Treating hives or nettle rash in Vienna

Treatment of urticaria in Vienna

Urticaria, also known as chronic hives, is a common but non-contagious skin condition that manifests itself with large red skin bumps (also known as wheals) and severe itching. These bumps can appear quickly all over the body and disappear just as quickly. Those affected suffer from the unpredictability of the disease, which is very restrictive both privately and professionally and represents a major psychological burden.

But what is urticaria? The disease (also known as hives) manifests itself in the form of fleeting wheals. These resemble the rashes that occur after contact with stinging nettles. They appear spontaneously with very severe itching, disappear after a few minutes or hours and may reappear later on another part of the body.

Woman with itching due to urticaria

There are various forms: Acute hives last less than 6 weeks and are very common. It is usually a reaction to medication, an infection or other triggers. Chronic urticaria lasts longer and can either occur spontaneously, i.e. without a recognizable trigger, or have various causes. These include cold, heat, UV radiation, pressure (e.g. from carrying a handbag etc.) or stress. Unfortunately, the exact cause is not yet known. One possible trigger is an infectious disease.

Please contact JUVENIS by phone at +43 1 236 3020by e-mail to empfang@juvenismed.at or via the contact formto make an appointment for a consultation or treatment.

However, one thing is always the same for all forms: the underlying mechanism. This is because the mast cell, a part of the immune system, releases the messenger substance histamine when an allergy is present. In urticaria, the mast cells react incorrectly and release excessive histamine, which leads to swelling of the skin and the formation of wheals.

Treatments & therapies

Due to their unpredictability, it is difficult to identify the symptoms when visiting the doctor. Those affected should therefore take photos of their flare-ups, note the extent and time and then present them to the doctor.

Therapy begins with a search for the trigger in order to avoid it as much as possible.

Treatment regions

  • Whole body

Treatment procedure

While short-term urticaria usually disappears quickly or the short-term use of antihistamines helps, chronic urticaria is treated with medication according to a three-stage regimen, which was redefined in a guideline in 2018.

  1. Step: Use of a non-fatiguing antihistamine, once a day for approx. 2 weeks
  2. Step: Increase the dose up to fourfold over a period of 2 to 4 weeks
  3. Step: Injection of a drug under the skin, once a month

Permanent treatment achieves freedom from symptoms but does not cure the disease, it only suppresses it. However, urticaria never lasts a lifetime, it comes and goes spontaneously. Unfortunately, the duration is very variable: in its acute form less than 6 weeks, in the chronic form rarely longer than 5 years.

Urticaria treatment at JUVENIS Vienna

Costs

Treatment Price
First appointment Urticaria € 190

Alternative and complementary treatments

New medication for urticaria

Here you will find a report from a patient in whom a new medication from the group of biologics against urticaria was used by Dr. Tamara Kopp. You can read here how successfully this medication works against urticaria in this patient: Patient report

Team

Dermatologist Dr. Tamara Kopp from Juvenis in Vienna

Associate Prof. Dr. med. Tamara Kopp

Specialist in dermatology and venereology
Dr. Christine Bangert, specialist in dermatology and venereology

Surgeon Dr. med. Christine Bangert

Specialist in dermatology and venereology
Dermatologist Dr. Elli Katherina Greisenegger at JUVENIS in Vienna

OÄ. Dr. med. Elli Katherina Greisenegger

Specialist in dermatology and venereology

Dr. med. Tamara Arnoldner

Specialist in dermatology and venereology

Contact us

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