Hives: Allergens that get under the skin.
Reddented and swollen eyes, a runny nose and constant sneezing are among the classic signs of an allergy for many people. But often the skin also reacts to contact with pollen, animal hair & Co. It comes to the formation of skin elevations, which stem from a spontaneous hives. But what is this actually?
Spontaneous hypersensitivity, not a classic allergy.
Hives are, contrary to expectation, not a classic allergy, but a "hypersensitivity reaction" to certain substances. It is true that here, too, the immune system overreacts and produces increased histamine to fight the supposedly dangerous allergens. However, this occurs without the involvement of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that is involved in almost all other immediate-type (type 1) allergies. Hives can take many forms and have a wide variety of causes. In this article, we will only talk about spontaneous hives as they can occur in acute form - in the context of an allergic reaction.
The symptoms: wheal formation and severe itching.
Hives, whose medical name is urticaria, owes its name to the stinging nettle, Latin Urtica. Just as with contact with the plant, the skin also reacts in spontaneous urticaria with a suddenly appearing skin rash, which triggers acute, intense itching, but should disappear after a short time.
On the affected areas, the skin appears whitish to pale red and has itchy and burning elevations (quaddles). These are caused by stored tissue fluid and can vary in size (from a punctate elevation to the size of a palm). The wheals usually disappear within a few hours, but may reappear in a different location. If the affected person succeeds in not scratching the skin areas despite strong itching, the hives do not leave any scars.
Please see a doctor if the hives form regularly, the symptoms are very pronounced or last longer than six weeks, in order to avoid long-term risks. This is because, if left untreated, hives can become chronic and trigger sleep disorders that can lead to difficulty concentrating or, in the worst case, depression. This is mainly due to the intense itching and skin deformities, which are a major psychological burden for those affected.
Measures to relieve the itching.
Spontaneous acute urticaria can be treated with the help of various preparations from the pharmacy, which aim to relieve the symptoms. These include:
- antihistamine-containing tablets taken as part of allergy treatment,
- antihistamine-containing creams for local treatment of the affected areas of the skin,
- menthol-containing gels for cooling,
- superficial anesthetic creams to stop the severe itching.