![]() During their life cycle, schistosome larvae (called cercariae) leave their snail host and swim near the surface of the water, looking for bird and mammal hosts. Schistosomes spend their life cycle as parasites in the bodies of water snails and in the blood stream of aquatic mammals, ducks or other waterfowl. Good therapies exist to help relieve this bothersome and debilitating condition.Swimmer's itch is a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to small worm-like parasites called schistosomes (shiss-toe-soams). Sometimes lab work can be done to help determine the cause. Talk to your allergist if you have been unsuccessful in dealing with hives. Through a line of questioning about your hives, your doctor may be able to ascertain whether they are merely a symptom of something else. Cholinergic – Caused by a rise in body temperature, when a person is exercising, bathing, exposed to a warm environment or is under stress. ![]() Solar – Caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation or visible light not to be confused with other rashes that occur due to sun exposure.Cold – Caused by exposure to cold temperatures, such as swimming in cold water.Vibration – Caused by an object or activity, such as construction machinery or recreation, like mountain biking.Pressure – Caused by tight clothing or sitting for example.The most common is skinwriting, also called dermatographism, where scratching leaves long welts across the skin. Some hives are triggered by physical conditions affecting the skin. Long lasting cases of hives are most commonly autoimmune in nature, and may be related to an internal autoimmune process. Symptoms can last weeks to months and even, in a few cases, years. The problem may be due to a protein receptor on the mast cell that looks similar to a protein found on the infecting virus. In the case of a viral infection, the body continues to fight long after the virus is cleared, while the mast cells continue to release histamine. Sometimes the hives start while the infection is active, other times they begin shortly after the infection.Īutoimmune hives are thought to be a progression from hives caused by viral infections or from an underlying internal immune process. ![]() The body gets excited about fighting the infection and begins provoking mast cells to release histamine. Viral infection is the most common cause of hives that can last days to weeks. In these cases, the medicine hasn’t changed, but the patient’s immune reaction has. It’s possible that people who have taken these medications for years can suddenly have rashy symptoms. The most common medicines to trigger hives are antibiotics and pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve and aspirin, but not Tylenol. Peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, eggs and milk are the most commonly allergenic foods. Food triggers will provoke hives quickly sometimes they come within minutes of eating the offending food and are generally not delayed by more than two to four hours. Hives are the most common symptom of a food allergy. Two possible causes of environmentally triggered hives: playing in grass, which can cause small red spots or being licked by animals for those who are allergic to a protein found in pet saliva. Why? While often at the forefront of people’s minds, environmental allergies are an uncommon cause, especially when other symptoms - such as itchy eyes and a runny or stuffy nose - are not present. Because histamine is short lived, hives normally only last a few hours.Īmong the common causes of hives described below, environmental allergies did not make the list. Mast cells can be found in our skin and other organs, and typically cause itchy, splotchy, rashes with raised centers that can resemble mosquito bites. Hives are a result of histamine, which is released by naturally occurring cells in the body, called mast cells. Today, I will delve into the most common triggers for this itchy condition. However, patients often arrive with misconceptions about the rash that’s got them irritated. ![]() Pesky rashes are a common complaint among those who come to see us at our allergy office. ![]()
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