbursts or walking in nature. The specificity of external signs allows you to determine urticaria at the first symptoms. To alleviate the condition and stop the attack, you need to give the patient a mild antihistamine, for example, diazolin, loratadine (a child - 1 tablet, an adult - 2), take a cool shower. To remove food allergens from the body, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, take a laxative or a cleansing enema. This is especially important in the acute form of urticaria to avoid swelling. To prevent the disease from turning from acute to chronic, after eliminating the symptoms, you must consult a doctor. To establish a diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct skin tests, isolate blood antibodies and analyze the hormonal balance. Only based on the results of special procedures will an allergist-immunologist prescribe treatment.
Treatment of urticaria
Is it possible to get rid of hives once and for all?forever? It is unlikely that anyone will affirm or deny this unequivocally. One thing remains beyond doubt: the disease must be treated! Urticaria is treated with two main methods: medication and the so-called exclusion method. The essence of the method is that certain products are consistently removed from the patient's diet, contacts with possible physical irritants are stopped and the body's reaction is observed. The identified allergen factor is categorically excluded from consumption, after which improvement occurs very quickly. The method is successfully used to treat children under 6 years of age. Their living space is completely controlled by elders, so failures in the treatment program are unlikely. Concomitant medications are, as a rule, immunomodulators (for example, prednisolone group) and mild antihistamines to relieve symptoms. This method is used to treat both children and adults. The difference is that more intensive drug treatment is carried out in combination with an examination of the internal organs and general health improvement. Giving up bad habits, leading an active lifestyle and avoiding stressful situations will speed up recovery. Many people solve the problem of finding a provocative product by conducting provocative tests. After 2-3 days of fasting, the suspected allergens are introduced into the diet one by one. This system is not applicable to children, but women can easily withstand it and quickly achieve results. The duration of treatment for urticaria depends on individual indicators. For some children, one course and strict exclusion of the identified irritant is enough, while others regularly undergo a preventive course for many years. Experts unanimously state that to treat and prevent the disease, both children and parents need to strengthen their immune system and adhere to a diet.
