Summer and spring time for most people are the most favorite times of the year. However, for 3% of people this period carries more negative emotions. Despite the fact that solar urticaria( otherwise - an allergy to the sun's rays) is a rare disease, yet this does not detract from the danger that ultraviolet carries for such special patients. What are the features of photodermatosis?
Let's talk today about the symptoms, causes and treatment of solar urticaria by traditional and folk remedies, consider photos of patients and study the prognosis with it.
Features of the disease
Solar urticaria is also called pseudoallergia, because despite the abundance of symptoms inherent in an allergic reaction, antibodies are not produced in the blood of patients of any age. If photodermatitis is hereditary, it will manifest itself in childhood.
In other cases, all people are equally exposed to it, since it is not known what exactly triggers the disease, although the female is diagnosed more often. Most susceptible to her patients, whose skin quickly burns or does not lend itself to sunburn.
The concept and symptoms of solar urticaria are discussed in this video:
Classification of solar urticaria
The urticaria of the acute and chronic forms are identified with the flow. The latter is divided into persistent papular and recurrent.
Among all types of hives, the sun is referred to a physical type, i.e., to a disease that is preceded by an effect on the body from the outside.
Causes of
The mechanism of occurrence of solar urticaria has not been studied to the end, however doctors assume that there are several factors triggering the pathological process:
- Hypersensitivity. Photodermatosis provokes the ultraviolet radiated by the heavenly body. Negatively it acts on basophils - components of blood. And since they are located in the upper part of the skin, then there are symptoms that are similar in appearance to manifestations of dermatosis.
- The opposite opinion of scientists is based on the assumption that solar urticaria does not appear at all as an allergic reaction but as a reaction of the body to excessive production of protoporphyrin. These elements are sensitive to rays, so sensitization takes place. This phenomenon is considered a pathology, inherited.
- A photosensitizer may act as a provocateur of the disease, that is, any cosmetics if they contain a substance capable of provoking such a reaction. Hives occur as a result of the development of toxic components, if a person has pathologies of the thyroid gland, kidneys.
- Psychoemotional factor.
Most doctors are inclined to precisely determine what actually causes an allergy to the sun.
Symptoms of
If a person inclined to photodermatitis will stay in the sun for a certain amount of time( from 10 to 90 minutes), then it threatens with a number of unpleasant symptoms:
- a vast scattering of red spots;
- unbearable itching;
- blisters;
- chills;
- nausea;
- weakness.
In this case:
- Severity of symptoms depends on how long the sun shone on the skin. If from 2 hours or more, it is very likely the appearance of nausea, vomiting and even fainting, and blisters will be more.
- With short( up to 30 minutes) exposure, the symptoms go off quickly, the rash is small and the itch is not as pronounced.
You can try to determine what caused the photodermatitis. For example, if cosmetic means have their influence, then the areas of reddening have clear boundaries. If the factor is internal disease or uncontrolled drug intake, then the circles of redness are symmetrical.
Not always the signs of solar urticaria appear immediately after contact with the sun. It also happens that the first symptoms occur only after 1-2 days. They pass in different ways for each person. It is enough for someone to go into the shade and wait some time for the manifestations of photodermatosis to disappear, and someone needs a full treatment.
Diagnosis
It is easy to determine the nature of the disease. In differential diagnosis, attention is drawn to the characteristic location and mechanism of the rash.
In addition, a study is conducted to determine the amount of protoporphyrin in erythrocytes. This is necessary to exclude the inherently transmitted erythropoietic protoporphyria.
This video will tell you how to treat solar urticaria:
Treatment of
Therapeutic way of
With solar urticaria, you need to adjust the nutrition. Preferably, the diet does not include any allergens, heavy food, so as not to aggravate the sensitization. For this purpose, vegetable and dairy nutrition is suitable, which has long been recommended as an excellent assistant in the treatment of even the most complex allergies.
All clothing should be light, preferably before going out to put on a hat and glasses, do not use any cosmetic compounds. Exception - this is a specialized protective cream from sunlight.
To facilitate the symptoms that photodermatosis provides, you can use folk techniques:
- Brew quality black tea, cool the solution and apply to the surface at intervals of 20 minutes. Repeat the procedure required until the disappearance of itching sensations.
- Cucumber or cabbage leaves to attach to the skin.
- Prepare a bath and add to it pre-cooked flakes( up to 600 g).
- Rice starch mixed with glycerin( equal proportions).The resulting remedy is rubbed into the area of the rash.
- Baths with the addition of decoction based on fir, pine and spruce also contribute to the removal of severe itching.
- Make a decoction from the roots of the mug, moisten the gauze in it and apply it to the area with hives.
- In 2 cups of boiling water, crushed geranium is brewed. The mixture after the infusion is regularly rubbed on the skin.
Further we tell about preparations from a solar urticaria.
Drug medication
For mild urticaria, it is best to use only ointments. For local treatment are suitable Methyluracil, Lanolin, Zinc Ointment. If the pain is very severe, it is acceptable to take a pill of Ibuprofen or Analgin.
Heavy form of photodermatitis should be treated under the supervision of a doctor, since in these cases it is necessary to select correctly the drugs, calculate their dosage and outline the approximate duration of the course. At first, vitamins, NSAIDs are widely used, especially in the form of Indomethacin or Analgin. Often, these measures are sufficient to restore health, but when medications do not give the desired effect, they designate such remedies:
- cell membrane stabilizers;
- corticosteroids( tablets, but more often ointments);
- antihistamines.
The dermatologist monitors the effectiveness of this treatment. If after 5-7 days it again turned out to be ineffective, a course of vitamins B, desensitizing drugs( Delagil, Plakvenil) is prescribed.
Solar urticaria can be treated at home by folk remedies, as this video will describe:
Prevention of the disease
The main principle of photodermatosis prevention is reduced to the necessity of permanent skin protection from direct sun rays, especially if the disease was observed with the next of kin. Before a walk, apply cream with a high degree of protection against ultraviolet radiation.
- It is advisable to plan an exit to the street in advance, and choose the preferred time until 11 am or from 4-5 pm.
- Together with the doctor you need to select a special vitamin therapy and plan antioxidant therapy. Completely under the ban fall solariums.
- It is advisable to do an organism hardening and ask a doctor about the appointment of a course of immunomodulators.
Complications of
If the result of medical treatment is not available for a long time, and photodermatitis relapses begin to appear frequently, it threatens with the appearance of chronic solar eczema. Such a scenario will lead to the appearance of pigmentation and thickening of the epidermis.
As the disease accompanies the strongest itching, this inevitably leads to scratching of the skin surface. Not always after that there is an opportunity to process it, and after all through damages infection easily will get, that will cause occurrence of purulent inflammation.
Forecast
Positive. In the overwhelming majority of cases, photodermatitis is perfectly treatable, and under the condition of timely therapy, the probability of complications decreases many times.