Uticaria is also known as hives or nettle rash. It is a skin rash caused by a reaction of body to certain food substances, medicines or other irritants. It is appears as raised, well-circumscribed areas (wheals or patches) of erythema and oedema (swelling) involving the dermis and epidermis that are very itchy. It may be acute if it lasts for less than 6 weeks or chronic if it lasts for more than 6 weeks.
Risk factors or triggers: it may occur due to certain food substances (especially peanuts, eggs, nuts and shell fish), certain medications, insect bites, bacterial or viral infections, pollens etc.
Symptoms can last for few minutes to few months. It can affect any age group.Usually there is sudden onset of symptoms. It can appear anywhere on the body; they may change shape, disappear and reappear over short periods of time.it appears as bumps – red or skin-colored “wheals” with clear edges. The most common symptom is itchy skin rash.
Management: it can be managed by avoiding certain substances to which person is allergic.
Homoeopathic medicines shows wonderful results in urticaria that too without any side effects. Here are some homoeopathic remedies which works well if the symptoms agree. Homoeopathic medicines like Apis, Arsenicum album, astacus, Bovista, Chloral hydrate, Dulcamara, Formica rufa, Hepar sulphur, ledum pal, Nat.mur, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Rhus toxicodendron, Sepia, Sulphur, Urtica urens and histaminum has helped me a lot to bring cure to many patients.
Apis mellifica is indicated when there is stinging and burning skin rash as from a bee sting. While arsenic works well if there is urticaria with burning and restlessness. Astacus is indicated for both acute and chronic urticaria and it is associated with liver disease. It occurs on exposure to air. Bovista works well when itching not relieved by scratching and it aggravates during night. Ledum pal is indicated for rashes on legs. Natrum works well if urticaria aggravates in sun while cold aggravation favours dulcamara. If it aggravates by heat than it indicates sulphur and apis mell. While chlorate hydrate works well when there is periodicity in symptoms , rashes disappear during day and appears during night. Pulsatilla is indicated when it occurs due to allergic food substance along with gastric derangements.