Gentowa

The typical symptoms, i.e. the itchy papules appear fast. They develop themselves even after several hours since the allergy reaction start (after allergen food consummation, after insect sting, medication administration, etc.). They can persist on the same place for hours, disappear later on, but usually, reappear elsewhere.

If the state of health lasts for a long time, the symptoms might not be caused by the IgE antibody mediated allergy. We should take into account even the immunocomplex reaction (III.type) or other diseases, as well.

The urticaria can reappear after a shorter or longer period of time. It can be also the episode, from which the patients do not have to suffer for years.

The acute urticaria lasts several hours; hence the total time of the particular episodes should not overrun 6 weeks.

The chronic urticaria takes more than 6 weeks. It can last for months or years. In this case, the atopic process should be excluded.

What causes the urticaria?

The most frequent allergy reaction causes, which lead to the urticaria, include:

● medications: usually antibiotics, although the reaction can occur after any medication

● food: including small amounts of chocolate, fish, nuts, eggs, etc.

● bee or wasp sticks

The significant part of the urticaria symptoms do not belong to the allergic reaction. The mediators – the one, who are released during the allergic reaction, can be released even in other ways (we talk about the pseudo-allergic reaction). The urticaria can appear even after the first contact with the person having the irritating factors.

Urticaria (nettle hives) is named after well known weed, which causes typical small itching papules with modifying form and ephemeral appearance. It is caused by the mastocytes, which release the mediators responsible for the widening of the skin arteries and hence the increased penetrability of the arteries.

The angiooedemy is basically the same disease unit with small difference -the widen and permeable arteries are situated mainly in the subcutaneous tissue. One third of the patients suffer from the urticaria and angiooedemy at the same time.

Urticaria is considered to be relatively common disease, which affects patients of all age groups. While sudden and quick reactions appear especially in the childhood, the chronic and often long lasting urticaria is typical for adults. The disease affects the middle aged women the most.

How does urticaria look like?

The basic and characteristic symptom relates to the urticarial papules. The papules look like narrow, or more likely wide flat bulge with the diameter of one centimetre or more. The colour of the papule is pink, however white or red types can occur, as well. The papules can vary in size (from one to even twenty centimetres). They also have different forms – oval, longwise – or can even form various patterns. Their amount can differ, as well, containing two, three or more papules affecting the whole body.

Urticaria can appear everywhere including the hair part of the head, food arch and palms.

Its peculiarity relates to the changing nature of the symptoms and their evanescence. The symptoms disappear after several hours and reappear elsewhere – as if they are wandering.

In addition to the cosmetic handicap the patients suffer from unbearable itching of the papules. Since the scratching can not be stopped deliberately the patients have scratched skin and often even blood welts on feet besides the typical symptoms.

The papules are often combined with angiooedemy, which is a swelling of larger area, coming from the subcutaneous tissue. It usually affects the area around the mouth or the eyes. It can appear even elsewhere – affecting the neck, ears, palms, foot arches and genitals. The mucosa can be affected, as well – in the case of the mouth cavity it comprises the tongue, pharynx and larynx. This case is considered to be very serious since the patients run the risk of choking on it. The intestinal mucosa swelling is combined with diarrhoea, from time to time with the constipation.

The synovial joint cover, bronchus and other tissues can be swollen. The angioneurotic oedema (also called the Quinck oedema) of larger size, especially the one, which affects the mucosa tissues, is serious clinical state, which should be treated by specialists immediately.