I keep having recurring urticaria and the itching is unbearable. What should I do?

A friend left a message asking how to treat urticaria. This question brought back Huazi's memories to two years ago, when Huazi himself had a severe case of urticaria. The urticaria on his body came and went, and it was extremely itchy. It took three months to completely subdue it.

Urticaria is commonly known as hives or wind bumps. About 30% of people will have urticaria at least once in their lifetime. Some chronic urticaria may last for years without healing, with severe itching as the main symptom, and the itching may even wake the patient up in sleep.

1. Why do you get urticaria?

The main cause of urticaria is mast cells in the human body, which are widely distributed in the human body, existing around the microvessels under the skin and visceral mucosa, and have a strong immune regulatory function. Mast cells can be activated by different mechanisms, which will release substances such as histamine, tryptase, interleukin, leukotrienes, etc., which will cause symptoms such as wheals, edema, and itching.

The pathogenesis of urticaria is very complex and has not been fully elucidated so far. Common causes include:

Physical stimulation: cold, heat, friction, pressure, sun exposure, strenuous exercise, etc. may induce urticaria.

Food allergies: Animal proteins such as fish, shrimp, crab, and shellfish can easily cause allergies and cause urticaria; vegetables and fruits containing irritating substances, such as peppers, garlic, leeks, lemons, mangoes, plums, apricots, etc., may also induce urticaria.

Mental factors: Mental factors such as tension, anxiety, and depression can induce urticaria.

Drug reasons: When using drugs that are prone to cause allergies, such as penicillin, tetanus antitoxin, sulfonamides and other drugs, urticaria may be induced.

Foreign objects: Pollen and particles released by plants, hair and dandruff dropped by animals, as well as fungal spores, formaldehyde, and dust may cause urticaria.

Other diseases: various infectious diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, hyperthyroidism, tumors, diabetes, rheumatism and other diseases may cause urticaria.

More common in women: Some women may develop chronic urticaria during their menstrual period, pregnancy and menopause.

2. What to do if urticaria occurs

When urticaria occurs, the first thing to do is to analyze the cause, whether it is related to the above reasons, and take active measures to eliminate the inducing cause. If the itching is not severe and does not affect daily life and sleep, you can temporarily not use medication. Maintain a light diet, get more rest, and avoid fatigue. Most acute urticaria will subside on its own within 24 hours.

If urticaria recurs or the itching is unbearable, you can use calamine lotion to relieve the itching. You can also take oral anti-allergic drugs to relieve symptoms, mainly second- and third-generation anti-allergic drugs, commonly used are cetirizine, loratadine, levocetirizine, desloratadine, etc. According to Huazi's own experience, cetirizine has a better effect in relieving itching.

Short-term urticaria can be cured by oral medication in about one week. If it is chronic urticaria with recurring attacks, oral medication may need to be continued for 1 to 3 months. For long-term medication, it is recommended to use third-generation drugs, such as levocetirizine and desloratadine, which have low adverse reactions of drowsiness and little impact on daily life.

While taking oral medication, Huazi also used BCG polysaccharide nucleic acid injection to regulate his immune level and stabilize mast cells. It should be noted that BCG polysaccharide nucleic acid injection needs to be injected 3 times a week, and it must be continuously injected for at least 3 months to have a significant effect. Huazi continued to inject for 3 months in 2020, and urticaria has basically not recurred so far.

In summary, people with urticaria should pay attention to avoiding inducing factors, maintaining a balanced diet, developing a habit of regular exercise, and strengthening their physical fitness, which can reduce the onset of urticaria. When urticaria attacks, antiallergic drugs can be used for treatment. Drugs must be used under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.