Urticaria or hives are red raised patches or bumps on the skin. It can occur anywhere in the body. The shape and size of the patches may vary. Depending on the duration of occurrence it can be divided as acute urticaria and chronic urticaria.
The hives may change the size and place during each episode, and each episode may last about 2 to 24 hours. The size may vary from less than 1cm to be larger than 8cm. The hives are sharply defined erythematous rim, round or oval or serpiginous.
Angioedema is like hives but occurs in a large area that involves the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. It may occur around eyes, lips and genitals. Usually, it subsides without complication. But when it occurs in throat, tongue or lungs, it will block the airways, and respiration may be arrested. And it is a serious condition.
Angioedema
Acute urticaria
Acute urticaria may be due to an allergic reaction and the exact cause for chronic urticaria is unknown, but considered to have an autoimmune cause. 80% of chronic urticaria is considered to be idiopathic.
Types of urticaria
Acute urticaria –may be due to food allergies, insect bites, infections, or medications.
Foods include shellfish, meat, certain food grains, etc.: certain food additives may also cause urticaria.
Chronic urticaria may last for years.
Immunologic
IgE -mediated urticaria.
Auto-immune urticaria
Immune contact urticaria
Physical urticaria
A-Dermographism-the hives occur after stroking or scratching the skin. Hives fade about in 30 minutes.
Dermographism
B-Cold urticaria-hives occur in areas exposed areas. Application of the ice cube for a few minutes to skin (Ice cube test) establishes the diagnosis.
C-Solar urticaria-hives occur after exposure to the sun.
D-Aquagenic urticaria- hives after contact with water of any temperature.
E-Cholinergic urticaria-exercise to the point of perspiration provokes the hives.
F- Pressure Angioedema-hives occur in areas of sustained pressure, for example, foot swelling after walking, and buttock swelling when seated.
Treatment
Patients have to watch for the triggering factors/foods. If identified should keep away from it till the treatment is over.
Homeopathic medicine is very effective for acute as well as chronic urticaria. The acute conditions are managed by short-acting homeopathic medicines, and also homeopathic medicines, which have special affinity to allergy to certain foods. In chronic cases, constitutional or miasmatic remedies are selected according to the homeopathic method. But certain medicines are specific for certain food allergies for eg ; Antim crud for urticaria from beef, from shellfish apis, bromum etc. ;
Apis mel, nux vom, urtica urens, ars alb, rhus tox ;are used for acute exacerbations.
Chronic cases can be treated with constitutional medicines like nat- mur, sulphur, calc carb, tuberculinum, sulphur etc;
