Sun allergies, specifically solar urticaria, can cause hives, inflammation, and itching. It is a chronic condition caused by an autoimmune response to natural proteins in the skin. Diagnosis involves exposure to UV light, and treatment includes antihistamines, steroids, and UV light therapy.
Hives are usually caused by an allergy to sunlight. While many skin conditions can cause sun allergies, solar urticaria is the condition most likely to cause hives. Inflammation and itching typically accompany hives, which usually appear with sun exposure.
Urticaria is a skin condition that commonly causes hives, usually when the person comes into contact with a physical trigger. These triggers can include changes in temperature, changes in air pressure, water, and physical activity. For some people, exposure to sunlight triggers hives symptoms. This type of urticaria is commonly known as solar urticaria.
Solar urticaria is considered a chronic condition. It typically causes inflammation, itching, blisters, and hives on skin exposed to natural sunlight. Sun hives typically only appear on parts of the body that are exposed to sunlight. They can appear almost immediately and usually disappear within a few hours if you eliminate sun exposure.
Doctors believe that an autoimmune response is responsible for the skin condition known as solar urticaria. People with this condition can form antibodies against natural proteins in their own skin. Sun exposure typically changes the chemical makeup of these natural proteins, which can trigger an immune response against them. This immune response is thought to be responsible for the inflammation, itching, blisters, and solar urticaria associated with solar urticaria. If a person with solar urticaria exposes too much skin to sunlight, anaphylaxis can occur.
Solar urticaria is typically diagnosed by exposing the skin to different wavelengths of UV light. Dermatologists are considered the best able to accurately diagnose this condition. Some patients may need to expose the skin to natural sunlight, rather than the light produced by specialized UV lamps, in order to get an accurate diagnosis.
Antihistamine or steroid medications are usually used to treat the allergic reaction to sunlight associated with solar urticaria. Topical creams are usually prescribed to treat mild to moderate solar urticaria. Oral medications may be needed to treat those with severe reactions to sunlight.
Ultraviolet light therapy may help improve symptoms for some patients. This therapy involves using UV lamps to gradually desensitize certain areas of the body to natural sunlight. These lamps are most often used on the face, hands and other areas that may be exposed to more sun. Ultraviolet light therapy can take several weeks, but many patients find that it significantly increases the skin’s ability to tolerate exposure to natural sunlight.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
