Hives: Different types at a glance

Spontaneous hives

Typical symptoms occur in spontaneous hives suddenly and without first identifiable triggers such as itching, hives, and swelling of the skin. Depending on the duration of the skin rash will distinguish between acute and chronic hives: while an acute hives often but also already again subsides after two weeks - usually at the latest after a few hours -, one speaks of a chronic hives, if symptoms persist longer than six weeks. Often, no cause for the complaints can be found in chronic hives.

Physical hives

A physical hives triggered by external stimuli such as pressure, cold, light, friction or heat. Overall, there are over 20 different subtypes. In the following you will find the most famous:

1. Pressure hives: this form of hives cause pressure on specific body parts deep swelling. The swelling occurs most frequently on the back and on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hand.
2. Cold hives: cold hives can be triggered by cold air, cold water, or cold objects. As in other forms of urticaria also it comes to swelling and hives on the skin and mucous membranes. The symptoms are either a few minutes after the cold stimulus on or, but only then, when the body heats up again. The cold stimulus to trigger the typical symptoms of hives must be how big is different from person to person. Patients who suffer in cold hives, should always wear an emergency passport by the disease is noted. This is important for example in infusions, because sufferers administered only warmed up they get are allowed.
3. Light - hives: this form of hives is mostly caused by UV-A rays, in rare cases also through UV-B rays. In those places that have come with the rays in contact wheals form a short time later. The light urticaria is relatively rare.
4. Friction hives: approximately two to four percent of Germans suffer on friction - hives - the most common form of physical urticaria. The disease is caused by friction on the skin. The typical symptoms of hives can be caused for example by chafing of backpack carriers, but also by the friction of a T-shirt.
5. Heat hives: typical symptoms only occur when heat hives that have come with the heat source directly in contact. As well as light - hives also heat hives is extremely rare.

Cholinergische hives

Cholinergische hives is the most common special form of hives. It is triggered by a rise in body temperature and occurs especially in young adults. However, a cholinergic urticaria is rarely treated as occurring symptoms are usually weak. On average, this form of hives from two to ten years stops before it finally disappears.

Trigger of the cholinergic urticaria is an increase of in body temperature. This can be caused, for example, through sports, spicy foods, alcohol, fever, hot water, or emotional stress. The first hives can occur already during of the temperature rise. Mostly they disappear quickly, only in rare cases, they remain more than three hours.

How to contact with hives

Contact urticaria occurs only at the point that came with the release directly in contact. Triggers can be in a wide variety of substances: contact urticaria will, for example, often caused by LaTeX - in particular occupational groups, often wearing latex gloves, are affected. But also in the kitchen, contact urticaria is not a rare phenomenon: here the typical symptoms arise from contact with raw food, such as peeling potatoes or when manipulating fish.

It is particularly important to find the shutter of the complaints in the treatment of contact hives. This must be avoided then as far as possible in the future. This is not possible, antihistamines can be taken to suppress the unpleasant symptoms.

Share this :