📩 29/09/2023 12:19
Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association Board Member Prof. Dr. On October 1, World Urticaria Day, İnsu Yılmaz explained the common misconceptions about urticaria, which is commonly seen among the public and is known as hives. Why does urticaria occur?
How to get rid of urticaria quickly? What is urticaria? Is it dangerous? Who gets urticaria?
Although urticaria is not a life-threatening disease, it is among the diseases that seriously affect the quality of life. Stating that although the causative factor in acute urticaria is often unknown, infections, foods and medications can cause acute urticaria, Turkish National Allergy and Clinical Immunology Association Board Member Prof. Dr. İnsu Yılmaz said that antihistamine drugs are used in the treatment of acute urticaria, and in some cases cortisone treatment is also added. Stating that causal factors were subsequently investigated, Prof. Dr. İnsu Yılmaz underlined that in this process, it is necessary to question whether the patient has an infection, the use of medications and foods that may be triggers.
“Urticaria is caused by the body itself.”
Prof. stated that chronic urticaria is divided into two: chronic spontaneous urticaria and inducible urticaria. Dr. İnsu Yılmaz continued: “There is no causal factor in chronic spontaneous urticaria, which is more common than inducible urticaria. The body itself creates urticaria and eliminates it after a certain period of time. It may take an average of 5 years. It is a condition in which the body reacts by creating antibodies against its own cell (auto-allergy) or creates an immune response, which we call autoimmune, against its own allergy cell. In other words, it has no relationship with an external trigger such as food. Giving unnecessary nutritional diet to these patients will not regress the disease, but may stress the patient and exacerbate the disease. Antihistamines can be used in the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria, and in resistant cases, drugs such as omalizumab or cyclosporine can be used. Chronic inducible urticaria is the less common form of chronic urticaria. This group mostly consists of physical urticaria. Pressure-related urticaria, which we call symptomatic dermographism, solar urticaria, heat urticaria, vibratory urticaria, and cold urticaria are some of these.”
"Hurticaria can develop more easily in places that tighten the body, such as socks and belts."
Stating that the form called symptomatic dermographism is seen most frequently, Yılmaz said that in such cases, there is a constant itching in the body, there is redness and blistering in the areas where the patient scratches, and it disappears after a certain period of time. Yılmaz continued his speech as follows: “They feel this situation more in places that are exposed to pressure (areas exposed to pressure such as socks and belts). Another type of inducible urticaria is cholinergic (sweat urticaria) urticaria. It manifests itself with small pinhead-shaped rashes that occur especially with hot baths and sweating, and it is very itchy. Staying away from the stimulating factor and antihistamines can be used in the treatment of inducible urticaria. Our patients should never worry about this disease, they should know that the chronic form will definitely pass and they should never give up. “They should also know that there are medications that can control their urticaria.”