Hives in children: what are the causes and the most effective remedies?
Hives is a skin disorder that occurs in the form of inflammation with red and swollen areas that often itch. It is a real rash with red spots similar to those that arise after touching the nettle: here is the reason for this name.
It is certainly an unpleasant condition, especially when it is the younger ones who tend to scratch the small lesions that are created on the skin.
Let's say first of all that it is always good to respect simple hygiene rules to preserve the health of the little ones, as the following video shows us.
When urticaria occurs in the first months or years of life, it is a symptom of the activation of the immune system, so it is not to be considered serious and there is no need to be alarmed.
We cannot call it a disease, but it is increasingly common to find cases of urticaria in children; each case is to be considered in itself and will have a different duration: we speak of acute urticaria if it lasts up to 6 weeks; chronic urticaria, if instead it extends beyond 6 weeks. Finally, relapsing urticaria is defined when the episodes are frequent with an average of at least one per month.
Do you know the difference between hives and dermatitis? Click and read this article to avoid confusing them.
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What are the causes of hives in children?
We know well that a parent can be frightened at the first signs, especially when it is not yet clear what it is. Panic in general is never helpful, what you can do is contact the pediatrician and report the event.
Hives can appear in different areas of the child's body as a result of an allergic reaction due to, for example, certain foods ingested or drugs, but it is good to keep in mind that in most cases there is no precise cause, or better it could be more causes put together.
In summary and entering more specifically, the main culprits of the onset of "urticaria are:
- Infections of the gastrointestinal tract and upper respiratory tract
- Intolerances to foods such as peanuts, shellfish, fish, eggs, milk
- Medicines such as antibiotics, ibuprofen and aspirin (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- Insect bites can cause hives
- Dust, mold and animal hair with which you come into contact
There are also other habits that can contribute to the manifestation of urticaria, the most common are exposure to the sun or tanning lamps, the arrival of winter (cold-induced urticaria) and wearing very tight clothes or synthetic fibers that in contact with the skin can cause this reaction.
The heat also plays a strategic role in the appearance of this disorder: intense physical exercise, very hot climate, use of sauna and Turkish bath, can interfere and cause the so-called cholinergic urticaria.
Urticaria in children: from symptoms to diagnosis
If as a mother you are wondering what the symptoms of urticaria are, know that they are easily recognizable. Usually the most evident is the localized itching on the wheals which stimulates the scratching action; it can happen that sometimes the red and swollen area disappears, and then returns after a few hours. Often these skin lesions are also accompanied by swelling (angioedema) which is another typical symptom of urticaria in children.
If you observe something abnormal on your child's skin, the advice we give you is not to be alarmed and above all not to make the diagnosis based on online research or other.
Contacting a doctor in these cases is the right move to start the most effective treatment right away. Only those who are competent in the matter can, through an in-depth visit and a description of the symptoms, express themselves in this regard and intervene promptly in the first few days.
Sometimes the doctor may decide to prescribe additional tests such as allergy tests, to get a clearer picture of the situation: this happens especially in cases of relapsing urticaria which tends to reappear with a certain frequency.
How is urticaria treated in children?
Urticaria is not a serious disease, however it is very annoying especially for the little ones; it is therefore good to act immediately with an ad hoc treatment to return the skin to normal. The right drug and the ideal therapy exist, it will only take a little patience to identify them.
Beyond this, another fundamental aspect is to discover the reasons that lead to this discomfort: by analyzing the skin lesions, the doctor will be able to recommend the most suitable treatment, stopping the manifestation of the wheals.
For urticaria due to food allergies, it will be essential to eliminate from the diet all those foods that more than others can affect the appearance of dots: eggs, meat, fish, milk and derivatives, nuts and beans. In this regard, it is useful to subject the child to an allergic test to be sure of which foods are offended.
But that's not all, urticaria in children is often attributed to substances such as dyes and food preservatives often found in packaged snacks. After having had an allergy or to prevent it, the advice is to consume very light foods such as lettuce, steamed vegetables and rice.
The most effective drugs against urticaria
In addition to taking all the precautions we talked about in the previous paragraphs, to relieve urticaria in children, you can resort to the use of some prescription drugs.
The most common are antihistamines to be taken orally and especially effective in case of allergic urticaria. As the name suggests, these are medicines that act on histamine, which in high quantities can cause allergies and anaphylactic shock.
Some second-generation antihistamines such as Clarityn (its active ingredient is Loratadine) have shown excellent efficacy in the treatment of urticaria in children, when the origin is allergic. This drug is not the only one, among others of similar composition we can point out Aerius and Fristamin.
In the most difficult cases of chronic or acute urticaria, cortisone-based drugs can be of great help, to be taken only for short periods and under medical observation.
The intervention of the pediatrician or doctor will be essential to identify the cause and to outline the right therapy to follow.
For more scientific information on urticaria in children, you can consult the official website of Humanitas.
