Urticaria Also known as: Hives
What is it?
Urticaria, also called hives, is a skin condition characterized by intensely itching welts, also called wheals. Wheals are small, either pale or reddened swellings.
Who gets it?
Adults and children can get urticaria, but it is more likely in those with allergies or sensitivities to heat or cold.
What causes it?
Urticaria is usually triggered by allergens, such as drugs, foods, insect bites, inhaled substances, or latex. Some people develop hives in response to sunlight, cold, heat, stress, exercise, or a viral infection. An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system produces antibodies and other disease fighting cells in response to an allergen. The antibodies release chemicals that actually injure the surrounding cells and cause physical symptoms. Certain antibodies release histamines, which affect the skin and mucous membranes.
What are the symptoms?
Urticaria symptoms include itching, followed by swelling and redness. Hives usually remain for anywhere from several hours to 24 hours, then go away, leaving the skin looking normal again. They may, however, clear up in one area only to appear in another. This pattern can continue for as long as the allergen remains. When larger areas of the skin are involved, the condition is called angioedema, and may include severe swelling that interferes with breathing.
How is it diagnosed?
To diagnose urticaria, your doctor will take a complete medical history and perform a physical examination. In many cases, hives clear up on their own and don’t require diagnosis or treatment. However, a patient with frequent flare-ups of urticaria may need to see a specialist called an allergist to determine what is causing the reaction.
What is the treatment?
Urticaria is treated with antihistamines to relieve swelling and itching. An oatmeal bath product, available over the counter, may also help relieve itching. Taking a bath or shower can make hives go away if they have been caused by skin contact with an allergen, such as pollen or animal dander. If your condition is caused by a certain allergen, your doctor will tell you to avoid that allergen as much as possible. If swelling is severe, your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid, which is taken orally for the best results. When swelling affects your ability to breathe, you need emergency treatment, which includes antihistamines and an injection of epinephrine to open the airways.
Self-care tips
Many people are sensitive to certain foods, such as nuts, strawberries, shellfish, additives or preservatives. Drugs in the penicillin family, as well as bites from bees, wasps, or mosquitoes, are also common causes of hives. You can prevent hives by avoiding allergens that trigger this condition.
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Dizziness
Also known as: Vertigo
What is it?
Dizziness is the false sensation of movement or spinning. Dizziness is often accompanied by a loss of balance or nauseated feeling.
Who gets it?
Most people feel dizzy at some point in their lives. Dizziness can occur in children and adults, but is more common in children during adolescence.
What causes it?
There are mechanisms in the inner ear that help the body sense position and control balance. This state of balance is called equilibrium. Dizziness occurs when the body’s equilibrium is upset. Most often, dizziness passes quickly and the cause is unknown. However, dizziness can also be a symptom of a disorder, infection, or underlying disease. These can include viral infections in the inner ear; benign positional vertigo, caused by a change in head position; Meniere's disease, which affects the volume of fluid in the inner ear; fever; low blood sugar; or neurologic brain disorders, such as tumors, infections, or brain injury. Dizziness can also be caused by disorders of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis; circulatory system diseases such as hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis); motion sickness; insufficient blood supply to the brain, as occurs with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke; exposure to toxic substances; diet; and food allergies.
What are the symptoms?
People who are dizzy feel as though they are spinning, or objects around them are moving or spinning. They may feel as though they are losing their balance and about to fall. If blood pressure has dropped too low, the person may faint, a temporary loss of consciousness called syncope. People with positional vertigo may experience mild, passing feelings of dizziness just by changing the position of their heads too quickly. Sometimes, however, vertigo may be more severe and last anywhere from hours to days. In these cases, the patient may also experience a loss of hearing, vision problems, nausea and vomiting, and ringing in the ears. People who commonly experience motion sickness will feel dizzy when riding in a vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft.
How is it diagnosed?
