urticaria

urticaria /ur·ti·ca·ria/ (ur″tĭ-kar´e-ah) hives; a vascular reaction of the upper dermis marked by transient appearance of slightly elevated patches (wheals) which are redder or paler than the surrounding skin and often attended by severe itching; the exciting cause may be certain foods or drugs, infection, or emotional stress.urticar´ial

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urticaria bullo´sa , bullous urticaria that in which bullae are superimposed on the wheals.

cold urticaria  urticaria precipitated by cold air, water, or objects, occurring in a hereditary and an acquired form.

giant urticaria  angioedema.

urticaria medicamento´sa  that due to use of a drug.

papular urticaria  a hypersensitivity reaction to insect bites, manifested by crops of small papules and wheals, which may become infected or lichenified because of rubbing and excoriation.

urticaria pigmento´sa  the most common form of mastocytosis, characterized by small, reddish brown macules or papules that occur mainly on the trunk and tend to urtication upon mild mechanical trauma or chemical irritation.

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ur·ti·car·i·a (ûrt-kâr-)

n.

A skin condition characterized by welts that itch intensely, caused by an allergic reaction, an infection, or a nervous condition. Also called hives, nettle rash.

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urticaria

[ur′tiker′ē·ə]

Etymology: L, urtica, nettle

a pruritic skin eruption characterized by transient wheals of varying shapes and sizes with well-defined erythematous margins and pale centers. It is caused by capillary dilation in the dermis that results from the release of vasoactive mediators, including histamine, kinin, and the slow reactive substance of anaphylaxis associated with antigen-antibody reaction. It may be a reaction to drugs, food, insect bites, inhalants, emotional stress, exposure to heat or cold, or exercise. Treatment includes antihistamines and removal of the stimulus or allergen. Also called hives. See also angioedema , cholinergic urticaria. urticarial, adj.

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urticaria (ur´tiker´ē),

n a vascular reaction pattern of the skin marked by the transient appearance of smooth, slightly elevated patches that are more red or more pale than the surrounding skin and are accompanied by severe itching. Also called
hives.

urticaria, bullosa,

n a skin eruption in which the lesions are capped by blisters.

urticaria, giant,

n See edema, angioneurotic.

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urticaria

a vascular reaction of the skin that is commonly immunologically based or may be due to direct exposure to a chemical. Marked by transient appearance of slightly elevated patches (wheals) which are redder or paler than the surrounding skin and often attended by severe itching; called also hives. The wheals may be in very large numbers, mostly over the body, 0.5 to 2 inches in diameter and there is no discontinuity of the epithelium. Called also nettle rash.

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giant urticaria, urticaria gigantea

angioneurotic edema.

heat reflex urticaria

see cholinergic pruritus.

urticaria hemorrhagica

purpura with urticaria.

urticaria medicamentosa

that due to use of a drug.

nasolacrimal urticaria

conjunctivitis and rhinitis caused by hypersensitivity to inhaled allergens (atopy).

papular urticaria, urticaria papulosa

an allergic reaction to the bite of various insects, with appearance of lesions that evolve into inflammatory, increasingly hard, red or brownish, persistent papules. See also lichen.

urticaria pigmentosa

a proliferative disorder of mast cells in humans; a similar disease has been reported in young cats. There is erythema and hyperpigmentation of the mouth, chin, neck and eyes.

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urticaria

Hives Dermatology A condition characterized by pruritic raised red welts on the skin, associated with allergic reactions and histamine release or defects in the complement or kinin systems Risk factors Prior allergic reactions–eg, hay fever and angioedema Triggers Medications; foods–eg, berries, shellfish, fish, nuts, eggs, milk; pollen; animal dander–especially cats; insect bites; mechanical stimulants–eg, water, sunlight, cold or heat; emotional stress; post-infection; linked to other disease–eg, autoimmune diseases SLE, leukemia, etc; may be partially hereditary, dermographism, cold urticaria, echinococcus infection–dog tapeworm, hereditary angioedema, Henoch-Scho¨nlein purpura, mononucleosis, hepatitis, mastocytosis

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Patient discussion about urticaria.

Q. I was diagnosed with chronic urticaria. What is the reason for this condition? I was diagnosed with chronic urticaria last week after more than two months of urticaria (I have more than twenty 1 dollar coin area no my trunk that are red swollen and itchy). when I was younger I had a similar reaction too a bee sting and I was treated with an adrenalin shoot. Since that one time I never suffered from this kind of symptoms till two months ago. What can be the reason for this condition?

A. As was said before chronic urticaria is a symptom of many problems. I once took NSAIDs for knee pain and I started to itch myself. It took my doctor 3 weeks to understand that I was allergic to this specific drug. I also know that tomatoes can cause me an allergic reaction. Try to think is there anything new in your life? Tell it to the GP maybe he will be able to tell you if this is the reason for your symptoms.

Q. What can cause an angioedema on 15 year old girl? I’ve been getting angioedema signs on my left arm for the past few weeks, not severe but it itches and sure don’t help my low-as-it-is self esteem…

A. The following may cause angioedema -

Animal dander
Certain medications (drug allergy)
Emotional stress
Exposure to water, sunlight, cold or heat
Foods (such as berries, shellfish, nuts, eggs, milk, other)
Insect bites
Pollen

Hives or angioedema may also occur after an illness or infection.
Try to see if you were exposed to any of this and report it to your Dr.

Q. What caused my hives? I woke up this morning and saw that all my back and chest are covered in hives. How did this suddenly appear? What caused it?

A. Urticaria (hives) is generally an allergic reaction, or an immune response to food or some other allergen, but can also appear for other reasons, notably emotional stress.