Is Homeopathy reliable for Urticaria ?

Homeopathy has had successes with a lot of diseases.

Do you know about homeopathy when it comes to urticaria?

Urticaria is a skin problem caused by the release of a fluid called histamine by the body cells into the skin. It can be itching and painful. Urticaria Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners use highly diluted preparations to cure  skin problems.

Homeopathic remedies usually do not have any side effects, but you should consult a doctor for a prescription.

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Urticaria is a skin problem caused by release of a fluid called histamine by the body cells into the skin. It can be itchy and painful. Urticaria Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners use highly diluted preparations to cure skin problems, such as when treatingchronic idiopathic urticaria, physical urticaria, and contact urticaria, etc. Urticaria homeopathy can be very effective in most cases.

According to homeopathic approach, urticaria must be looked upon as an external sign of the internal system dysfunction and should be treated in conjunction with a thorough assessment of the entire human system instead of just treating the skin. The homeopathic principles state that skin affections are typically a sign of an internal problem, usually, as a result of lowered immunity and are not treated only with external applications. Most of the homeopathic medicines work towards eliminating the basic sensitivity to the triggers that cause urticaria in the first place.

The homeopathic approach not only treats urticaria but also eliminates the tendency to this hypersensitivity by treating the underlying causes. After using homeopathic medicines, the texture of the patient’s skin also improves.

Following are some preventive measures in accordance with homeopathy to eliminate the effects of urticaria:

• You should spot and eradicate the underlying causes, including foods that may cause allergies, drugs, if patient is taking any, acidic fruit, emotional stress, and infections or illness.

• Try to cover your skin before going out in winter to avoid cold exposure to skin or you may develop cold induced urticaria. Also, try to avoid other triggers, such as stress, insects, etc.

• Try to avoid different activities, such as exercising, cycling, etc. that cause extreme sweating.

• Avoid direct sun exposure by wearing proper clothing and applying sunscreen when going outdoors.

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes, as well as other forms of tobacco.

What is Urticaria?

Urticaria, commonly referred to as hives, is a dermatological disorder that appears as red, raised eruptions on skin. It is also characterized by itching. The eruptions are of various sizes.

Symptoms of Urticaria

Red and white eruptions appear on the skin. These patches can appear on any part of the body. The eruptions may disappear after some time and reappear on another part. They will be characterized by itching, burning, and stinging. The symptoms may also include problems with digestion, fever, and weakness. Sometimes, changes in voice may also occur.

Causes of Urticaria

Urticaria can manifest due to food allergies, such as fish, eggs, tomatoes, chocolate, strawberries, cow’s milk, and spinach. Drugs such as penicillin, codeine, NSAIDs, and aspirin can also lead to this condition. Respiratory infections, fungal infections, hepatitis, malaria, and HIV can also cause urticaria. The bites of insects, such as bees, bedbugs, mosquitoes, and caterpillars can also trigger outbreaks. Stress, exposing the skin to extreme heat or cold, latex exposure, and environmental factors, such as dust, chemicals, and pollen may also be responsible for urticaria outbreaks. Exercising and pregnancy may cause this condition as well. It can occur in any age group. Contact with metals, such as nickel, using gloves, rubber materials, silk, or wool can lead to this condition. Insect repellents, dyes, hair sprays, nail polish, hand cream, perfumes, and toothpaste represent many of the things that we use daily, which can also cause an outbreak. Inhaling house dust, aerosols, animal dander, and mold spores can trigger urticaria. Some preservatives used in food may also be responsible.

Consuming a fruit-only diet for five days may be helpful in the treatment of this painful condition. After five days, it is important to eat a well balanced diet containing fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, and plenty of water to treat Urticaria. Treatment using turmeric, rosewater, vinegar, and salt can be used to cure the eruptions. Oral antihistamines can be used to control the itching. Avoid using substances that may cause an allergic reaction, which could provoke an outbreak.

Does drinking cause Urticaria?

A doctor can give you many reasons for quitting alcohol. Let me add Urticaria to those reasons. You might not think  these two have any connection.

Urticaria from alcohol –actually, drinking alcohol, which has ethanol as a major facta, can have detrimental effects on  patients with urticaria.

Though not all the urticaria patients are troubled by alcohol,  patients of chronic urticaria should specifically consult a qualified doctor and seek advice about it.

