What is the difference between eczema and urticaria? It mainly depends on the shape

There is a big difference between eczema and urticaria. Eczema is a disease characterized by recurring attacks, which is mainly caused by moisture in the body. Urticaria is caused by an allergy to something, and its symptoms are different from eczema.

Urticaria is a localized edema reaction caused by dilation and increased permeability of the skin and mucous membranes due to multiple reasons. This condition is usually accompanied by a temporary, edematous and allergic skin disease with severe itching.

After suffering from urticaria, some rashes often appear on the skin. The rashes are higher than the skin and are prone to recurrence when exposed to wind. They can be as small as sesame seeds or as big as broad beans, so Chinese medicine calls them "urticaria blocks", also known as "addiction rash" and "wind-causing rashes". Urticaria is a common and frequent skin disease in clinical practice, which can occur throughout the year.

Some rashes on the skin

Eczema is a common inflammation of the epidermis, which is characterized by polymorphic skin lesions (erythema, papules, blisters, etc.) in the acute phase, a tendency to exudate, and subjective itching. There are many causes of eczema, which are often difficult to stabilize. The rash is polymorphic, diffuse, and symmetrical. Acute exudation may lead to infiltration and hypertrophy. The course of the disease is irregular and recurrent, and the itching is severe.

The difference in etiology

Eczema attacks usually last a long time, the skin becomes moist, and there is no obvious cause. Urticaria is similar to an allergic reaction, with rapid onset and rapid improvement after avoiding the trigger. Eczema is an inflammation of the superficial dermis and epidermis caused by a variety of internal and external factors. Clinically, the skin lesions in the acute phase are mainly papulovesicles with a tendency to exudate, while the chronic phase is mainly lichenification and is prone to recurrence.

Urticaria is a localized edema caused by reactive dilation of small blood vessels in the skin and mucous membranes and increased permeability. Although both diseases cause itching, the specific manifestations are different. Urticaria is mainly characterized by red wheals and papules.

What is eczema?

Eczema is a common inflammatory skin disease of the epidermis and superficial dermis caused by a variety of internal and external factors. Its characteristic is self-awareness

Severe itching, polymorphic lesions, symmetrical distribution, tendency to exudate, chronic course, and easy to relapse.

Its clinical manifestations are characterized by symmetry, exudative, pruritic dermatosis, polymorphism, and recurrence. Eczema is a skin disease that is prone to recurrence and requires special medicines such as Eczema-Kang for treatment. It is also an allergic inflammatory skin disease characterized by diverse rashes, symmetrical distribution, recurrent severe itching, and easy development into a chronic disease.

It can occur at any age, in any part of the body, and in any season, but it often recurs or worsens in winter. It has a tendency to exudate, a chronic course, and is prone to recurrence.

Eczema has a genetic factor. If a grandparent suffers from eczema, the chances of the parent or child developing eczema are generally much higher. Some patients may therefore believe that eczema can be transmitted through contact with sick family members. When eczema causes unbearable itching, take a hot bath and apply hot compresses to the affected area, and the itchy area will immediately feel much more comfortable.

However, this feeling of comfort is only temporary, and the affected area will become more and more itchy afterwards. This is because if you take a bath with soap and hot water for too long, the protective sebum on the surface of the body will disappear, causing the skin to become dry, and the peripheral nerves will become sensitive and excited, leading to itching. Therefore, the hotter you take a shower, the drier your skin will be, and the worse your eczema will be.

What is urticaria?

Urticaria (dermatology and venereology) is a common skin and mucous membrane vascular reactive disease caused by a variety of different reasons. Clinically, it is characterized by localized, temporary, pruritic erythema and wheals on the skin and mucous membranes. Its pathogenesis can be immune (most commonly IgE-mediated type I allergy) or non-immune. Common causes of urticaria include: food and additives, drugs, infection, animals, plants and inhalants, physical factors, visceral diseases, mental factors, genetic factors, etc. There are many special types classified by cause.

Its main symptoms

The rash is composed of wheals and erythematous spots of varying sizes and shapes. It often occurs suddenly in batches and disappears quickly after a few hours, leaving no trace after disappearing, but it may recur; patients feel itchy, which may be accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, palpitations, and difficulty breathing. A few have fever, swollen joints, hypotension, shock, laryngeal edema and suffocation symptoms; the course of the disease varies, with acute urticaria lasting less than 1 month and chronic urticaria lasting more than 1 month; some cases show positive reactions in skin scratch tests, etc.

At the same time, urticaria needs to be differentiated from papular urticaria and erythema multiforme. Those accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea should pay attention to differentiate it from acute abdomen and gastroenteritis. Those with high fever and poisoning symptoms should be considered as one of the symptoms of serious infection. Angioedema must be differentiated from substantial edema such as erysipelas, cellulitis, eyelid contact dermatitis, adult scleredema, and facial edema. Acquired angioedema and hereditary angioedema can be differentiated based on the points mentioned above.