Urticaria | Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Diet for Urticaria
Urticaria | Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Diet for Urticaria
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. Chronic urticaria is defined as urticaria that has been continuously or intermittently present for at least 6 weeks. The 6-week period is a guide and not an absolute demarcation.Skin lesions and pruritus occur, caused by an allergic or nonallergic mechanism.
What is the Cause of Urticaria?
It is told that anything under the sun, including the sun, can cause urticaria. The common causes of urticaria or hives include food and food additives, medications, toxins from insect bites, plants and infectious agents, chemicals, water, sun, physical agents like pressure, friction, sweating, cold, heat, endocrinal abnormalities like hyperthyroidism, malignancies like leukemia, lymphomas, colon cancer etc, contact allergy, inhalants like dust or pollen, stress, and, finally, the chronic idiopathic urticaria where no cause could be identified even after extensive investigations.
Urticaria symptoms
Red or white patches on the skin
Raised red and white patches appear on the skin. They are accompanied by burning,intense itching, and stinging. Rubbing and scratching usually aggravate the condition. The outbreak of urticaria is sudden and the disease may affect any part or the entire body. The eruptions may be as small as pin heads or as large as a rupee. The eruption may fade in a few minutes or an hour in one place, but may appear in another.
Fever, Digestive distubances etc.
Other symptoms which accompany hives are fever, digestive disturbances, and prostration. The disorder lasts from a day or two to a week. Recovery is rapid and complete, though recurring attacks may take place at varying intervals.
Urticaria treatment -
The best treatment for urticaria is to identify and avoid the cause and any aggravating factor.
Doctors prescribe anti-histamines for immediate relief of symptoms. Antihistamines, when taken orally, take about an hour or so to relieve a rash. They work best if taken on a regular basic to prevent the eruption of urticaria. To avoid side-effects like drowsiness, heaviness, non-sedative antihistamines are often taken side by side.
Elimination diets are not of much help unless a particular food allergen is suspected.
Urticaria diet
Urticaria : Home Remedies suggested by users
All-fruit diet
As urticaria usually has its origin in the gastro-intestinal tract, the best way to commence the treatment is to adopt an all-fruit diet for about five days. In this regimen, the patient should take three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as oranges, apples, pineapples, grapes, pears, peaches, and papayas. The patient should drink a copious amount of hot water.
Well balanced food intake
After the all-fruit diet, the patient may embark upon a well balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits and raw vegetable salads
Food to avoid during Urticaria
The patient should avoid tea, coffee, alcohol, all flesh foods, refined foods, and all foods which are difficult to digest
Water and Lemon intake
He should drink at least eight glasses of water daily between meals. A glass of water containing the juice of half a lemon may be taken one hour before each meal and also between meals. The patient should spend two or three days on an all-fruit diet, at regular intervals. This will further cleanse the system of toxic matters and help recovery.
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Home Remedies For Urticaria
Oral antihistamines control wealing and itching for the majority of patients with urticaria. Avoid aspirin and codeine. It is usually safe to take paracetamol and the newer Cox-II inhibitor anti-inflammatories and avoid alcohol. Non-sedating antihistamines (loratidine, fexofenadine, terfenadine, cetirazine, and astemizole) are less likely to cause drowsiness than the less expensive conventional antihistamines.
They may be unsuitable in pregnancy. Terfenadine and astemizole may increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms. They should be avoided if you have heart disease or you are also taking erythromycin, ketoconazole and some other medications. Fexofenadine, loratidine, desloratidine and cetirazine are safe. Oral steroids (prednisone) are useful for severe acute urticaria but unsuitable long term because of serious adverse effects. Antifungal agents, used to clear an assumed underlying infection.
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