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Urticaria: Itching to get relief from raised bumps and rash
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Urticaria: Itching to get relief from raised bumps and rash
Tuesday 1 November 2022, 12:45 AM

The red or skin-coloured bumps of urticaria can change shape and move around the body [Image: iStock.com – HengDao]
MAX ASKS YOU to look at the rash on his back and you can see raised, long red jagged lines all over it. The lines appear to correspond to scratch marks, but they seem way out of proportion to what you would normally expect from scratching. He says he is wearing a new sweatshirt this morning which feels a bit tight but, other than that, he has no idea what has caused it.
One of the most interesting – and kind of peculiar – skin conditions you may come across in pharmacy is urticaria, also known as hives or weals/wheals
Kia ora and welcome to Pharmacy Today Kaitiaki Rongoā O Te Wā
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References
- DermNet. Urticaria – an overview. April 2021. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/urticaria-an-overview
- Fookes C (Tech Ed). Urticaria (Hives). Healthcare Handbook 2022/2023. Auckland, NZ: The Health Media Ltd; 2022.
- NHS Inform. Urticaria (hives). February 2022. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/skin-hair-and-nails/urticaria-hives#causes-of-urticaria-hives
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Hives (Urticaria). March 2021. https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/skin-allergy/urticaria-hives
- DermNet. Dermographism. May 2021. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/dermographism
- British Society for Immunology. Mast Cells. https://www.immunology.org/public-information/bitesized-immunology/cells/mast-cells
- Maurer M. Cold Urticaria. Up to Date. August 2022. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/cold-urticaria/print