“What could be the cause of the itching and bumps all over my body?”
I am a 38-year-old woman and for the last six months I have been suffering from a strange problem. I suddenly get severe itching all over my body which causes red bumps to appear all over my arms. I take an anti-allergy tablet and the condition settles down. However, now it has become a frequent episode. What should I do?
3 Answers
AllergistandImmunologistSkinallergy
Dear sufferer,
I am sorry you are experiencing something so uncomfortable. There are plenty of possibilities and I would encourage you to see an allergist for full evaluation. The generalized itching and bumps are likely related to activation of mast cells. If the episodes are frequent we usually recommend taking the allergy tablet daily to prevent the episodes from occurring. However, it will be important to see an allergist and full evaluation with proper testing be performed.
I hope you feel better soon.
Sincerely,
Monika Korff, MD
I am sorry you are experiencing something so uncomfortable. There are plenty of possibilities and I would encourage you to see an allergist for full evaluation. The generalized itching and bumps are likely related to activation of mast cells. If the episodes are frequent we usually recommend taking the allergy tablet daily to prevent the episodes from occurring. However, it will be important to see an allergist and full evaluation with proper testing be performed.
I hope you feel better soon.
Sincerely,
Monika Korff, MD
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear that you're so uncomfortable! If the rash completely disappears after you take antihistamines, you likely have hives, or urticaria. If you've had the rash for less than six weeks, it's called acute urticaria; if the rash keeps coming back for more than six weeks, it's called chronic urticaria. There is also a condition called dermographism, where the rash is linear rather than roundish. Mild physical trauma like scratching your skin will produce welts in the area of the skin that was irritated. Given that you've had the rash for six months, I would suggest you see an allergist for evaluation. In the meantime, a long-acting antihistamine like cetirizine might give you some temporary relief until you are seen. Please watch for sleepiness, as some patients become a bit drowsy on this medication.
I hope you feel better soon!
I'm sorry to hear that you're so uncomfortable! If the rash completely disappears after you take antihistamines, you likely have hives, or urticaria. If you've had the rash for less than six weeks, it's called acute urticaria; if the rash keeps coming back for more than six weeks, it's called chronic urticaria. There is also a condition called dermographism, where the rash is linear rather than roundish. Mild physical trauma like scratching your skin will produce welts in the area of the skin that was irritated. Given that you've had the rash for six months, I would suggest you see an allergist for evaluation. In the meantime, a long-acting antihistamine like cetirizine might give you some temporary relief until you are seen. Please watch for sleepiness, as some patients become a bit drowsy on this medication.
I hope you feel better soon!
You most likely have developed chronic urticaria (hives). It would probably be best if you saw your allergist for more help.