If you are interested in this topic and want to learn more about urticaria alcohol,  read this detailed guide.

Urticaria from Alcohol is the result of an outbreak of urticaria in response to the consumption of alcohol. The ethanol contained in alcohol can provoke diverse responses in urticaria patients.Chronic urticaria patients should consult a doctor to seek advice on whether they should consume alcohol, as it can affect their skin problems.

Anaphylactic reactions to alcohol are rare, and most reactions to alcoholic beverages are secondary to other chemicals in the beverage, such as metabisulfite, papain, dyes, or yeast. However, in some cases, true allergic reactions occur, in which the stimulating agent is ethanol, which results in urticaria from alcohol.

Most of the time, the symptoms of anaphylaxis appear in such patients following the consumption of beer or wine. Many people experience urticaria rashes after ingesting ethanol. However, there are only a few known cases in which urticaria was triggered due to contact with ethanol. Therefore, patients who are already suffering from urticaria must be careful with their drinking habits because hives can be triggered after drinking alcohol. It is wise to consult a doctor and ask his advice regarding the routine and quantity of liquor that is safe to consume.

One of the most commonly opted for treatments is the intake of antihistamine. As the name suggests, antihistamine nullifies the effect of histamine, which is released by the mast cells as a result of stress or the allergic process. Unfortunately, antihistamine medication does not control the underlying causes of histamine release. Therefore, you feel better only when you take antihistamines, as the condition may reappear.

Is Stress Urticaria a common disease?

After reading this blog you might think that stress could cause all sorts of diseases. It might sound outlandish to you, but it is true that stress can even cause you Urticaria. In fact it is a major trigger for many urticaria patients.

Urticaria is a medical term for hives which usually results from an allergic process, but it can also be non-allergic. This   is the case with stress urticaria, also called stress induced urticaria.

Emotional stress can trigger some immunological changes in the mast skin which may lead to urticaria. Isn’t it an interesting topic? May be not for those who are suffering from it, though! Lets learn more about stress urticaria in my article here.

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Urticaria is a medical term for hives, which usually result from an allergic process; however, it can also be non-allergic, which is the case with stress urticaria, also called stress induced urticaria. Emotional stress can trigger immunological changes in the mast cells, which may lead to urticaria. However, extreme stress may be responsible for chronic urticaria.

Patients with stress urticaria experience bumpy rashes on their skin, which may last for a few minutes to a few hours. Other symptoms include itch, pain, and difficulty in breathing if the lips and larynx are affected. In  rare cases, it can remain much longer, and if the rash remains over six weeks, it is called chronic urticaria.

Stress urticaria is usually caused by constant emotional stress and tension. If this occurs, and you develop a red, itchy rash, it is time to find ways to relax and relieve tension, or your skin problems are likely to worsen. However, you should also consider certain medical treatments.

Sometimes, people who suffer from stress can develop stress urticaria even when they are calm and relaxed. The reason is that emotional stress can provoke certain long lasting immunological changes, which may continue even when you are not stressed. When this occurs, you may get urticaria even when you are not currently under stress.

One of the most commonly opted for treatments is antihistamines. As the name suggests, antihistamines nullify the effect of histamine, which is released by the mast cells as a result of stress or the allergic process. Unfortunately, antihistamine medication does not control the underlying causes of histamine release. Therefore, you feel better only when you take antihistamines and the condition may reappear.

How could I develop Pruritic Urticaria?

How about getting a skin problem known as Prutric Urticaria, during pregnancy?

Of course it will give you pain and make your life a misery. It is a chronic hives-like skin rash that strikes some women usually in the third trimester of their pregnancy. It was formally identified and described in 1979. It can add to the suffering caused by pregnancy due to itching and swelling.

Though it does not threaten the mother or the unborn child, it can be extremely annoying due to the itching and pain. Let us try to learn more about it and how you can avoid or treat it in my comprehensive article about Prutric Urticaria.

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Affecting about one in two hundred pregnant women, pruritic urticaria was formally identified and described in 1979. It is a chronic hives-like skin rash that strikes some women during pregnancy. It is commonly known in the United States as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), and in the United Kingdom, it is usually referred to as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP).

Pruritic Urticaria has many other names, including late-onset prurigo of pregnancy and toxemic rash of pregnancy. Some people may confuse it with toxemia of pregnancy, which is another term for pre-eclampsia.

