Our skin still feels cold. And this is fraught with more serious problems than the roughness and redness. Consultation of the dermatologist.
After a walk in cold weather, you return home and after a while noticed on the exposed parts of the body swelling, severe redness, blisters, itching feel, a little unwell. When warming some symptoms are worse.
You should definitely consult a doctor because these symptoms can be regarded as cold urticaria, one of the variants of urticaria.
Treatment of cold urticaria in most symptomatic: antihistamines, in severe forms of use of hormonal therapy, the introduction of immunoglobulin.
Urticaria (from the Latin. Urtica nettle) the name of the extensive group of diseases of different etiology, mechanisms of development, approaches to their diagnosis and treatment.
In the pathogenesis of cold urticaria, the main role is played by the presence of pathological proteins with holodostojkie properties (paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, the disease cold agglutinins, cryofibrinogenemia and cryoglobulinemia).
The main clinical symptom of any kind are foldernya hives (urticaria) itchy items by erythema, ranging in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters, clearly demarcated and raised above the skin surface. With urticaria is often associated angioedema, or angioedema, which is manifested asymmetric dense edema of the deeper layers of the dermis in various parts of the body (often the face, head, neck, genital organs.)
Cold urticaria occurs as a result of effects on the body low temperatures. The factors that trigger the manifestation of symptoms: cold water, air, cold food. Some patients after ingestion of ice cream or a cold cocktail, there is often headache – this, too, may be a sign of cold urticaria.
Cooling of the entire body often leads to severe systemic reactions. In severe cold Allergy observed weakness, headache, shortness of breath, tachycardia, abdominal pain and nausea.
Occasionally patients complain of nasal congestion, profuse rhinorrhea, sneezing, lacrimation, itching and redness of the eyes, cough, dyspnea, which are terminated in a dry warm room, it is due to allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, bronchial hyperreactivity due to exposure to cold factors.
Reflex cold urticaria
The type of cold urticaria
- Reflex cold urticaria (local or General reaction to the cold)
- Family cold urticaria (genetic)
- Cold erythema (redness of skin)
The disease can last for weeks and even months the whole cold period of the year. In the majority of cold urticaria is a chronic disease, which is characterized by seasonality: winter, early spring, fall. Year-round exacerbations occur during exposure of the skin to cold water when making cold food.
Cold erythema (redness of skin)
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of cold urticaria is not always very simple.
TEST FOR COLD ALLERGY
To pravilnosti the diagnosis is necessary to collect the anamnesis, thoroughly examine the patient, and is sure to make a sample of ice: to put to the skin for 10-15 minutes a piece of ice, and then to see the reaction. There are many other tests that also should be conducted, but this is the easiest, and can help to make a final diagnosis.
Treatment of cold allergies
When diagnosed with cold urticaria the most important thing is prevention of disease exacerbation. Definitely need to wear warm clothes, a hat, do not wash and do not bathe in cold water, do not eat cold food and drink. Clothing should be waterproof, warm. Such patients need to wear warm footwear, gloves should be water – and airtight (leather or padding polyester). Woolen and synthetic fabric reinforce manifestations of cold Allergy, so the quality of the underwear you should choose only natural fabrics.
In cold weather, before you leave home, patients with clinical manifestations of cold Allergy in the form of rhinitis and conjunctivitis, it is advisable to use antihistamines in the form of nasal sprays and eye drops, also need to put on open sites of a body moisturizer, and always use hygienic lipstick. Such patients have to avoid hypothermia.