What to do about solar urticaria

Solar urticaria is a rare disease caused by ultraviolet rays. Due to the exposure to sunlight, patients will experience some skin symptoms, often causing wheals, itching, and erythema on the skin. Such patients often expose their skin and will quickly produce some skin reactions after a few minutes. During the ongoing treatment process, the inducement should be removed, light should be avoided, sunscreen should be used, etc.

Clinical manifestations: A few minutes after the skin is exposed to sunlight, erythema, wheals and itching rapidly appear locally. After the wheal occurs, it will disappear in about 1 to several hours. At the same time as the rash occurs, clinical symptoms may include chills, fatigue, syncope, and intestinal cramps, which can disappear within a few hours.

It is more common in women, usually occurring between the ages of 20 and 40. Continued, regular exposure to ultraviolet light can sometimes reduce the likelihood of developing hives in the exposed areas. Spontaneous remission occurs in 15% of patients within 5 years of onset and in 25% of patients within 10 years of onset.

Treatment 1. Remove the cause and avoid light. Use sunscreen, wear long-sleeved shirts, use a UV-blocking umbrella, etc. 2. Drug treatment: Use antihistamines, H1 receptor blockers alone or in combination with H2 receptor blockers. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can be used for treatment. 3. Apply topical soothing and antipruritic drugs, such as calamine lotion. 4. For patients with persistent disease, tolerance induction, plasma exchange or immunosuppressive therapy may be performed.

Daily taboos 1. Don’t scratch: Most people’s instinctive reaction to itchy skin is to scratch it with their hands, but you may not know that this action not only fails to relieve the itching, but may make it worse. This is mainly because when you scratch the area, it increases the local temperature and causes the blood to release more histamine (allergens), which will make the condition worse. 2. Don't use hot compresses: Some people want to use hot compresses when they feel itchy. Although heat can make the local itching sensation temporarily less sensitive, it is actually another kind of stimulation because heat can dilate blood vessels and release more allergens. For example, soaking in an overheated hot spring or bathtub, or wrapping in a heavy quilt to keep warm are all likely to cause urticaria. 3. Avoid eating foods containing artificial additives and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat less fried, deep-fried or spicy foods as they are more likely to induce thermal reactions in the body.