There is no long-term risk for the mother or the unborn child; however, itchiness can create a lot of the problems for the patient. In most cases, PUPPP begins on the stomach and spreads to other body parts, such as the legs, feet, arms, chest, and neck.

In various cases, the symptoms are different, and the appearance of the condition changes with the passage of time. In nearly 98% of cases, it starts with pruritic urticarial papules, which are itchy wheals – small, solid elevations of the skin. However, over half of the patients develop multiple forms of polymorphic redness, small blisters, and targetoid and eczematous lesions.

For temporary relief, the patient may apply topical moisturizing creams, aqueous, or emollient ointments on the affected area. Patients with serious conditions may apply class I or II corticosteroid creams and ointments. However, to treat extremely severe cases, oral corticosteroids can be used.

As your body is going through many chemical changes during pregnancy, abnormalities like pruritric urticaria are no surprise. However, you should take care when dealing with it, as it can affect your life as well as your baby’s life. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor for proper treatment.

Learning about Treatment for Solar Urticaria.

You must have heard about ultraviolet radiation and its severe effect on humans skin. However, it is quite possible that you may not have heard about solar urticaria, a disease that can be caused by UV radiation. This disease is one example of how severely UVs can affect humans!

Luckily solar urticaria treatment is not as bad as many people think it is.

Solar urticaria is a uncommon subtype of physical urticaria, caused by exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet radiations or sometimes even visible light. For complete details about solar urticaria treatment read this detailed article.

First identified by P. Merklen at the start of the 20th century, solar urticaria is a type of physical urticaria caused by exposure to the sun. Before explaining the details of solar urticaria treatment, let us find out what it actually is and which symptoms characterize solar urticaria.

Solar Urticaria

Solar urticaria has many different names, including solar rash, sun rash, and sun allergy, etc. It is an uncommon skin problem in which exposure to ultraviolet radiation or sometimes even visible light causes urticaria. Solar urticaria can appear on both covered as well as uncovered areas of the skin.

The agent in the human body that is responsible for the reaction to ultraviolet radiation is known as the photoallergen. Owing to its similarity to other dermatological disorders, such as polymorphic light eruption or PMLE, solar urticaria can be difficult to diagnose.

Solar Urticaria Symptoms

The skin areas that are constantly exposed to the sun have a lesser chance of experiencing an outbreak of solar urticaria than do parts of the body that are thinly covered. The most obvious symptom of solar urticaria is a rash that appears within a few minutes after exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The patient may suffer from constant itching and pain. The urticarial reaction instigates in the form of pruritus, later progressing to erythema and edema in the exposed areas of the skin. In more severe cases, the patient may be subject to light-headedness, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Though it has been reported in only a few cases, patients have experienced bronchospasm.

Treatment of Solar Urticaria

Ultraviolet radiation causes mast cells to release histamines and blood enters the vessels, which causes inflammation. Taking antihistamines can suppress the activity of histamines. Fexofenadine is quite useful for patients with a low potency solar urticaria. However, Terfenadine, an H1 receptor antagonist, or medicine that combats the H1 receptor has been reported to be the most potent antihistamines for solar urticaria.

Some simple remedies include avoiding sun/ultraviolet exposure, washing the affected area with cool water, and using corticosteroid cream.

What is Pruritus Urticaria?

Have you ever felt a strong desire to scratch your skin? If you feel it too often then you might be suffering from a  skin problem called Pruritus Urticaria.

Pruritus is a Latin word that literally means itch. Pruritus Urticaria is triggered by an unpleasant sensation, which causes the desire or reflex to scratch certain parts of the skin. If scratched viciously, rashes may outbreak on the skin and they may stay for sometime and cause pain.

To find out more about pruritus urticaria, read here and read my detailed article about the causes, symptoms and  precautions that you should keep in mind to stay free of this trouble

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Pruritus is a Latin word that literally means itch. Pruritus Urticaria is triggered by an unpleasant sensation, which causes the desire or reflex to scratch certain parts of the skin. If scratched viciously, rashes may outbreak on the skin, which may remain for some time and cause pain.

Itch has been classified as a type of sensory experience. Recently, modern science has shown that itch is similar to pain in many ways. While itch and pain are unpleasant sensory experiences, their behavioral response patterns are different. Furthermore, itch can originate in the peripheral nervous system or in the central nervous system.

