What is Urticaria (Hives) in Children? Causes, Symptoms & Medical treatments

Posted 2 years ago in HEALTH EATING.

Urticaria is a problem in which red, swollen, and itchy areas appear on the skin. It can occur as an allergic reaction to eating certain foods or taking certain medications. Though, the cause may sometimes be unknown. Hives can vary in size from half an inch to several inches in size. Hive

What is Urticaria (Hives) in Children? Causes, Symptoms & Medical treatments

What causes hives in a child?

Causes of rashes in babies include food, medication, and other triggers. Common causes include:   

  • Peanuts
  • Anticonvulsant medicines
  • Phenobarbital
  • Shellfish
  • Penicillin
  • Sulfa
  • Eggs
  • Aspirin

Other types of hives include:

  • Dermatographism. These rashes are caused by scratching the skin, constant stroking of the skin, or wearing tight clothing that scratches the skin.
  • Cold-induced hives. These hives are brought about by presentation to cold air or water.
  • Exercise-induced urticaria. These allergic urticaria are caused by physical activity. 
  • Solar hives. These hives are brought about by introduction to daylight or light.
  • Chronic hives. These are hives that return without a known cause.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Hives?

The main sign of hives. 

  • It has a pale center
  • They appear in groups
  • Change the look and location in a matter of hours
  • Be small or as large as a dinner plate
  • Itching, stinging, or burning

A person with angioedema may also have puffiness, red spots, swelling, or large bumps around the eyes, lips, hands, feet, genitals, or throat. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

Rarely, a person with urticaria and angioedema may develop anaphylactic shock. Signs of anaphylactic shock include breathing problems, low blood pressure, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.

What is the treatment for hives?

Monitor your baby's rash and call your doctor before treating your baby with any medications. Most medicines do not contain dosing instructions for children. To make sure the drug is safe and to know how much to administer, talk to your doctor .

Medical treatments

Oral antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and cetirizine (Zyrtec), are available over the counter to treat hives. These medications slow the release of histamine in the body.

Your Dermatologist can advise you on whether it is safe for you to give these medicines to your infant, as they are not approved for use in children under the age of two. You may need to be given antihistamines several times a day for several days to relieve symptoms from hives.

Sometimes steroids may be used if an infant's cells do not respond to antihistamines.

Your child may need more immediate medical treatments if the rash causes serious symptoms such as trouble breathing, wheezing, or a sore throat.

These symptoms require emergency medical care. It may result in your child needing a higher level prescription or even hospitalization.

Home remedies

Your doctor may recommend treating your baby's hives at home. Hives often go away on their own and without any other treatment.

You may be able to treat hives at home by treating hives:

  • Keep your child away from anything that may be causing the rash. Since the rash in infants is often caused by a virus, this may not be necessary or possible.
  • Use a cold compress to relieve discomfort caused by hives

If home remedies do not calm the hives, call your doctor again.

How Are Hives Diagnosed?

More often than not, a specialist can analyze hives just by taking a gander at the skin. To find the cause, you may be asked questions about your child's medical history, recent illnesses, medications, exposure to allergens, and daily stressors.

If your child has chronic hives, the doctor may ask you to keep a daily record of activities, such as what your child eats and drinks, and where on the body it tends to appear. Diagnostic tests - such as blood tests, allergy tests, and tests to rule out conditions that could cause hives, such as thyroid disease or hepatitis - may be done to find the exact cause of the hives.

To check for bodily hives, the doctor may place ice on your child's skin to see how he reacts to the cold or place a sandbag or other heavy object on the thighs to see if the pressure will cause the hives.

Preventing hives

To help prevent hives, stay away from any materials sensitive to your baby:

  • If your child has a food allergy, read labels carefully. And be careful in restaurants.
  • Tell your child's healthcare provider, dentist, and pharmacist of any allergies your child has to medicines. Keep a list of alternative medicines on hand.

The skin is an incredible organ. It's your first line of defense against illness, and it protects your other organs, warms and cools you, and sends messages about how healthy you are on the inside. Dermatologists are professional doctors and skin surgeons with unique skills and experience to provide the best care for the organ that cares for you.Find the best dermatologist in visakhapatnam Book doctor appointment online with top Dermatologists, view consultation fees, reviews, Op timings, hospital address Skedoc.

Henry Klasen

Living in India

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