urticaria

Hives are red and sometimes itchy bumps on your skin. An allergic reaction to a drug or food usually causes them. Allergic reactions cause your body to release chemicals that can make your skin swell up in hives. People who have other allergies are more likely to get hives than other people. Other causes include infections and stress.

Hives are very common. They usually go away on their own, but if you have a serious case, you might need medicine or a shot. In rare cases, hives can cause a dangerous swelling in your airways, making it hard to breathe - which is a medical emergency.

Most of the time, medicines make our lives better. They reduce aches and pains, fight infections, and control problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes. But medicines can also cause unwanted reactions, such as drug interactions, side effects, and allergies.

A drug interaction is a change in the way a drug acts in the body when taken with certain other drugs, foods, or supplements or when taken while you have certain medical conditions. Examples include:

• Two drugs, such as aspirin and blood thinners
• Drugs and food, such as statins and grapefruit
• Drugs and supplements, such as gingko and blood thinners
• Drugs and medical conditions, such as aspirin and peptic ulcers

Interactions could cause a drug to be more or less effective, cause side effects, or change the way one or both drugs work.

Side effects are unwanted, usually unpleasant, effects caused by medicines. Most are mild, such as a stomachache, dry mouth, or drowsiness, and go away after you stop taking the medicine. Others can be more serious. Sometimes a drug can interact with a disease that you have and cause a side effect. For example, if you have a heart condition, certain decongestants can cause you to have a rapid heartbeat.

Drug allergies are another type of reaction. They can range from mild to life-threatening. Skin reactions, such as hives and rashes, are the most common type. Anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction, is less common.

When you start a new prescription or over-the-counter medicine, make sure you understand how to take it correctly. Know which other medicines, foods, and supplements you need to avoid. Always talk to your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions about your medicines.

Itching is an irritating sensation that makes you want to scratch your skin. Sometimes it can feel like pain, but it is different. Often, you feel itchy in one area in your body, but sometimes you may feel itching all over. Along with the itching, you may also have a rash or hives.

Itching is a symptom of many health conditions. Some common causes are:

• Allergic reactions to food, insect bites, pollen, and medicines
• Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin
• Irritating chemicals, cosmetics, and other substances
• Parasites such as pinworms, scabies, head and body lice
• Pregnancy
• Liver, kidney, or thyroid diseases
• Certain cancers or cancer treatments
• Diseases that can affect the nervous system, such as diabetes and shingles

Most itching is not serious. To feel better, you could try:

• Applying cold compresses
• Using moisturizing lotions
• Taking lukewarm or oatmeal baths
• Using over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or antihistamines
• Avoiding scratching, wearing irritating fabrics, and exposure to high heat and humidity

Contact your health care provider if your itching is severe, does not go away after a few weeks, or does not have an apparent cause. You may need other treatments, such as medicines or light therapy. If you have an underlying disease that is causing the itching, treating that disease may help.

An allergy is a reaction by your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing. Substances that often cause reactions are:

• Pollen
• Dust mites
• Mold spores
• Pet dander
• Food
• Insect stings
• Medicines

Normally, your immune system fights germs. It is your body's defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is responding to a false alarm. Genes and the environment probably both play a role.

Allergies can cause a variety of symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling, or asthma. Allergies can range from minor to severe. Anaphylaxis is a severe reaction that can be life-threatening. Doctors use skin and blood tests to diagnose allergies. Treatments include medicines, allergy shots, and avoiding the substances that cause the reactions.

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction. It can begin very quickly, and symptoms may be life-threatening. The most common causes are reactions to foods (especially peanuts), medications, and stinging insects. Other causes include exercise and exposure to latex. Sometimes no cause can be found.

It can affect many organs:

• Skin - itching, hives, redness, swelling
• Nose - sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose
• Mouth - itching, swelling of the lips or tongue
• Throat - itching, tightness, trouble swallowing, swelling of the back of the throat
• Chest - shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest pain or tightness
• Heart - weak pulse, passing out, shock
• Gastrointestinal tract - vomiting, diarrhea, cramps
• Nervous system - dizziness or fainting

If someone is having a serious allergic reaction, call 911. If an auto-injector is available, give the person the injection right away.

Edema means swelling caused by fluid in your body's tissues. It usually occurs in the feet, ankles and legs, but it can involve your entire body.