Sometimes, pruritus urticaria has a connection to Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), which is an uncommon, chronic, hives-like skin rash that strikes some women during  pregnancy. During this disease, urticarial papulars, which are solid elevations of skin with no visible fluid inside, outbreak. Their size may vary from the size of a pinhead to rashes large enough to cover a major portion of the body. Their color can be brown, purple, pink, or red. The patient should avoid scratching them as this could cause infection. General pruritus may complicate pregnancy.

One of the most common types of pruritus urticaria is aquagenic pruritus, which is characterized by the development of stern, prickling-like epidermal itching that is without observable skin lesions. It is usually provoked by contact with water.

Though there has been much progress in the pharmaceutical industry and there are many advanced drugs available for urticaria treatment, herbal treatment is still the first choice for most patients.

As your body is going through many chemical changes during pregnancy, abnormalities like pruritric urticaria are no surprise. However, you should take care when dealing with it, as it can affect your life as well as your baby’s life. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor for proper treatment.

What does “Lupus Like Syndrome” mean?

Most of you might not have heard about this problem prior to reading my blog.

Lupus like syndrome is a category for a collection of diseases with similar underlying problems with immunity.

It is, actually, an autoimmune connective tissue disease, that can affect certain vital organs of the human body including the heart and lungs.

What actually happens here is just like any other autoimmune disease, our immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissues. This results in itching, inflammation and sometime tissue damage. In medical terms it is referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus which can also trigger urticaria in the long run.

If you want to learn more, read here for lupus like syndrome article.

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Lupus like syndrome is a category for a collection of diverse diseases with similar underlying problems with immunity. It is an autoimmune connective tissue disease that can affect the heart, lungs, or any other part of the body. As with other autoimmune diseases, our immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissue, which results in itching, inflammation, and sometime tissue damage. In medical terms, it is referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus and can activate urticaria, sometimes chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Symptoms of lupus like syndrome can affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs. There are 4 main types of lupus – discoid lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus, drug-induced lupus erythematosus, and neonatal lupus erythematosus. Systemic lupus erythematosus is the most common and serious form of this disease.

Lupus Like Syndrome Symptoms

Symptoms of these diseases can vary greatly; however, they usually affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs. Since there is a wide range of symptoms,  for a proper diagnosis, you must consult a doctor to diagnose this syndrome.

Hydralazine Lupus Like Syndrome

Hydralazine lupus like syndrome is a disease caused by continuously consuming hydralazine for more than six months. Hydralazine is a direct-acting, smooth muscle relaxant used to treat hypertension by acting as a vasodilator primarily in arteries and arterioles. Hydralazine acts to decrease peripheral resistance by relaxing vascular smooth muscles,  lowering blood pressure and decreasing after-load.

Hydralazine lupus like syndrome or any other immune-related diseases that are caused by continuous intake of hydralazine are reversible with withdrawal of this medicine. Most autoimmune diseases, which are caused by the release of histamines by the mast cells, can be relieved by  antihistamines; however, this is not a permanent cure.

What is meant by Medical Urticaria and Itchy Urticaria?

Most skin problems cause annoyance for the patient. If I say urticaria is on the top of the list I am not wrong, because of its extremely itchy nature. To understand itchy urticaria,  you should know that  medical urticaria remedies are available in the market to ease the suffering, caused by itching including many antihistamines.

Itching is a annoying feeling that causes the need to scratch an area of the skin. Itch has resisted many attempts to classify it as any one type of sensory experience. If you want to learn more about itchy urticaria and medical urticaria, read here to read my detailed article.

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To understand itchy urticaria, let us understand both the terms one by one; however understand that certain medical urticaria remedies, including many antihistamines are available to ease the suffering caused by itching. Itch is an uncomfortable sensation that provokes the desire to scratch certain areas of the skin. However, it is difficult to describe itch as any one type of sensory experience. Urticaria is a skin problem that has many different subtypes, such as urticaria pigmentosa mastocytosis, physical urticaria, and chronic urticaria, etc.

