Recognize the phenomenon of hives

Hives is a skin rash characterized by itchy, raised bumps that often appear on the face, arms, neck, legs, and buttocks.

The manifestations of urticaria include papules of different sizes and shapes such as round, oval, annular (ring-shaped), the size varies from dots to patches larger than 10 cm.

According to Dr. Vo Thi Tuong Duy - Dermatology - Cosmetic Dermatology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, hives can affect any part of the body, commonly on the face, throat, arms and legs. On the face, hives appear scattered or concentrated on the cheekbones, swollen lips make the patient feel uncomfortable, lose confidence... The swelling can spread to the throat, respiratory tract causing difficulty breathing, risk of anaphylactic shock. In addition to the face, the neck is also a sensitive area that is easily damaged, so just scratching or rubbing hard can also cause hives.

In many cases, the rash can appear on the arms, sometimes the itching spreads to the patient's biceps and arms. In addition, many people have hives on the legs, often due to reactions to insect bites with the manifestation of itchy red pimples (papules) forming in clusters. Each red pimple contains fluid, is 0.2-2 cm wide and has a central point. The location on the buttocks is the area that rubs against clothing, so when hives appear, the patient feels more uncomfortable.

Dr. Duy said that hives is one of the most common skin diseases. Most cases of hives tend to improve within 6 weeks, with only 5% of cases lasting or recurring.

When a patient has hives but is not treated, they will face the risk of allergic capillary edema with symptoms such as swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue or throat (loose tissues); the most dangerous is swelling of the throat causing airway obstruction and leading to death within 4 minutes if emergency treatment is not provided in time to free the airway.

Hives are characterized by itchy, raised bumps. Photo: Freepik — Hives are characterized by itchy, raised bumps. Photo: *Freepik*

People prone to hives

Pregnant women : During pregnancy, the body experiences many hormonal changes and stress. This is one of the reasons why pregnant women are prone to hives. In addition, pregnant women are also susceptible to hives due to colds, flu, overactive liver, and temporary imbalance of liver enzymes, causing waste to accumulate in the blood.

Medical treatment of hives during pregnancy is not recommended. However, in severe cases, your doctor may prescribe low doses of chlorphenamine or loratidine.

Postpartum women : After giving birth, the physical, mental and emotional aspects that affect the immune system change a lot. The process of giving birth and caring for a newborn makes the mother susceptible to exhaustion, along with changes in hormones, emotions and the immune system. At this time, environmental factors can easily penetrate and cause many health problems, including hives. Other causes of hives after giving birth include lack of sleep, excessive anxiety, changes in diet...

Children : Children often get rashes due to allergic reactions to food, insect bites, weather effects...

Hives are not contagious. Many cases of hives are caused by genetics that make the body more sensitive to allergens (food, medicine, etc.) or living in an environment with allergens (weather, air, etc.).

The cause of hives is not always clear, so patients need to see a dermatologist to treat the symptoms immediately, find the cause, and thereby prevent it effectively. In particular, if hives are accompanied by swollen lips, nausea, rapid heartbeat, chills... it is a sign that the body may be in anaphylactic shock and should be taken to the hospital immediately.

Nguyen Tram

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