Do you know what to do if you have these skin problems? Here is some basic advice.

Urticaria, otherwise known as hives, is a skin reaction that causes appear as reddish or whitish lesions, usually accompanied by itching or a rash. Despite their dramatic appearance, these weals that appear on the skin usually only last between two and six hours, and then disappear, leaving no marks on the skin.

They tend to appear on the trunk, buttocks and chest. In rare cases, inflammation can appear in deeper layers of the skin and on the lips, eyes and throat, making it difficult to breathe.

However, the most frequent reactions are not usually serious, and always involve the appearance of weals, which may change shape, grow, disappear and reappear, or spread to create larger areas. The entire affected area also itches and burns.

What causes this reaction?

1. Allergy: The body may be hypersensitive to certain foods (seafood, nuts, eggs, milk, kiwis, strawberries, etc.), to the fur of some animals (cats, bird feathers, dogs), pollen from plants or to drugs (penicillin, sulfonamides, aspirin). In these cases, the body releases histamine, which causes inflammation and itching.
2. Dermographism: these are different hives that appear when the skin overreacts to friction or rubbing, scratching or wearing tight clothing.
3. Due to changes in body temperature: you may get a rash if you have a very hot bath, when you sweat heavily during intensive exercise, fever or nerves. This type is called cholinergic urticaria.
4. Reaction to cold or to the sun: your skin can also become red and inflamed when exposed to cold, wind or cold water. Another type of rash is sun rash, caused overexposure to the sun or to tanning lamps.

How to treat hives

What is most important when it comes to treating hives is to identify the trigger so that you can avoid any recurrence.

– Watch out for difficulty swallowing or breathing. If this happens, treat it as an emergency and contact a doctor to prevent suffocation.

– Try not to rub your skin.

– Do not apply powders or ointments to your skin without consulting a professional.

– People with hives can eat as normal.

– Go to the emergency department if you have breathing difficulties, if you are hoarse or wheezing, if you cannot swallow or are dribbling, if your face swells up or when the hives appear when you have eaten something or have been bitten or stung by an insect.

Your doctor will probably start by prescribing antihistamines, which will make the hives or rash disappear, although they may make you feel sleepy and tired.

Most hives are caused by an infection. Allergies are a less common cause. Outbreaks of hives usually last for seven to eight days, but they can go on for weeks.

Hives can affect both men and women. Although they are more frequent during adolescence and early adulthood, they can occur at any age.

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