Urticaria: Features

The urticaria eruptions may be irregularly shaped or round or maybe like a vertical line... They may appear single or multiple, occasional or many appearing at once or appearing and disappearing in random order.

The most annoying concern for the sufferer is intense itching which, when uncontrolled makes the patient restless and impatient. At times, the eruptions and itching may lead to a disturbance at work and sleeplessness.

Angioneurotic edema

Angioneurotic edema (ANO, also called Giant Urticaria) is a variant of urticaria which simply means large (massive or giant) urticaria with severe swelling (edema) of the skin at a deeper cellular level. When this involves respiratory organs such as the larynx, it may lead to suffocation and to a medical emergency. The lips may get terribly swollen with ANO.

Dermatographism

Dermatographism is an uncommon(4%) and an important urticaria variant, whereby if the skin is rubbed forcibly as in writing, the written letters could raise showing the urticaria rash, as demonstrated in a patient treated at Life Force.

Patients having repeated episodes of angioneurotic edema (lip swelling), which is suggestive of deeper immunological problems, may take longer to respond to treatment. es. However, frequent use of cortisone for such episodes may give an immediate response but that also makes the disease more steroid-dependent and more difficult to treat eventually.  Homeopathy works very well for such cases and reduces the episodes of angioedema.