What is Urticaria?

  Urticaria, which is commonly known as hives, is a discomforting skin condition that affects several individuals worldwide. It is also called nettle-rash, weals, or welts, and it’s characterized by itching with rash or skin eruptions. Medically, urticaria is an allergic or non-allergic immunological ailment that reflects your skin and is accompanied by profound itching and development of the red round or irregular eruptions on any area of your body.

Typically, the skin eruptions of urticaria are raised above the skin, erythematous, and itching. Usually, they turn worse with a slight local warmth and by itching. This skin condition can be chronic or acute, and, most often, it has a tendency to relapse frequently for years or months.

Also Read: Urticaria Cure: Myth or Reality?

Location & Duration:

Any area of your skin can be affected by urticaria. Often, urticaria presents with angioedema, which is a condition affecting the deep tissues and resulting in swelling beneath the skin. Eruptions of urticaria may be limited to just a couple of spots or they may occur as widespread rashes for days or months together.

Typically, lesions may last from 1 to 30 minutes, while certain lesions might last even longer. Also, some patients with urticaria may experience these unpleasant eruptions once in a while, while some may experience it several times in a day. The duration and frequency of these eruptions are as per the urticaria’s variants, namely sub-acute, chronic, acute, and recurring. Urticarial eruptions have a tendency to vanish and reappear, and they happen to vanish leaving no trace behind.

Histopathological View:

The microscopic view tells that a typical rash or hives may perivascular cellular infiltrate comprising eosinophils & lymphocytes. Thus, it indicates an allergic behavior. Also, it reveals the findings concerned with mucosal inflammation and the swelling condition called edema.

Urticaria: The Inner War:

The urticarial rash, which affects your skin, is an inner immunological and allergic event that reflects on your skin. Even though the exact cause of hives is somewhat elusive, it is known to be a hypersensitive reaction occurring due to the release of histamine. When antibodies & antigens (IgG or IgM) combine in order to stimulate the immunological reaction, the mast cells produce histamine. Thus, urticaria is known to occur due to an antibody-antigen reaction. The released histamine or/and acetylcholine tend to cause the dilatation of the vessel resulting in swelling, pain, rash, and itching. Certain drugs and medicines, such as aspirin, morphine, antibiotics, and others, and foods, such as milk products, can trigger the symptoms of urticaria.

Causes of Urticaria (Hives):

Like several other ailments, most of us know more about exactly what happens in urticaria than what the exact urticaria causes are. Even though, in nearly 50% of cases, we know what induces or triggers urticaria, most of us have no clue about its exact cause.

Several medical professionals and doctors believe that hives are an allergic reaction. But, it is important to note that this skin condition is not allergic all the time. The causes of chronic urticaria can be allergic or non-allergic. Some of the non-allergic urticaria causes are stress, auto-immunity factors, drugs, hormones, exercises, temperature-related factors, and other causes.

Here are some of the common factors, which can make you suffer from urticaria.

1. Allergens: 
One of the most common causes of urticaria known is allergens. There are numerous allergens which happen to induce urticaria. Hives occur due to the hypersensitivity of an individual to a certain allergen. So, certain allergens may affect some urticaria-prone people making them experience discomfort due to hives.

2. Food allergens: 
The consumption of certain foods can make some urticaria-prone individuals suffer from the unpleasant symptoms of hives. These are called food allergens. Some of the foods which can induce or trigger urticaria are milk, egg, protein products, nuts, cheese, cereals, wheat, certain pulses (daals), chicken, peas, fish, oranges, and other foods. Also, artificially-flavored food preparations and synthetic food additives can be one of the urticaria causes. Ensuring that the food allergens are excluded in the urticaria diet of the patient can help regulate the relapses of this condition.

3. Urticaria &Alcohol:
Severe anaphylactic reactions to ingested alcohol are quite rare. We know that most reactions to the consumed alcoholic drinks are secondary to the rest of the chemicals in the drink, such as papain, metabisulfite, dyes, or others. But the fact is that there are some reports and cases of truly harmful, allergic reactions to alcohol (ethanol). In cases of such individuals, anaphylactic symptoms may be observed after they consume beer or/and wine. You may experience an urticarial rash after the ingestion of ethanol. Also, coming in the contact with ethanol may make certain individuals suffer from hives.