Causes of edema include:

• Eating too much salt
• Sunburn
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Liver problems from cirrhosis
• Pregnancy
• Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
• Some medicines
• Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm

To keep swelling down, your health care provider may recommend keeping your legs raised when sitting, wearing support stockings, limiting how much salt you eat, or taking a medicine called a diuretic - also called a water pill.

A food allergy is an abnormal immune system reaction to certain foods. Your immune system normally protects you from germs. But if you have a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly reacts to certain foods as if they were harmful. This reaction is usually mild. But in some cases, it can be serious or even life-threatening.

A food intolerance is different than a food allergy. If you have a food intolerance, you also have symptoms when you eat that food. But these are typically just digestive symptoms such as bloating and gas. Also, an intolerance is not an immune system reaction.

Most food allergies are caused by:

• Cow's milk
• Chicken eggs
• Crustacean shellfish, such as shrimp, crab, lobster, and crayfish
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Sesame
• Soy
• Tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans
• Wheat

People with a food allergy may be allergic to more than one type of food.

Both children and adults can have food allergies. Some children will outgrow their food allergies. And sometimes people can develop food allergies as adult.

Certain factors can make you more likely to have a food allergy. They include:

• Having eczema, a disease that causes inflammation, redness, and irritation of the skin. Your immune system also plays a role in eczema.
• Having asthma or other allergies, such as hay fever.
• Your genes. Certain genes may influence the development of food allergies. And you are more likely to have food allergies if someone in your family has allergies, asthma, or eczema.

If you are allergic to a food you have eaten, you may have a variety of symptoms. These symptoms are not always the same for every person. And the symptoms that you get each time you eat the food may not always be the same. For example, your symptoms may sometimes depend on how much of the food you ate.

Food allergy symptoms usually start within a few minutes to two hours after you eat that food. They may include:

• Hives
• Flushed skin or rash
• Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
• Face, tongue, or lip swelling
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Abdominal (belly) cramps
• Coughing or wheezing
• Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
• Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
• Trouble breathing

In rare cases, a food allergy can cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. It may start out with some milder symptoms, but then it becomes more serious. It can lead to:

• Narrowed airways in the lungs
• Severe trouble breathing because of swelling in the throat
• Severe lowering of blood pressure and shock ("anaphylactic shock")
• Loss of consciousness

This is a medical emergency. Call 911 if someone is having the symptoms of anaphylaxis.

To find out if you have a food allergy, your health care provider will

• Ask about your symptoms, family health history, and medical history, including other allergies.
• Likely do a physical exam.
• Do food allergy testing. This could involve skin testing, blood testing, a food elimination diet, and/or an oral food challenge test. An oral food challenge test is the most accurate food allergy test.

There is no cure for food allergies. The only way to prevent a reaction is to avoid eating the food that you are allergic to.

There are medicines for people with food allergies. They include:

• Medicines to reduce food allergy symptoms, including antihistamines and corticosteroids.
• Medicines to reduce allergic reactions, including severe reactions.
• Epinephrine, a medicine to treat anaphylaxis. Your provider may give you a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector. It is a device used to inject epinephrine when someone is having symptoms of anaphylaxis. If you have been prescribed one, it's important to learn how to use it and to carry it with you at all times.

If you have a food allergy, it's a good idea to have a medical alert bracelet that says what your allergy is.

Mosquitoes are insects that live all over the world. There are thousands of different species of mosquitoes; about 200 of those live in the United States.

Female mosquitoes bite animals and humans and drink a very small amount of their blood. They need protein and iron from blood to produce eggs. After drinking blood, they find some standing water and lay their eggs in it. The eggs hatch into larvae, then pupae, and then they become adult mosquitos. The males live for about a week to ten days, and the females can live up to several weeks. Some female mosquitoes can hibernate in the winter, and they can live for months.

Most mosquito bites are harmless, but there are times when they can be dangerous. The ways that mosquito bites can affect humans include:

• Causing itchy bumps, as an immune system response to the mosquito's saliva. This is the most common reaction. The bumps usually go away after a day or two.
• Causing allergic reactions, including blisters, large hives, and in rare cases, anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that affects the whole body. It is a medical emergency.
• Spreading diseases to humans. Some of these diseases can be serious. Many of them do not have any treatments, and only a few have vaccines to prevent them. These diseases are more of a problem in Africa and other tropical areas of the world, but more of them are spreading to the United States. One factor is climate change, which makes the conditions in some parts of the United States more favorable to certain types of mosquitoes. Other reasons include increased trade with, and travel to, tropical and subtropical areas.

