This itchy rash, which can drive sufferers to distraction, may have a wide variety of causes including medication, viruses, or even an after-work beer. It's usually referred to as nettle rash. This week's health tip knows how to recognise the symptoms and what to do about them.
Red skin, itchy spots: Medication, viruses or even beer can trigger nettle rash. Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at santé24, reveals more about nettle rash in the video (only in German).
Symptoms
Doctors differentiate between two kinds of nettle rash, depending on how long the symptoms persist.
- In the case of acute nettle rash, the swellings develop suddenly and generally disappear after a few hours or days.
- In chronic nettle rash, the symptoms may persist for six weeks or more, but this period may include days or even weeks when there are no symptoms.
Causes
The commonest causes of acute nettle rash are bacterial and viral infections, adverse reactions to medication, and food allergies.
It is more difficult to pinpoint the causes of chronic nettle rash. External stimuli, such as major differences in temperature, in association with physical or mental stress are often responsible for the rash. Allergies are rarely the cause.
Treatment
Antihistamines, taken in the form of tablets or drops, are usually effective in treating acute nettle rash. Sufferers can also apply body lotion to the skin to keep it moisturised.
With chronic nettle rash, treatment tends to focus on relieving the itch since the cause is difficult to pin down. Antihistamines therefore form the basis of the therapy which generally lasts for a number of weeks or months.
Tips
- If the nettle rash is due to a food allergy or intolerance, it makes good sense to change the diet. SWICA's experienced dietary assistants will be happy to help. SWICA provides generous contributions towards dietary analysis and advice. More information can be found here.
- If the nettle rash is triggered by physical or mental stress, relaxation techniques (e.g. autogenic training) can be useful.