4. Environmental factors:
Certain environmental factors too are responsible for the onset of hives. Some of them include the change in temperature, exposure to pollen, dander of buffalo, fungi, and other factors. Extreme heat, pressure, or cold too can make you suffer from the symptoms of hives.

5. Drugs:
One of the prominent causes of urticaria is man-made drugs. These include NSAIDs, hormonal preparations, indomethacin, aspirin, and other anti-inflammatory drugs, foreign sera, contraceptive pills, vaccinations, antibiotics (like Penicillin), and other drugs. The animals, which are treated with penicillin, happen to excrete a little quantity of it in the milk, which can induce urticaria in sensitive individuals.

6. Cholinergic Factors:
In some individuals, performing exercises, the change in the body temperature after sweating, and pressure on a certain body part can trigger the symptoms of urticaria. These changes tend to affect the skin’s nerve ending that ultimately can make you suffer from hives. You may experience a burning sensation, itching, and local heat on your skin.

7. Urticaria & Cocaine:
There are some cases of urticaria that are known to occur due to morphine. Individuals who smoke cocaine or inject heroin may suffer from bronchospasm. This is more common in individuals who have a prior history of asthma. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis to cocaine is known to be associated with increased IgE levels resulting in urticaria.

8. Infections & Infestations:
Certain infections, such as frequent bacterial infections (UTI), fungal and protozoal infections, viral infections (like Hepatitis), are known to make people suffer from urticaria. Also, infestations, such as insect bites, worm infestations like tapeworms or roundworms, and others can lead to the symptoms of urticaria. Also, in some cases, domestic contact with pets can result in the symptoms of hives.

9. Synthetic Products:
Certain synthetic products too are responsible for the onset of urticaria. These include the personal use of cosmetic products, such as talcum powder, deodorants, perfumes, some animal derivatives, and other synthetic products.

10. Emotional Factors:
Emotional factors happen to play a vital role in the development of urticaria, particularly in the cases of chronic urticaria. Emotional stress and anxiety can directly or indirectly make you vulnerable to experience the symptoms of urticaria. Certain psychological factors can become the maintaining, triggering, or aggravating cause of hives. If you happen to suffer from stress, sadness, anxiety, insecurity, or intense emotions for a prolonged span of time, then these prolonged unpleasant emotions can alter your immunological state adversely and make you suffer from hypersensitivity leading to urticaria.

11. Autoimmune Causes: 
Certain autoimmune causes are responsible for the development of urticarial symptoms, particularly chronic urticaria. The existence of autoantibodies against IgE tends to cause the release of histamine, thus making you suffer from chronic urticaria. So, long-term hives tend to have an autoimmune link.

12. Systemic&General Disease:
In some cases, urticaria may occur as a sign of some other general or systemic internal ailment, such as SLE, reticulosis, hormonal disorders (such as hyperthyroidism), polycythemia, and others internal conditions. In some types of cancer, urticaria can occur as a precursor.

13. Idiopathic Cause:
It is important to note that some cases of urticaria occur and its cause happens to be unknown. So, an idiopathic cause is counted when it comes to the causes of urticaria as the exact cause of urticaria is not yet fully understood.

Symptoms of Urticaria:

The symptoms of urticaria are quite apparent. They are often round, irregular shaped, or vertical lines of the eruptions. They may appear on your affected skin singly or several in number. Urticarial eruptions may appear at once or they may occur and disappear and reoccur in a random manner.

Intense itching is the most irritating and annoying symptom of hives as it is uncontrolled and makes the affected individuals impatient and restless. At times, itching and eruptions cause sleeplessness and disturbance at work.

Besides these, Angioneurotic edema, which is also known as Giant Urticaria, may also occur in urticaria patients. It may make you experience severe skin swelling at deeper cellular levels i.e. edema. If it happens to involve your respiratory system with respiratory organs, such as the larynx, then you may experience suffocation and it may lead to a medical emergency.  Also, your lips may get swollen terribly due to Giant Urticaria.

