Have you heard of cholinergic urticaria?
When the temperature changes rapidly, body temperature regulation becomes difficult and hives appear on the skin.
I used to only get cholinergic urticaria in the middle of winter, but this year, it suddenly started appearing in the spring and summer as well.
It usually appears when moving from a warm place to a cold place in the winter (or vice versa).
Starting in spring, even if it gets a little warmer, my arms and hands start to swell up red and I start getting hives.
In the winter, the symptoms were worst on my thighs, but maybe because it's summer, these days the symptoms are worst on my arms.
Sometimes it comes up even when I come out of the shower.
Symptoms initially include a burning sensation in the arm, as if it were about to burst, followed by extreme stinging and reddening of the skin.
If you touch your arm at this time, you will feel it is hot.
It's a little better if I wear long sleeves, but my hands are still covered in hives.
And after some time, it starts to appear red and blotchy like embossing. This symptom is the most common.
From this point on, the stinging sensation turns into itchiness, and it really, really tickles. I have to scratch to relieve the itchiness...
Even though dermatologists say there's no specific treatment, they prescribe antihistamines. But it's burdensome to take them every year, and even if I do, it doesn't completely control the hives. And since I never know when the hives will appear, it's even more difficult to take medication.
When I meet up with friends and go out, my arms feel itchy and I keep touching them, and it's so uncomfortable that it interferes with my daily life...
Has anyone ever suffered from cholinergic urticaria like me?
Besides taking medication, if there are any lifestyle habits that have helped, foods to avoid, or management methods that have really worked, please help me.