🌟 Physical Urticaria
Physical urticaria is a type of hives (urticaria) triggered by physical stimuli such as pressure, temperature changes, sunlight, or vibration. It causes itchy, raised, red welts on the skin.
🔍 Types of Physical Urticaria
- Dermatographism: Raised welts after scratching or rubbing the skin
- Cold urticaria: Triggered by exposure to cold (air, water)
- Heat urticaria: Triggered by warmth or heat
- Cholinergic urticaria: Triggered by heat, exercise, or sweating
- Delayed pressure urticaria: Occurs hours after sustained pressure on the skin
- Solar urticaria: Triggered by sunlight
- Vibratory urticaria: Triggered by vibration or shaking
⚠️ Symptoms
- Red, itchy, raised wheals (hives)
- Burning or stinging sensation
- Swelling in affected areas
- Symptoms typically appear minutes after exposure to the trigger and last a few hours
🛠️ Treatment
- Avoid known triggers (e.g., cold exposure, tight clothing)
- Antihistamines to reduce itching and swelling
- For severe cases, other medications like leukotriene receptor antagonists or immunosuppressants may be prescribed
- Emergency treatment with epinephrine if anaphylaxis occurs (rare)
🛡️ Tips
- Wear appropriate clothing to avoid triggers
- Keep a symptom diary to identify and avoid triggers
- Consult an allergist or dermatologist for diagnosis and personalized treatment