Urticaria

Urticaria
Urticaria is a generally formed cutaneous eruption of multiple red plates or dew, in relief, with contours delimited perfectly well, smooth on the surface. The eruption involves often intense itchings being able to disturb the sleep and are fluctuating with the wire of time. Indeed, a lesion evolves/moves on the same site only a few hours. It is marked by a central explanation of the lesion and an aspect of flange or cord in periphery. When urticaria affects the ends (head, hands, feet) the aspect is different because it is more about an edema, often invalidating. One speaks then about more known angio-edema under the name of edema of Quincke. This edema can also affect the language, the luette, the vocal cords and the larynx.

Acute urticaria is an urticaria evolving/moving during a few hours at a few days. It is the most frequent case.
Chronic urticaria is, contrary, an urticaria evolving/moving on more than 6 weeks. This distinction between acute urticaria and chronicle makes seek different causes.
Urticaria is known as “physics” when it is started by an external stimulation which can be friction (dermographism), the pressure (urticaria delayed with the pressure), the heat (cholinergic urticaria), the vibration (angio-edema vibratory) or the sun (solar urticaria).
Lastly, the urticaria of contact is an urticaria created by the direct contact on the skin of a substance allergisante or simply irritant without utilizing inevitably a concept of allergy (nettles).
In all the cases, only the interrogation and not the aspect of urticaria and/or angio-edema make it possible to direct the doctor towards the exact origin of an urticaria and/or an angio-edema.

Treatments
The treatment of the cause of urticaria, especially in the acute forms, during which the search for a starting factor is essential to make the ousting then of it, is always most effective. On the other hand, generally, one does not know the cause of chronic urticarias. However, it is advisable to avoid, in general, at all urticarien, certain drugs: aspirine, anti-inflammatory drugs not stéroïdiens, unquestionable anti-hypertenseurs. The treatment of the symptoms is always useful and aims at decreasing the intensity of the prurit (itchings). It rests on the antihistamines. Corticoids by general way are quickly effective vis-a-vis acute urticarias but expose to the risk of rebound in the event of brutal stop. Their indications rare, are reserved in the majority of the cases to the urgency.