Another variant of urticaria is dermatographism, which is uncommon occurring about 4%. In this condition, if you rub the affected skin forcibly and try writing on it with your fingertips, you can see your written letters raised on the kind. This is observed in a patient treated at Life Force.?

Urticaria Diagnosis

Clinical diagnosis of urticaria is usually done by examining the skin eruptions closely. Once the affected individual has observed and experienced this condition, the patient himself can identify urticaria.

Careful and proper evaluation and analysis are necessary to diagnose this condition correctly. An evaluation of a systematic history of the patient is done in order to rule out the possibility of any systemic ailment, such as respiratory disease, endocrine disorders, allergic disorders, lupus, malignancy, and others. It may even need a thyroid profile and hormonal study as the clinical requirements would suggest. The rare possibility of malignancy is ruled out, at times, after studying various clinical findings and factors.

Studying the clinical history of the patient in detail and considering the checklist of various causes and the affected individual as a whole is more crucial than going for superficial consideration, symptomatic medication, and certain anti-allergic medicines or the use of cortisone.

Also Read: Everything One Must Be Aware Of Urticaria or Hives

Urticaria Treatment in Homeopathy 

The urticaria treatment,  particularly in chronic cases, needs to be addressed at the root cause of the ailment. As urticaria is an immunological disorder, its treatment needs to target to correct the disturbed or affected immune system in such a manner that hypersensitivity which causes urticaria is taken care of and the body of the affected individual does not react adversely, as it reacts with hives.

As a matter of fact, antihistamines provide you only symptomatic relief from hives and they act superficially without correcting the root cause i.e. underlying problem with the immune system. This is why the effect of antihistamines remains for a short span of 8 to 10 hours and so you need to depend on these medications almost daily. Likewise, cortisone is another medication which when used to treat urticaria acts instantly to provide you great relief, but it is habit-forming. Also, cortisone comes with certain side-effects and you develop a dependency on it. So, cases of chronic urticaria that are dependent on the use of cortisone are more difficult to treat effectively.

Urticaria Homeopathy treatment is the best and safest treatment for this skin ailment. Homeopathy provides you with highly effective, safe, and research-proven treatment to help you obtain great relief from chronic and recurrent hives. Individuals suffering from chronic urticaria are most often dependent on the use of cortisone or antihistamine medications for lifelong by their regular physicians. Once a chronic urticaria patient begins to count on these dependent medicines, it becomes impossible for them to skip them even for a couple of days. So, you need to go for a treatment that is more effective and safe than antihistamines. And, it’s homeopathy.

Also Read: Treatment for Urticaria – A Scratch for Every Itch

The Homeopathy Treatment

Urticaria homeopathy treatment for the chronic cases of hives is promising, as it is quite advanced and developed by a scientific approach that not just aims to relieve the discomforting symptoms of urticaria but also treats the root of the disease present at the immunological level. Urticaria treatment in homeopathy is designed to address and correct the patient’s immune system, thus, in turn, it treats the urticaria at its roots from within.

Dr. Rajesh Shah, M.D. has carried out outstanding research on chronic urticaria and its effective homeopathic treatment for more than 25 years. His research-based molecules are well-known for their international patent. His unique and effective homeopathic treatment protocol is made available to numerous patients of urticaria throughout the world. Today, there are many patients from 127 countries that are getting treated under Dr. Shah's care and guidance, and it’s indeed a praiseworthy world record.

Duration of Urticaria Treatment:

The total duration of urticaria treatment differs from patient to patient based on the factors mentioned below.

• The duration of Urticaria
• The extent of spread (whether it’s affecting mildly, moderately, or severely)
• Allergic or non-allergic nature
• If there is angioedema, the frequency of it (as the cases with frequent episodes of Angioedema are comparatively more difficult to treat than usual)
• Current and past medicines followed by the patient. (Antihistamines or cortisone)
• General health& well-being and associated ailments

With urticaria homeopathy treatment, in chronic cases, one may experience a definite improvement in health in about 1 to 3 months. In the case of acute urticaria, one may experience positive results in hours. The total duration of medication for the cases of chronic urticaria can be from 4 to 8 months or even longer.