To diagnose true dizziness, your doctor will need to take a complete medical history and have a thorough understanding of your symptoms, when they occur, and how long they last. Then, he or she will perform a physical exam and some diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your dizziness. Your doctor will examine your eyes, checking for abnormal movements that could be a sign of problems with the inner ear or the nerve connections to the brain. You may be asked to recreate the types of activities that result in dizziness. Your doctor may order a tilt table test to determine what is causing the temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain. Other diagnostic tests include an electronystagmogram (ENG), which is a test of the balance mechanism of the inner ear; computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, which can reveal tumor or signs of stroke; hearing and blood tests; and an angiogram, which reveals any blockages in the blood vessels. If infection is suspected, your doctor will take a sample of fluid from the ear or sinuses for further study.
What is the treatment?
If there is an underlying cause, such as brain tumor, TIA or stroke, disease, or infection, your doctor will provide treatment accordingly. For example, infection is treated with bed rest and antibiotics. However, if no cause is found for your dizziness, but it continues, your doctor may prescribe medication that affects the balance mechanism in your inner ear. These drugs can cause drowsiness in some people. Your doctor may simply recommend that you lie down for a few minutes until the dizziness passes. People who are prone to dizziness because they take medications for heart conditions or high blood pressure should avoid sudden changes of position. Sometimes surgery is recommended to relieve pressure in the inner ear.
Self-care tips
In most cases, occasional feelings of mild dizziness are no cause for alarm, but are related to a sudden change in position. However, if you feel dizzy frequently, the dizziness lasts for a long period of time, or you have dizziness with other symptoms such as headache, visual disturbances, or numbness on one side of the body, see your doctor immediately.
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Nausea and Vomiting
What is it?Nausea is a feeling of sickness in the stomach, usually accompanied by the urge to vomit. Vomiting is the forceful ejection of the stomach contents through the mouth.
Who gets it?
Anyone can experience nausea and vomiting.
What causes it?
Nausea and vomiting occur when the vomiting center in the brain is activated by any number of causes. These can include overeating, eating foods that are spoiled, drinking too much alcohol, food allergies, medication, or illness. Drugs used in the treatment of cancer and for pain relief frequently cause nausea and vomiting. Some people become nauseated and vomit from the motion of a vehicle, boat, or airplane. Nausea and vomiting are common in the early stages of pregnancy, especially in the morning. Migraine headaches are also frequent causes of nausea and vomiting. Other physical causes include gallstones, intestinal obstructions, gastroenteritis, and irritation or inflammation of the stomach. There are psychological causes of nausea and vomiting also. These range from stress and fear, to more serious causes like bulimia (intentional vomiting to control weight). Because the treatment and severity of the problem depends upon the cause, you should always check with your doctor if you have persistent, unexplained, or recurring nausea and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting in infants and young children should always be treated by a doctor. Projectile vomiting in infants can be a sign of pyloric stenosis, a blockage at the stomach outlet that must be treated immediately.
What are the symptoms?
The symptom of nausea is a general feeling of sickness in the stomach. You may or may not feel slightly dizzy. Just before vomiting, you may salivate considerably and begin to retch (dry heaves). People generally feel relieved after vomiting.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor will examine you and ask questions to help identify the cause of the nausea and vomiting. When vomiting is frequent and severe, he or she may order blood tests and urinalysis. You may need to have x-rays or ultrasound studies of the stomach, intestine, pancreas, and gallbladder.
What is the treatment?
The treatment of nausea and vomiting depends upon the cause. If the cause is simple stomach upset, you can relieve symptoms by eating a bland diet and drinking clear liquids until the symptoms are gone. Because frequent vomiting can cause dehydration, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids. Sports drinks are effective for replacing lost fluids and minerals without irritating the stomach. Return to your normal diet gradually. If you suffer from motion sickness, ask your doctor about effective medications or acupressure wristbands to counteract this problem. Nausea and vomiting with psychological causes may require medications and psychotherapy.
Self-care tips
Make sure foods are properly cooked before eating them and don’t eat foods you are allergic to. If you suffer from motions sickness, try sitting in the front seat and taking anti-nausea medication before you travel. Call your doctor if nausea and vomiting last longer than 48 hours, and if they occur after eating spoiled food, food you know you are allergic to, or after taking a new medication. Also contact your doctor if nausea and vomiting are stomach pain, dehydration, severe headache, drowsiness or confusion, difficulty swallowing or urinating, or fruity breath odor. These symptoms can be signs of a more serious condition.
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