Common diseases spread by mosquitoes include:

• Chikungunya, a viral infection that causes symptoms such as fever and severe joint pain. The symptoms usually last about a week, but for some, the joint pain may last for months. Most cases of chikungunya in the United States are in people who traveled to other countries. There have been a few cases where it has spread in the United States.
• Dengue, a viral infection that causes a high fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, vomiting, and a rash. Most people get better within a few weeks. In some cases, it can become very severe, even life-threatening. Dengue is rare in the United States.
• Malaria, a parasitic disease that causes serious symptoms such as high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. It can be life-threatening, but there are drugs to treat it. Malaria is a major health problem in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Almost all cases of malaria in the United States are in people who traveled to other countries.
• West Nile Virus (WNV), a viral infection that often has no symptoms. In those that do have symptoms, they are usually mild, and include fever, headache, and nausea. In rare cases, the virus can enter the brain, and it can be life-threatening. WNV has spread across the continental United States.
• Zika Virus, a viral infection that often does not cause symptoms. One in five infected people do get symptoms, which are usually mild. They include a fever, rash, joint pain, and pink eye. Besides being spread by mosquitoes, Zika can spread from mother to baby during pregnancy and cause serious birth defects. It can also spread from one partner to another during sex. There have been a few outbreaks of Zika in the southern United States.

• Use an insect repellent when you go outdoors. Choose an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent. They are evaluated to make sure they are safe and effective. Make sure that the repellant has one of these ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol. It is important to follow the instructions on the label.
• Cover up. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin fabric, so spray thin clothes with an EPA-registered repellent like permethrin. Don't apply permethrin directly to skin.
• Mosquito-proof your home. Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out. Use air conditioning if you have it.
• Get rid of mosquito breeding sites. Regularly empty standing water from your house and yard. The water could be in flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, or birdbaths.
• If you plan to travel, get information about the areas you will be going to. Find out whether there is a risk of diseases from mosquitoes, and if so, whether there is a vaccine or medicine to prevent those diseases. See a health care provider familiar with travel medicine, ideally 4 to 6 weeks before your trip.

Your skin is your body's largest organ. It covers the entire outside of your body. There are many ways that your skin protects your body and helps keep you healthy. For example, it:

• Holds body fluids in, which helps prevent you from getting dehydrated
• Keeps out harmful germs, which helps prevent infections
• Helps you feel things like heat, cold, and pain
• Helps control your body temperature
• Makes vitamin D when the sun shines on it
• Shields your body against heat and light

There are many different problems and conditions which can affect your skin. Some of them can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as itching, burning, redness, and rashes. They might also affect your appearance. Some of the more common skin conditions include:

• Acne, which causes pimples when hair follicles under your skin get clogged up
• Burns
• Cuts and scrapes
• Dandruff, flaking of the skin on your scalp (the top of your head)
• Eczema (atopic dermatitis), which causes inflammation, redness, and irritation of the skin
• Hives, which are red and sometimes itchy bumps on your skin
• Insect bites
• Psoriasis, which causes itchy, scaly red patches
• Skin cancer
• Skin infections

Since your skin protects your body in many ways, it's important to try to keep your skin healthy. For example, you can:

• Wear the right protective equipment, like gloves, long sleeves, knee and elbow pads, or helmets to protect against cuts, bumps and scrapes.
• If you do get a cut or scrape, clean it right away with soap and warm water. Put on a bandage to protect it while it heals.
• When you are spending time outdoors, wear long sleeves and pants and use insect repellant to prevent insect bites.
• Prevent sunburn by covering up and using sunscreen when outdoors.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• When you take a shower or bath, use warm (not hot) water. Use mild cleansers and wash gently (don't scrub).
• Use moisturizers, like lotions, creams, or ointments, to prevent dry skin.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Special cells in the skin make melanin. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire body.

If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Pregnancy, Addison's disease, and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. If your body makes too little melanin, your skin gets lighter. Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin. Albinism is a genetic condition affecting a person's skin. A person with albinism may have no color, lighter than normal skin color, or patchy missing skin color. Infections, blisters and burns can also cause lighter skin.