Why Homeopathy for Urticaria?

Urticaria treatment in homeopathy is highly effective and beneficial. Some of the prominent benefits of homeopathy are mentioned as below

• Homeopathy provides excellent treatment for urticaria which is known to have a success rate of more than 80% to 85%
• Homeopathy is known to work on appropriate immuno-correction so it ensures deep-level healing
• Homeopathy provides the patient with a long-lasting cure and relief instead of a temporary relief.
• Homeopathy is totally safe, non-toxic, and harmless on which you can count on anytime.

As mentioned prior, urticaria is actually an external reflection of an internal immunological disorder or disturbance. So, the urticaria treatment should be one that would target immune system restoration by considering the necessary internal factors. Simply a symptomatic elimination of the urticarial eruptions won’t be enough. And, urticaria treatment in homeopathy is exactly based on this philosophy so it addresses the root cause of the condition and promotes internal healing appropriately.

The homeopathy system of medicine does not believe in the superficial treatment of urticaria by preferring merely some steroids or anti-histamines.

The Homeopathic Approach: As an established rule, homeopathy never considers hives as a local disease. Urticaria is always considered as a local expression resulting due to a systemic disturbance in homeopathy. According to classical homeopathy, we, the experienced homeopaths, prefer to go for constitutional prescribing. So, we choose to consider an individual case study in detail of every patient with urticaria to recommend the most effective urticaria homeopathy treatment to him

Chronic Urticaria: Its causes and long-term treatment

When you experience urticaria for a long span of time it’s called chronic urticaria. Recurring & chronic urticaria is one of the most challenging issues for medical science to tackle, as most often the times its exact cause is not clear. Besides this, unfortunately, this chronic skin condition is treated just symptomatically by the use of the conventional mode of treatment. As mentioned earlier, it is more difficult to learn what causes hives than the affected individual experiences during the episode of urticaria. 

When you experience the symptoms of urticaria for a short span of time or maybe just for some minutes, it is called acute urticaria. As a matter of fact, chronic urticaria (or recurring urticaria) is a major cause of concern since it keeps bothering you again & again, for instance, 3 to 4 times in a day for some months or even some years. Thus, this chronic skin condition poses a real challenge so you need an effective urticaria homeopathy treatment.

Also Read: How to Treat Urticaria during Pregnancy

Here are some of the most common causes which can make you suffer from chronic or recurring urticaria.

1. Allergens: 
One of the most common causes of urticaria known is allergens. There are numerous allergens which happen to induce urticaria. Hives occur due to the hypersensitivity of an individual to a certain allergen. So, certain allergens may affect some urticaria-prone people making them experience discomfort due to hives.

2. Food allergens: 
The consumption of certain foods can make some urticaria-prone individuals suffer from the unpleasant symptoms of hives. These are called food allergens. Some of the foods which can induce or trigger urticaria are milk, egg, protein products, nuts, cheese, cereals, wheat, certain pulses (daals), chicken, peas, fish, oranges, and other foods. Also, artificially-flavored food preparations and synthetic food additives can be one of the urticaria causes. Ensuring that the food allergens are excluded in the urticaria diet of the patient can help regulate the relapses of this condition.

3. Environmental factors:
Certain environmental factors too are responsible for the onset of hives. Some of them include the change in temperature, exposure to pollen, dander of buffalo, fungi, and other factors. Extreme heat, pressure, or cold too can make you suffer from the symptoms of hives.

4. Drugs:
One of the prominent causes of urticaria is man-made drugs. These include hormonal preparations, indomethacin, aspirin, and other anti-inflammatory drugs, foreign sera, contraceptive pills, vaccinations, antibiotics (like Penicillin), and other drugs. The animals, which are treated with penicillin, happen to excrete a little quantity of it in the milk, which can induce urticaria in sensitive individuals.

5. Infections & Infestations:
Certain infections, such as frequent bacterial infections (UTI), fungal and protozoal infections, viral infections (like Hepatitis), are known to make people suffer from urticaria. Also, infestations, such as insect bites, worm infestations like tapeworms or roundworms, and others can lead to the symptoms of urticaria. Also, in some cases, domestic contact with pets can result in the symptoms of hives.

6. Synthetic Products:
Certain synthetic products too are responsible for the onset of urticaria. These include the personal use of cosmetic products, such as talcum powder, deodorants, perfumes, some animal derivatives, and other synthetic products.

7. Emotional Factors:
Emotional factors happen to play a vital role in the development of urticaria, particularly in the cases of chronic urticaria. Emotional stress and anxiety can directly or indirectly make you vulnerable to experience the symptoms of urticaria. Certain psychological factors can become the maintaining, triggering, or aggravating cause of hives. If you happen to suffer from stress, sadness, anxiety, insecurity, or intense emotions for a prolonged span of time, then these prolonged unpleasant emotions can alter your immunological state adversely and make you suffer from hypersensitivity leading to urticaria.

8. Systemic & General Disease:
In some cases, urticaria may occur as a sign of some other general or systemic internal ailment, such as SLE, reticulosis, hormonal disorders (such as hyperthyroidism), polycythemia, and others internal conditions. In some types of cancer, urticaria can occur as a precursor.

9. Idiopathic Cause:
It is important to note that some cases of urticaria occur and its cause happens to be unknown. So, an idiopathic cause is counted when it comes to the causes of urticaria as the exact cause of urticaria is not yet fully understood.

Dermatographism in Urticaria

A severe form of expression of urticaria, where the affected individual is able to write on his affected skin area, is known as dermatographism. This happens due to an increased sensitivity of the skin, where if you press the affected skin with a fingertip or an object then the skin features raised eruptions of hives which may stay on the concerned skin for some time. Writing letters, words, or lines on the affected urticarial skin is known as dermatographism.

You can find dermatographism in about 4% to 5% of patients suffering from urticaria. You can find the typical appearance of dermatographism in the image present above one of the urticaria patients who is treated at Life Force. In this case of hives, the eruptions are linear, swollen, raised, and inflamed which may be accompanied with or without any itching.

Some patients with urticaria may not experience the discomfort of dermatographism on their skin, but they may suffer from pressure urticaria.

Causes: What Goes Behind The Skin Writing?

When one experiences dermatographism on the skin, it occurs as a result of a complicated role of the immune cells present in your body. Generally, this occurs because the blood cells tend to release histamine, which causes urticaria, in response to allergens or allergy. But, in the case of dermatographism, mast cells happen to release histamine without any presence of allergens. (Mast cells are the normal cells present in your tissues of the skin that are helpful in the healing of the wounds.) The weak membrane of mast cells is the cause of histamine release on account of the pressure. 

Even though the exact cause of the occurrence of dermatographism is not yet known, its trigger factors are similar to those of urticaria.

Symptoms Of Dermatographism:

The symptoms of dermatographism are words or lines which one writes on the skin affected by urticaria which is associated with swelling and itching. Dermatographism may last for some minutes or hours, and rarely days. In certain cases, hives may appear simultaneously elsewhere on the affected person’s skin as well. The tendency of urticaria patient to experience dermatographism may last for some months or years.

Treatment for Dermatographism:

1. Conventional Treatment For Dermatographism:

Practically, the conventional treatment for dermatographism is quite similar to the urticaria treatment, which comprises antihistamines, cortisone, and H1 or H2 antagonists. By taking into account the symptomatic treatment option, it is very difficult to cure dermatographism due to its recurring tendency.

2. Homeopathic Treatment For Dermatographism:

Homeopathic treatment for regulating dermatographism is highly effective, as it focuses on treating the root cause of dermatographism. In homeopathy, this severe skin condition is considered to be an expression on the skin of an immunological disturbance occurring internally. So, the dermatographism treatment in homeopathy is different than the urticaria treatment for simpler cases. Homeopathic treatment for dermatographism calls for another level of medicines. Most importantly, the results of treating the cases of Dermatographismwith effective homeopathy are quite positive.

Urticaria Pigmentosa (Mastocytosis)

Urticaria pigmentosa is a kind of skin ailment which is known to be a form of hives and mastocytosis. Due to it, you happen to develop brown patches on your skin with intense itching. By rubbing these brown skin spots, you may develop urticarial patches.

Urticaria pigmentosa is one of the forms of mastocytosis. In order to understand what mastocytosis is, you need to first learn a bit about mast cells. As a matter of fact, mast cells are quite normal cells present in your skin throughout the body. They comprise particular granules, which when stimulated happen to release histamine and sort of other chemicals resulting in mastocytosis. Thus, mast cells can also be called inflammatory cells.

Incidence:

Generally, urticaria pigmentosa occurs in children and infants. But, some adults too may develop it.

CausesOf Urticaria Pigmentosa:

Even though the exact cause of this rare disease is not yet clear, some recent studies and research reveal that the genetic modification in a protein (known as c-kit) on the mast cells’ surface may cause an abnormal increase in these cells.

Variety Factors Which Can Cause Or Aggravate The Symptoms Of Urticaria Pigmentosa:

1. Emotional factors, such as stress
2. Physical stimuli, such as excessive exercise, heat, and friction
3. Eye drops comprising dextran
4. Morphine
5. Bacterial toxins
6. Alcohol
7. Venom

SymptomsOf Urticaria Pigmentosa:

1. The presence of brownish skin lesions, particularly on the forehead and chest.
2. Development of fluid-filled blisters when scratched, particularly in kids.
3. The face of the affected person may turn flushed
4. Rubbing the affected sore skin result in a hive-like bump.
5. In severe cases of urticaria pigmentosa, headache, diarrhea, and palpitation may occur.

Darier's Sign:

In the case if urticaria pigmentosa, you can observe a peculiar presentation on the skin which is known as Darier’s sign. On rubbing the brown patch of urticaria pigmentosa, the rubbed skin area turns swollen, red, and itchy. This expression confirms the occurrence of mastocytosis.

Something About Mast Cells:

Mast cells are the cells that are normally distributed widely in your skin. They comprise histamine and many other chemicals. When these mast cells in your body are disturbed, histamine & chemicals are released into your surrounding skin. The release of such chemicals leaks your blood vessels making you suffer from localized itching, swelling, and redness

Diagnosis & Investigations:

• Most often this skin disease is confirmed by clinical diagnosis.
• The presence of mast cells is confirmed by the doctors by rubbing the affected skin. The presence of urticaria pigmentosa is confirmed if hives develop on rubbing the skin.
• A skin biopsy reveals the boost in the mast cells which confirms the diagnosis.

Here are some tests that help to learn more about it, if the symptoms indicate internal involvement.

• X-rays of long bones of the body and skull may reveal areas of bone thinning and a diffuse ground-glass look.
• The levels of 1,4-methylimidazole acetic acid or urinary histamine might be raised.

Prognosis:

• This skin condition vanishes on its own till the affected child attains puberty in 50% of the urticaria pigmentosa, but medicines are necessary since it’s a trouble-causing ailment.
• If it affects adults, it may develop into a more serious ailment known as systemic mastocytosis.

Also Read: When to See a Doctor for your Skin Rashes?

Treatment:

1. Conventional Treatment For Urticaria Pigmentosa:

Treating urticaria pigmentosa with the conventional mode of treatment is very difficult.

• Going for oral antihistamines is helpful as they minimize the mast cells’ ability to release urticaria causing histamine.
• A restricted role is played by the topical steroids.
• In some cases, oral medication of disodium cromoglicate is beneficial as it acts as a mast cell stabilizer.
• Photochemotherapy can help in treating it to some extent for longer periods.

2. Homeopathic Treatment For Urticaria Pigmentosa:

Homeopathy is highly effective in treating urticaria pigmentosa. Homeopathic treatment considers genetic, allergic, and immunological factors while treating this skin disease and treats its root cause. Homeopathy offers highly positive, safe, and encouraging results in cases of this skin condition. So, homeopathy is strongly recommended for urticaria pigmentosa.

The approach of homeopathic treatment is prominently based on constitutional therapy. Here are some of the recommended urticaria homeopathy medicines, namelyArsenic iodatum, Silica, Thujaoccidentalis, Natrum muriaticum, Apismellifica, Sulphur, and other homeopathic remedies.

About The Use &Misuse Of Cortisone (Steroids) For Urticaria

As a matter of fact, cortisone is no more helpful and effective for treating urticaria for a long span of time. Here are some reasons which explain why cortisone can’t be used as a long-term urticaria treatment.

• Initially, just for a short period of time, cortisone may help you.
• You may experience a relapse of urticaria on curbing the use of cortisone.
• The cortisone treated urticarial relapse tends to be more complex & more severe.
• The cases of urticaria that are treated with cortisone are more complicated to treat.
• At any stage of hives, it is wise to avoid the use of steroids.
• Steroid tends to subject you to a vicious cycle of dependency.
• If you happen to become steroid dependent, you need to get out of the vicious cycle.

As per our experience and as far as the medical philosophy of homeopathy is concerned, cortisone is not a wise choice to treat or alleviate urticaria, be it in local, oral, or systemic form. As per the philosophy and the approach of homeopathy, cortisone happens to be a suppressive measure, and, in addition to this, after you stop using cortisone, there is always a possibility of relapse.

What has been noticed in regular practice is that the use of cortisone tends to offer a dramatic outcome initially. However, the effect of cortisone is quite superficial, as the skin eruptions of urticaria, not just relapse after you curb the use of cortisone but also recur in a more aggressive manner. Here are some of the common observations due to which the use of cortisone is not preferred or not recommended.

1. Cortisone helps only superficially.
2. After stopping the use of steroids, relapse of urticaria occurs with the reappearance of the skin eruptions.
3. The skin eruptions recurring after the use of steroids happen to be more resistant than earlier.
4. Also, after you stop having steroids, the extent of urticarial skin eruptions increases in most of cases.
5. Some of the side-effects produced by the use of cortisone are lowered resistance, hampered immunity, disturbed hormonal cycle, and similar others.

Here are some more facts which explain why suppression with cortisone is not recommended. As you know, urticaria is an expression occurring due to some internal disharmony. What cortisone does is that it masks the skin eruption without addressing and without correcting the internal cause. So, it is considered to be suppressive. Homeopathy never recommends the use of local cream for treating any kind of skin ailment, particularly hives. And, as a matter of fact, non-suppressive treatment is always regarded as superior for treating any medical disorder.

Are You On Antihistamines? Antihistamine Is Not An Answer To Chronic Urticaria

- by Dr. Rajesh Shah, MD

If you happen to suffer from urticaria for a long span of time i.e. chronic urticaria (hives) by experiencing bouts of urticarial rashes frequently, your family doctor or dermatologist, most probably, would recommend you to have a daily dose of antihistamines. As a matter of fact, antihistamines are the medicines that tend to inhibit the histamine’s action on your body. Histamine is a chemical resulting due to an allergic reaction occurring in the body that ultimately leads to the development of rash and itching. The effect of histamine is inhibited when an antihistamine medicine is ingested, thus, antihistamine relieves you from itching and skin rash. However, it is essential for you to understand that the release of histamine occurs on account of an allergic process in your body, which is basically immunologically mediated. So, the fact is that your body’s immunological reaction to an allergen is the actual cause of the development of urticarial skin eruptions and itching. And, the release of histamine is not the basic cause of hives. In fact, histamine release is simply the outcome of an allergic reaction. Thus, by using antihistamines, you are treating and nullifying the effects of histamine i.e. you are treating just the effects of this skin disease and not addressing the actual cause of urticaria. In case you are consuming an anti-allergic or antihistamine medication for several months or years, it is very important for you to understand this crucial fact.

Cetrizine, Allegra (Fexofenadine), Levocetirizine, and others are some of the common antihistamines that you can find people often go for. Also, you can find plenty of such medicines present in the market as over-the-counter medical products.