The most common characteristic of urticaria is itching. It is sometimes accompanied by other symptoms, such as a burning sensation, swelling, and/or redness. Itchy urticaria is an extremely painful and annoying sensation. It can be either permanent or periodic. The triggers that cause urticaria must be avoided or the inching will persist. Usually, the mast cells, which are widespread in the skin, play an important role, as they release histamines into the skin, which causes rashes and itching.

Though the itching is extremely annoying and it is very difficult to avoid scratching, scratching or unnecessarily touching the affected area aggravates the condition. Therefore, the patient should try to avoid scratching, rubbing, or touching the affected area as much as possible.

Second generation antihistamines may provide relief. These antihistamines include desloratadine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine, and loratadine. If the patient drinks nettle tea, it may relieve his throat. This tea can be made by stirring 2 teaspoons of powdered nettles into a cup of hot water and adding honey. Fresh lemon juice can be used if honey is not available.  Patients can also apply calamine lotion on the affected area for soothing relief. Aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil have also been used to counter the effects of urticaria. Another way to relieve the itch is by bathing or dipping the affected area in warm water containing 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor for any type of skin problem,  including urticaria.

What Are the Best Medicines and Therapies to Treat Urticaria?

As promised earlier, today I will describe the best medicines, drugs and therapies which will help when wondering How to Treat Urticaria? As a matter of fact, every drug or therapy is suited to a specific sort of urticaria and a correct diagnosis is very important before any treatment. In other words, medicines that are popular for chronic urticaria might not work in the case of physical urticaria.

Oral antihistamines are the most commonly ingested drug for treating urticaria besides certain herbal medicine and Chinese acupuncture.

The first choice should be to take non-sedating antihistamines e.g. Loratadine, Fexofenadine, Cetirizine, Levocetirizine and Desloratadine. In case the symptoms persist, you can take mildly sedating antihistamines e.g. Hydroxyzine, Diphenhydramine and Chlorpheniramine.

For severer cases H1 Antagonists (alone or along with antihistamines), Oral Corticosteroids, Tricyclic Antidepressants and Epinephrine can be ingested.

Now you know about the urticaria medicine, however, there are some drugs which must be avoided. I will be posting about them next.

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Do you know how to treat Urticaria?

Are you totally annoyed by urticaria and want to get rid of it?

Then you should know the basics of how to treat urticaria?

Most people think that it is difficult, but believe me it is not rocket science. Although it can be a tough job to get rid of urticaria,  if you follow the steps mentioned in this article you can get rid of your skin problems.

I have written a comprehensive and detailed article for your convenience on how to treat urticaria, read here to read it. It describes treatment for the most common types of urticaria, you will surely find it helpful.

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Many people suffering from urticaria question how to treat urticaria. Many people think that it is impossible; however, it is possible to find relief. Though it can be difficult to get rid of urticaria, if you follow the steps mentioned in this article, you can find relief for your skin problems. I will discuss the different types of treatments according to different types of urticaria, such as papular urticaria treatment, idiopathic urticaria treatment, etc. and explain how to treat urticaria.

Urticaria Treatment

In some cases, one specific antihistamine may not have any effect on the patient. If this happens, you should try alternate antihistamines. However, to measure the effect of an antihistamine, you should use it for at least two weeks continuously. Sometimes, the rashes may vanish upon using antihistamines and reappear after some time. This happens because people stop using the medication when the symptoms disappear. To prevent the rash and itching from appearing again, you should use the antihistamine on a daily basis. Older antihistamines may cause drowsiness and should only be taken just before going to bed. However, modern antihistamines do not have this effect and can be used anytime.

For curing cholinergic urticaria, antihistamines that have cetirizine as a major component are very helpful. Ketotifen is effective for patients suffering from both cholinergic urticaria and cold urticaria. Danazol elevates antichymotrypsin levels; therefore, patients can benefit from using it.  Ultraviolet light has also been effective for some patients with cholinergic urticaria.

Second generation antihistamines are considered to be the best choice for idiopathic urticaria treatment. These antihistamines include desloratadine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine, and loratadine.

If the patient drinks nettle tea, it may relieve his throat. This tea can be made by stirring 2 teaspoons of powdered nettles into a cup of hot water and adding honey. Fresh lemon juice can be used if honey is not available.  Patients can also apply calamine lotion on the affected area for soothing relief. Aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil have also been used to counter the effects of urticaria. Another way to relieve the itch is by bathing or dipping the affected area in warm water containing 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda.