Therapy
Hives can be treated both symptomatically and causally. A combination of both is recommended but not always possible as the cause of the wheals is still unknown. A search for the cause should then be carried out, which includes, among other things, an allergy test.
Symptomatically, wheals can be treated with ointments or gels, such as Fenistil Gel, which is available in pharmacies. If hives affect large parts of the body, a systemic treatment with tablets can also be used. When taken, the effect of the drug is systemic, i.e. it is spread throughout the whole body.
Fenistil®, for example, can be used as drops or tablets. Cetirizine, a so-called antihistamine, is also used in the treatment of hives. Very severe wheals on the body can also be treated with cortisone.
However, it should only be used in the case of an accompanying systemic reaction in the sense of an incipient anaphylactic reaction. Furthermore, treatment with cooling cloths placed on the affected skin area can also help symptomatically. Inhalation treatment can also be successful, especially in the case of inhaled substances that cause wheals. For this purpose, a pot of water should be heated and then inhaled while slightly cooling down.
How long does it take for the wheals to regress?
How long hives last in the skin area depends on the type and severity of the allergy and the exposure, i.e. the time the affected person is exposed to the allergenic substance. Hives can develop within a few minutes and can last from several hours to days. If they persist longer, a doctor should be consulted.
This would then prescribe an anti-allergic medication and if necessary carry out an allergy test. Hives caused by cat hairs can disappear after half an hour, namely when there is no more contact with the allergen. If treated with Fenistil® or cortisone, the wheals usually disappear very quickly, usually after a few minutes.After an allergic reaction with wheals, the therapy should be continued for 2-3 days, otherwise they often regress.
In the course of time the dose can often be reduced. Hives are caused by the so-called immediate reaction of the body. This means that if there is an allergy to a certain substance, the hives actually appear immediately afterwards.
A delayed reaction practically never or only rarely occurs. This makes the search for the cause somewhat easier, because you can find out what you have been in contact with in the last few hours. With food, medicine, etc. this is easy, with pollen flying through the air or fungal spores the search for the cause is more difficult despite the immediate reaction.
