Solar urticaria, or hives, is one of the physical hives. This means there is a physical trigger for the hives, sunlight in this case. About one fourth of chronic hives cases are due to a physical cause.
With cases of solar urticaria, the physical trigger for the hives, sunlight, can be a difficult trigger to avoid which makes it unusually annoying. The hives cause the same typical symptoms as any of the hives types, which include redness, itchy spots, and slightly raised areas. But the difference is that in this form of hives, sunlight exposed areas are the only areas where the spots occur. And it can happen in a matter of minutes from exposure on areas not typically exposed like under your shirt or shorts. Don’t confuse it with sunburn, as it will usually go away just as fast after exposure is stopped.
How Does It Happen?
Patients with solar urticaria make their own allergic antibodies against certain proteins in their own skin. The structure of these proteins changes with sunlight exposure, which allows the allergic reaction to occur, causing hives. Sunlight exposure long enough in a person that develops these proteins can even cause anaphylaxis, a much more serious problem.
How Does Solar Urticaria Get Diagnosed?
A diagnosis is typically arrived at when the skin gets exposed to various light sources that are capable of producing different light spectrums, or wavelengths. A dermatologist will usually have this type of equipment to perform this test, whereas your family doctor will probably not. With some chronic solar hives, sunlight of the natural kind will be the only way to make a conclusive diagnosis.
How Is Solar Urticaria Treated
As you might suspect, there is one easy way to stop solar hives, sunlight avoidance. This isn’t very practical for most people and not necessarily healthy either. Everyone can benefit from moderate sunlight exposure.
Antihistamines will sometimes be helpful to ease the symptoms but is only a temporary fix, as are some of the topical steroid creams like hydrocortisone. Prednisone is used in really severe cases but all medicines should be avoided if possible.
A dermatologist can help you in a natural way with solar hives; sunlight desensitization is possible with controlled exposure periods. But you should not try this on your own as you may make the condition worse.
