Skin Disorder : Urticaria
Urticaria (from the Latin urtica, nettle (whence It. ortica, Sp. ortiga, Pg. urtiga) urere, to burn) (or hives) are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions; however, there are many non-allergic causes.
Types of Urticaria :
- Acute urticaria 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.
- Chronic urticaria 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.
- Drug-induced urticaria 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.
Treatment and Management :
1. Chronic urticaria can be difficult to treat. There are no guaranteed treatments or means of controlling attacks, and some sub-populations are treatment-resistant, with medications spontaneously losing their effectiveness and requiring new medications to control attacks.
2. Most treatment plans for urticaria involve being aware of one’s triggers, but this can be difficult since there are several different forms of urticaria and people often exhibit more than one type.
3. Also, since symptoms are often idiopathic (unknown reason) there might not be any clear trigger. If one’s triggers can be identified then outbreaks can often be managed by limiting one’s exposure to these situations.