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Home :: Skin Disorders :: Cholinergic Urticaria Cholinergic Urticaria TreatmentBackground Cholinergic Urticaria is classified as a physical urticaria, meaning that it is caused by a physical stimulus of some kind. The physical stimulus might be stated as heat even though the actual cause is defined as sweating. PathophysiologyThe study of mast cell activity usually includes Cholinergic Urticaria because most cases of Cholinergic Urticaria seem to critically involve the mast cells. . The principal mediator is serum histamine, which rises in concentration when an experimentally induced exercise is introduced. This treatment also involves eosinophil and neutrophil chemotactic factors as well as tryptase. The alpha 1-antichymotrypsin levels decrease, and the use of danazol results in improvement in the eruption. Because of these findings, some have argued in favor of proteases as a cause of histamine being released. There is less eosinophilic major basic protein present than in many other forms of urticaria even though mast cell release seems to be involved. Several factors lead researchers to believe there is an allergic base involved. One of these factors includes an increase in the number of incidents of attacks in patients with atopic dermatitis, a considerable sensitivity in some patients who suffer from anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions, and some patients showing immediate reactivity. In one report, there was sensitivity to sweat with passive transfer almost immediately. Of course, not all investigators have reported the same results with respect to positive passive transfers. Five minutes after exercise an increase in histamine levels can be detected, and it reaches a peak of 25 ng/ml at thirty minutes. The skin tends to produce a sensation of generalized warmth during treadmill exercise, which is then followed by pruritus, erythema, urticaria, and brief respiratory tract symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, or both. FrequencyIn the United States, the number of occurrences of cholinergic urticaria is varied. Moore, Robinson, and Warin in their research discovered that in an outpatient dermatology clinic approximately 0.2% of patients had it, but many published reports show it to be more common. There are more occurrences in persons with atopic conditions such as asthma, rhinitis, and atopic eczema; however, this information is not exclusive. There is also a rare familial form of the disease also exists that is familial. Sex/AgeCholinergic urticaria doesn’t discriminate between men and women, although it appears to be more widespread in men. The condition usually manifests itself between the ages of ten to thirty years, but the average age of onset is between ages sixteen to age twenty-two. It continues for many years, with most people retaining the condition into middle age and longer. In one study of twenty-two people, the average length of time the condition remained was for seven and a half years, but in a follow-up study conducted on seven patients, some of them retained the condition for thirty years. HistoryThe lesions appear quickly, usually just a few minutes after sweating begins and last anywhere from a half hour to an hour with the mean duration being set at eighty minutes. Physical Itching, warmth, tingling, irritation, or burning usually precedes the onset of small wheals with large flares surrounding them. CausesExercise and hot baths irritate pruritus and cause the formation of lesions in area that were previously unaffected. There are some reports of chronic urticaria involving patients with cholinergic urticaria but with a different morphology. Other urticarias which have similar lesions such as aquagenic urticaria, appear when the presence of water (hot or cold), exists. |
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Visitors' Comments:
| Posted by jr | 2008-08-19 |
| im only 14 and this happenes to meh i hate this im still young and i cant do n e thing durin the summer because i kno if i even step outside i'll start to itch like crazy ugh! 7 and a half years i need help this has goto stop | |
| Posted by pedro | 2008-08-08 |
| i have similar symptons and i went to the doctor and she said that i was alergic to milk but i know i am not she told me not to exercise but im still going to she just gave me benadryl | |
| Posted by John | 2008-07-23 |
| Wanted to know from other people if they feel the same as i do. The doctor thinks I may have this but I dont get the hives sometimes i get little red spots on my belly or chest after exercise or hot tub but what I do get the most is exstreem heat in the head area and a headache which lasts for hours or day. The olny thing that helps is Ice packs and sometimes Advil cold and sinus. I get it when ever I go into hot tub or hot shower in the summer sun or blow dry my hair or if in a hot room, get stressed. I get a preasure like feeling in my head and then a headache. I feel warm all the time even when other people are cold. In the winter I where a light coat even when its -10. When the car is in the sun and you first get in it hits me like a ton on bricks. Do any of you feel these things aswell? Please e-mail me I would like to hear from others jwwal@rogers.com Thanks | |
| Posted by dbruso | 2008-07-17 |
| I have exercise induced anaphylaxix. When I get too hot, my eyes, nose, throat swell. I've learned over the years to be able to sense when I'm reaching the tipping point and back off. I'm not able to run or jog or anything strenuous, but I can walk at night and at least feel normal. None of the docs have seen a case this bad, so not sure what else to do other than learn to deal with it. | |
| Posted by MF | 2008-04-22 |
| i recomend you guys to take temerx, its a homeopathic remedy for this annoying condition( which is called prickly heat or heat rash). its kind of expensive though, but its worth it,seemed to help for me, hope it will for you. | |
| Posted by Dan | 2008-02-01 |
| Ive had Cholinergic Urticaria for 10 years...I figured out that if you do excercise regularly, the breakout isnt as painful as when you dont excercise. Zyrtec also helps a bit but i dont take it that often, because lets get real, you cant always take it, its not good to take that much medication =). Forcing your sweat out during excercises will do the trick. I thought i was the only one with this disease =( | |
| Posted by kingj0n | 2008-01-28 |
| Hmm, I'm going to try Claritin, well the generic one.. See if that helps.. It only occurs during the winter months. Like in July, so hot and stuff, it doesn't happen.. But during January, it happens, even if it's hot or cold outside. doesn't matter... Happened middle of USA, south of USA, anywhere, so IDK what I can do. | |
| Posted by Staunton | 2007-12-17 |
| I describe CU a little differently than most, it is like fire on the skin topped off with jabbing needles, spikes and knives. I pull up my shirt and see mostly red. It can be distracting at work, to say the least. I know that if I go through the effort to drink hot water, put on several layers and a coat, and run indoors (in the winter), I can get myself into an intense eruption (like I'm going to die) with substantial relief for about 24 hours. It's not a performance I enjoy doing in front of my wife. Also, I am apparently too lazy to do this daily even though the following eruptions would admittedly be much less. I think that this is the best treatment for CU and it is my goal to quit being lazy and adopt it. | |
| Posted by Mr zhang | 2007-08-28 |
| me too.it is afflictive.I cannot stand it. who can help me send e-mail to me 197119627@qq.com | |
| Posted by Nalini | 2007-07-29 |
| I have exericse induced cholinergic urticaria. It only occurs when I work out despite feeling sick or when I work out until i sweat profusely for 30-60 minutes without cooling myself down. For instance I would advise anyone with exercise induced cholinergic urticaria to avoid working out at warm areas without air-conditioning. Whenever you start sweating, immediately cool yourself by wiping away the sweat & drinking plenty of cold water. Avoid eating foods that raise your tempeature too often like Durian, CHocolate & Junk-Food... | |
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