Diseases

What Is Urticaria (Hives)?

• Urticaria is a skin eruption which may be allergic or non allergic characterized by red spots or patches with intense itching or burning anywhere on the body. 
• These spots or patches are raised above the skin surface worsened by scratching or warmth. These rashes have a tendency to appear and disappear without leaving any marks.
• Urticaria is very common. It may be said that one in five person gets urticaria once in a lifetime. It is usually self limiting in many cases where no medication is required. In few cases this urticaria is recurrent and severe where it may last for months or even years.
• It is commonly called as hives or wheals or nettle rash or pitta in hindi.
• Urticarial rash may be present from few seconds to hours or even days.
• Urticarial rash is just a symptom showing itself at skin level resulting from allergic or immunological disturbance. Just treating the symptom is not sufficient. We need to treat the cause behind the symptom to eradicate the disease.  
• Mild urticaria may be caused due use of certain medicines, exposure to sunlight or due to some infection. If the symptoms last for more than six weeks it is termed as chronic urticaria.
• Homeopathy is the most effective mode of treatment for chronic and recurrent urticaria. Homeopathic medicines for urticaria acts curatively and not just symptomatically.

Hives (Urticaria) Causes

Urticaria is always thought to be allergic but in reality only 20% of cases is caused due to allergy to certain food or medicines which a person has eaten or certain chemicals or plants/animals a person has come in contact with. Patient is able to identify the allergen in most of the cases.

Immunological cause of Urticaria

In 80 % of cases allergic cause cannot be found. Blood and skin test for allergy is negative. This type of urticaria may be termed as immunological.

It can be termed as individual hypersensitivity to certain allergens such as

• Urticaria caused after exposure to heat, after exercise or pressure.
• After use of painkillers or anti hypertensive medicines or use of statins for cholesterol or non steroidal anti inflammatory medicines.
• Urticaria is caused or aggravated after taking alcohol or drugs.
• Emotional stress is one of the major aggravating factors in chronic and recurrent urticaria.
• Other systemic illness where immunity is compromised can cause urticaria.

Symptoms of Hives (Urticaria)

• Eruptions of urticaria may be seen as vertical lines or round or irregular patches. Sometimes it is seen as just redness over the pressure area. Eruption comes and goes randomly without leaving any mark.
• Eruptions are accompanied with intense itching and heat. Itching may be so intense that the patient may not be able to work or sleep.
• One of the variants of urticaria is called as angioneurotic edema where there is swelling along with eruptions. It may lead to medical emergency if respiratory organs are inflamed.
• Another variant of urticaria is dermatographism seen in 5% of cases.  It may be termed under pressure urticaria where due to increased sensitivity of skin whenever any object or fingernail is pressed over the skin, it shows raised eruptions of urticaria. These raised lines are associated with itching and swelling.
• One of the rare forms of urticaria most commonly seen in children is urticaria pigmentosa. There are brown patches on skin with severe itching. On rubbing or scratching these spots raised patches of urticaria are seen. These eruptions are typically seen over chest and forehead. 50% of cases gets resolved on its own before puberty but requires medication.

Homeopathy Treatment for Urticaria / Hives

Treatment of urticaria cannot be just giving anti allergic medicines or antihistamines. The treatment of urticaria should be addressed to treat the root causes involving immunity. The treatment should be able to correct the abnormal response of the body (hypersensitivity).

• Antihistamines or anti allergic medicines often gives symptomatic relief for some time say 8 to 10 hours. Then a person often requires these medicines again. Slowly it becomes habit forming and dose of medicines has to be increased.
• Whenever a patient visit to us we have two challenges- first to treat the dependency on these habit forming medicines and secondly to treat the disease proper.
• Homeopathy is the most effective mode of treatment for chronic and recurrent urticaria. The treatment is aimed at treating the immunological causes and tendencies hence offering cure from within.
• Urticaria is not a superficial disease as it is seen on skin. It is termed as a systemic disease and requires skillful and systemic medicines based on individual study rather than giving antihistamines to every patient of urticaria.
• Homeopathic medicines are 100% safe and free from side effects.
• At mysimilia homeopathy clinic we provide experience based medicines with 80% chances of complete recovery in all chronic urticaria cases.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Hives (Urticaria)

1) I get hives after exercise. Is it normal?

Urticaria rash or hives after exercise is a known condition. It is advisable to avoid strenuous exercise till you get a proper treatment for hives.

2) How do I get rid of urticaria?

Urticaria is a chronic condition which needs to be treated constitutionally. A short course of homeopathy medicines can cure urticaria.

3) Can hives be dangerous?

Hives are more annoying than dangerous except in few cases. In rare cases an urticaria outbreak is accompanied with fever, swelling in the throat, wheezing, or shortness of breath.