Urticaria is a reaction that appears on the skin in the form of cones or changes in relief. As a rule, it appears due to an allergic reaction or from stress. It is characterized by itching, burning, the appearance of swelling, which appears and disappears anywhere on the body. In this article, we will get acquainted with the description of a rash with urticaria, and also find out what can cause it and how to treat this ailment.
Reaction Description
Urticaria is a completely natural ailment that everyone can face. It is caused by edema of the upper layer of the dermis. Up to 20% of the population experience this skin reaction at certain points in life. Urticaria does not divide people either by gender, or by age, or by state of health. It can hit absolutely everyone, it all depends on factors.
In medicine, there is such a term as angioedema, which means the development of edema under the skin. Although urticaria manifests itself with similar symptoms, it does not lead to a worsening of a person's condition. Angioedema can be caused by the same pathogenic factors as the itchy rash, but it differs in that fluid begins to accumulate deep in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Angioedema can be painful and burning, but usually does not cause itching. It is important to distinguish between these reactions in order to seek first aid in time.
Types of Dermatitis
Before you know the description of a rash with hives, you need to understand what it happens. The reaction on the skin is divided into acute and chronic:
- Sharp. The duration of the onset of symptoms is less than six weeks. Often passes independently, without any drugs.
- Chronic, or recurrent urticaria. Lasts more than 6 weeks. Medical intervention required.
Some people are faced with acute urticaria, which appears and passes literally in a few hours, days. Some, on the contrary, are faced with relapses. That is, the rash appears periodically over a long period.
Symptoms
Let's get acquainted with the description of the rash with urticaria, and also find out what symptoms accompany this type of dermatitis:
- The most common lesions: arms and legs, lower back and face. However, it is important to understand that urticaria can affect any part of the body.
- Common symptoms: itching, hyperemia (redness), swelling. The reaction may appear immediately after the allergen enters the body. Urticaria always appears in a chaotic manner, that is, a rash appears first, and then itching, and sometimes vice versa.
Description of a rash with hives
The foci appear as separate distinct pinkish-red edema ranging in size from two millimeters to thirty centimeters. Sometimes the diameter of the rash may increase. Usually, each formation has a clear edge. The foci, as a rule, consist of several inflammation on the skin and swelling.
How to identify a rash on the body? It is not so difficult to recognize urticaria. If you encounter a rash, just gently press the red bump. Always the center of swelling turns white.
With hives, a rash (photo you can see below) is accompanied by a slight burning sensation. There is an irresistible desire to comb the damaged area, because there is a feeling that something is scratching the skin. Often a person is faced with mild swelling of the hands, feet, mouth, genitals, neck. This edema is called angiodema, it usually goes away within 24 hours. But if you encounter this symptom, then make sure that you do not have a serious allergic reaction, which can worsen the condition and lead to difficulty breathing.
What causes dermatitis
You are now familiar with the description of the rash. Allergic urticaria, however, as well as usual, against the background of stress can occur in any person. It all depends on some factors. Your body can respond to certain allergens by triggering a reaction through the bloodstream that leads to itching, rash, and swelling. The known substance histamine also plays this role, causing hives.
In 90 percent of cases, the trigger was never found, despite extensive testing. These cases are also called idiopathic. In about 50 percent of idiopathic urticaria cases, swelling and pruritus are most likely caused by a reaction from the human immune system (autoimmune reaction).
Common allergens that lead to hives and rashes on the body (photos of products that change the level of histamine, you can see below):
- Pollen.
- Poisonous plants.
- Insect bites.
- Medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, narcotic painkillers or antibiotics.
- Various food and preservatives.
- Food allergens such as strawberries, fruits, eggs, nuts or shellfish.
- Animal hair.
- Stress.
- Latex.
- The introduction of contrast agents into human blood.
You may also encounter hives with hay fever, infection with viruses, bacteria, fungi. Upper respiratory infections, streptococcal infections and helminths (parasitic worms), monoculosis, fatigue, tight clothing, excessive sweating, rapid changes in body temperature, extreme weather, physical effects on the body (cold, heat, water, sunlight, pressure), blood diseases or cancer (leukemia), lupus, and other autoimmune diseases. This entire list can lead to hives. Often the causes of the rash are unknown.
Who is at risk
When studying the description of a rash by the type of urticaria, it is important to understand that this type of dermatitis can appear in people of all ages, races and both sexes. Moreover, the skin reaction is not contagious, is not considered dangerous or fatal, and is not accompanied by serious consequences.
Acute urticaria is most often found in children and young people, and chronic, on the contrary, is observed in women, especially middle-aged ones. Such dermatitis is very common, but is not a consequence of infection with a specific virus.
What is physical urticaria
A rash caused by factors such as cold, pressure, exposure to the sun is called physical urticaria. There are a number of reasons that lead to this type of dermatitis:
- Vibration, exercise, and excessive sweating.
- Inconvenient clothes, poor-quality material containing synthetic fibers.
How to diagnose
If you notice that a rash constantly appears on the skin, which periodically passes, and then reappears, then it's time to contact a dermatologist. This is especially true for parents who study the description of a rash in children with urticaria.
The specialist will look at the form of swelling, the affected area. In some cases, a dermatologist may prescribe additional tests: take blood, skin for a sample, urine, and do a biopsy. All tests performed will show if you had an allergic reaction and what caused it. However, in most cases, the cause of urticaria remains unknown.
How to recognize dermatitis
The most common and noticeable symptom of urticaria is swelling of the skin surface. The resulting rash is often located in a straight line. An outbreak of urticaria usually worsens very quickly, and it can occur on the surface within thirty minutes. This speed is considered one of the most characteristic symptoms of this type of dermatitis.
Swollen areas of the skin are accompanied by itching, and nearby ones become very sensitive. There are more serious manifestations of urticaria when angioedema occurs, and after the disappearance of all symptoms, small bruises remain on the surface.
Urticaria does not require treatment if it does not cause any discomfort. In order for the rash and other symptoms to go away and no longer arise, they only eliminate the allergen or other factor that could lead to dermatitis.
During this reaction, intense itching may appear, which sometimes becomes unbearable to such an extent that a person is ready to severely scratch the affected areas. Especially small children face this, which causes considerable concern among parents. In this case, it is important to distract and endure, because only a specialist should recommend other methods of treatment. You can take an antihistamine if you are sure that some kind of allergen caused hives.
Medical assistance is necessary in any case, therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you need to go to the hospital immediately. Hives can go so hard, causing swelling of the larynx, which leads to suffocation and then death. Only a specialist will determine your condition and tell you how best to get rid of dermatitis with all the accompanying symptoms.