For the occasional urticarial rash, the use of antihistamine can be justified. However, if one happens to use an antihistamine for many months & years, it should be regarded as superficial, symptomatic, and unwise.

In my profound global practice, I come across patients of chronic urticaria every other day. Most of the patients of this chronic skin condition consult me for urticaria homeopathy treatment after going for antihistamines for many years. The most unfortunate part is that in spite of having antihistamines for a span of five years, the patients can’t stop the discomfort of this skin ailment even for just five days. As soon as they stop having the antihistamines, the skin rash and itching discomfort recur in no time and this indicates that the treatment with antihistamines is superficial. It is important to note that long-term use of antihistamines is habit-forming. The most-concerning problem arising with the prolonged use of antihistamines is the patient’s dependency on this drug. This means that the patient, who has an antihistamine for many months or years, tends to become addict to it and dependent on it.

In the case of chronic urticaria, a deeper-level healing approach is necessary to get rid of urticaria from its roots. Fortunately, homeopathy offers such an effective yet safe urticaria treatment. The homeopathic treatment for this skin disease acts at an immunological level to address the concerned allergic process and treat the root cause of urticaria. The urticaria homeopathy medicine not only alleviates the symptoms of hives but it also treats the hypersensitive allergic condition of the urticaria patient effectively. Homeopathy is efficient enough to provide you a deeper-acting and non-habit forming remedy for longstanding cases of urticaria. Several patients worldwide who have experienced outstanding yet safe benefits of homeopathy know that it is possible to eliminate the dependency on antihistamines. Even though you cannot stop the use of antihistamines all of a sudden, there is a process that your homeopathic doctor would recommend you to follow to avoid the dependency on this drug and obtain great relief from this skin condition effectively.

Adverse Effects Of Antihistamines

Antihistamines, which are also popular as histamine antagonists, are used as conventional medicines for treating several allergic ailments, such as urticaria, colds, eczema, hay fever, and many other diseases. You can find that antihistamines are available as over-the-counter medicines in the market. As per their name, antihistamines are meant to act against the histamine release. Often, histamine is an end product resulting due to our body’s allergic reactions, and it leads to the development of an allergic rash on our skin, such as inflammation, urticaria, and itching. Antihistamines are known to be the chemicals that inhibit the histamine-effect, so the discomfort and symptoms of urticaria are suppressed for some time, but the root cause of urticaria is not cured. As a matter of fact, histamine is one of the parts of our body’s natural defense mechanism. So, the release of histamine is not bad or harmful per se. It is important to treat the allergens and hypersensitive state of the body. But, unfortunately, the conventional mode of medicine does not appreciate this idea. And thus, the use of antihistamines turns to be a more superficial and more suppressive solution than a curative remedy, as antihistamines do not address the disease at a deeper level.
 
There are several medical products and antihistamines available in the market. Some of the most common antihistamines available are Cetirizine, Allegra (Fexofenadine), Levocetirizine, and many other medications. There exist many patients of urticaria who happen to consume Cetirizine, Allegra (Fexofenadine), or Levocetirizine regularly for a long time of months and years so much so that they almost become addict to the antihistamines, such as Cetirizine or Allegra.

To regulate the symptoms of urticaria, antihistamines can be a good solution, But, they are unable to cure urticaria of its roots, particularly chronic urticaria.

Here are some side-effects of the use of antihistamines for your reference.
1. A headache
2. Dullness of senses 
3. Blurring of vision
4. Sleepiness or drowsiness
5. Giddiness
6. Loss of appetite 
7. Dryness of mouth, nose, and throat
8. Feeling sick or vomiting 
9. Constipation or loose stools
10. Difficulty in passing urine 
11. Stomach upsets
12. Nausea and or vomiting
13. Irritability

In case you are taking an antihistamine, it is important for you to check the instructions which are mentioned in the medicine’s medical information. Often, it is recommended that you need to avoid driving after having an antihistamine as some of the antihistamines tend to make you experience dullness of senses and sleepiness after you consume them.

Written & Approved by-

Dr. Rajesh Shah

M.D. (Hom.)