| |
Although seen in all ages, they seem to be more prevalent among young adults. The most common causes of chronic urticaria are drug reactions, stress, food sensitivities and fungal infections. Some initiating factors include:- Allergic urticaria: plants, pollens, drugs (including aspirin), foods (such as shellfish, eggs, nuts, strawberries, certain baked goods) and food additives, animal dander, cosmetics, toxins from jellyfish, caterpillars or fleas, "contactants" such as latex (especially in health care workers).
- Physical urticaria: heat or sun, cold, light, pressure from bracelets and clothes or scratching, vibration, exercise
- Secondary urticaria: infections (e.g. hepatitis B virus, candida albicans, streptococcal bacteria), collagen vascular diseases, autoimmune diseases or other metabolic disorders, cancer, psychological, hypothyroidism, polycythemia vera, protoporphyria (even without excessive sun exposure). Mechanical, physical or emotional factors might play a role.
Instead of just treating the symptoms (which is obviously important as well), a physician needs to get the the bottom (if there is one) of why the patient is getting them in the first place.
|
|
|
