The cause of hives is not well known

Hives are very common, but treatment is limited due to the complex causes of the disease. Causes of urticaria may be caused by inside or outside the body, even if the cause is unknown. Find out the most common causes of hives through the following article.

Urticaria occurs because of the overreaction of the immune system. When a reaction occurs, the body releases a chemical intermediate called histamine and some other chemicals from the skin's surface. Because of its release, histamine breaks down nearby blood vessels, leaks and accumulates fluid under the skin, leading to inflammation. At the same time, histamine also activates sensory nerves, thereby creating an itchy feeling.

Currently, it is thought that some agents such as allergy, physical, autoimmune . are factors that activate the immune system causing urticaria.

1. Causes of urticaria are common

Mostly, the cause of urticaria is usually caused by allergies. An allergy happens when the body responds to a substance that it considers harmful, called an allergen.

Anyone can have allergies and everything can cause allergies. However, the most common cause of allergic allergic rash is food, drugs, insect stings or infections.

Food allergy

In the cause of urticaria, food allergy is the most common cause. Like other allergies, food allergy is caused by an immune system mistaking a food that is an exotic element and trying to destroy it.

In theory, any food can cause allergies, regardless of animal or plant origin. However, according to some studies, protein-rich foods are the most allergenic, typically shellfish, eggs, milk, peanuts, tree seeds or some fruits like strawberries. , kiwi or fermented drinks such as alcohol . Common, "healthiest" foods can also cause allergies, hives, not just synthetic foods.

Picture 1 of The cause of hives is not well known
Food allergy is a cause of urticaria.

Drug allergy

In many cases, the drug is the cause of urticaria, rash. All medicines and sugar taken by drugs (drinking, placing, injecting, applying .) into the body can cause allergies, hives.

The drugs are easy to cause urticaria, most allergy is antibiotics, especially beta lactam group; Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin; types of vaccines, serum . Even anti-allergy drugs such as glucocorticoid or synthetic antihistamines like claritin can also cause urticaria to appear.

Drug-induced urticaria usually occurs immediately after taking the drug or after a few days, may be alone or accompanied by fever, lymphadenopathy, and joint pain .

Insect bites

Most people get bitten by an insect or bite. In normal people, when a poisonous or non-toxic insect is burned into the skin, it will cause a stinging sensation or pain, redness and swelling at the site, accompanied by itching for a short time. For people with sensitive sites, insect venom can cause a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can lead to edema, shortness of breath, and itchy rash (urticaria). . This can be life-threatening and must be taken care of and treated promptly.

Picture 2 of The cause of hives is not well known
Insect-burning allergies can cause urticaria, redness.

Due to infection

A common cause of urticaria is quite common due to viral infections such as viral hepatitis B and C; infection in the ear, nose, throat, digestive organs, mouth, intestinal parasites infection (worms, parasites) .

In cases of urticaria due to infection, the determination of the cause of the disease is very difficult, because many tests must be done to find results.

2. Causes of urticaria caused by physical agents

Physical urticaria is a condition in which skin rashes are triggered by a number of physical factors such as pressure, heat, cold, sweating, water and sunlight. The cause of physical urticaria is unknown, but scientists say it is the result of autoimmune reactions, also known as autoantibodies. Also because of autoimmune and non-allergic mechanisms, physical urticaria tends to last, repeated relapses lead to chronic phase.

Physical urticaria has many types, including: embossed skin, cold urticaria, cholinergic urticaria, pressure urticaria and sun urticaria.

Picture 3 of The cause of hives is not well known
Embossed skin is a typical form of physical locket.

3. Exposure to organic or chemical substances causes urticaria

Locket can also occur due to contact with chemicals, including cosmetics, food additives or regular detergents . The cause of urticaria due to contact with organic substances is more common in women. female and young children.

4. Other diseases are causes of urticaria

There have been many studies showing that urticaria and systemic diseases are closely related. In cases of urticaria caused by systemic diseases, the mechanism of disease is mainly caused by autoimmune reactions. So, if you have some autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis or chronic kidney disease, urticaria, rashes appear to be inevitable.

According to dermatologists, urticaria cannot be terminated if the untreated patient causes an urticaria. However, the discovery of pathology that causes urticaria is also a small challenge for both patients and physicians. For this reason, hives due to systemic diseases tend to last long into chronic because there is no treatment for autoimmune diseases.

Picture 4 of The cause of hives is not well known
Thyroid diseases can cause urticaria, rashes.

5. Due to heredity

Through tests showed that urticaria was identified by genetic factors that accounted for a relatively low rate (about 5-7%). For these subjects, treatment of urticaria often does not end because the disease depends on the location.

6. Due to spontaneous (idiopathic urticaria)

In addition to the causes of urticaria, there are many cases of urticaria caused by spontaneous or unknown causes of urticaria. Also because it is impossible to determine the cause, spontaneous urticaria is difficult to treat because it can only affect external symptoms.