Urticaria

Urticaria is a common skin condition caused by a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction most commonly to food and drugs.

Urticaria can be either "acute" or "chronic".

Causes of acute Urticaria:

1.
Viral infections.

2.
Idiopathic.

3.
Radio contrast media.

4.
Wasp or bee.

5.
Antibiotics and sulphonamides.

6.
Fruits, seafood, nuts, diary, spices, tea, chocolate.

Infections are a very rare cause of Urticaria; antibiotics used to treat them are a much more common cause.

Chronic Urticaria: Chronic Urticaria is defined as widespread itchy hives for at least six weeks. Skin lesion is also present most of the times but not all the time. Chronic Urticaria is much more common in women. It is almost three times more found in women than in men. For chronic Urticaria no treatment is consistently effective. It can persist beyond 10 years.

Chronic Urticaria can be "physical Urticaria" which is defined as hives provoked by physical stimulus such as "cold Urticaria" due to cooling the skin, "dermographism" due to stroking of skin which includes due to skin writing, or clapping, or due to carrying heavy bag packs; "cholinergic Urticaria" due to exercise, emotion or heat; "solar Urticaria" due to sun exposure".

For most of the people with chronic Urticaria cause cannot be identified. Same is the case with me. I have been suffering from chronic Urticaria since 8 years with the cause still not identified. This condition started with itching in my back followed by swelling on eyes, ears and lips. Gradually it started spreading all over the body with itchy hives making the skin sensitive in later years. I have gone through all types of treatment in these 8 years, allopathic as well as homeopathic but nothing helped.

When no cause is found, chronic Urticaria is labeled as chronic Idiopathic Urticaria.