Saturday, May 09, 2009
Saturday, 9 May, Public Holiday - Vesak Day...
went out to Mr Garfield's hse tis morning and intend to catch a movie and in the evening there's a family BBQ goin on and Mr Garfield goin to his fren's wedding dinner... i was so well prepared for the BBQ tonite! so we catch the 4plus movie at Suntec... watched X-Men... thou i'm not a X-Men fan, but it's a show worth watching... half way through the show i started to scratch my hands and legs... i though i got mosquito bites... soon aft the lights were on, red patches of 'mosquito bites' could b found my both hands and legs... it was bloody itchy!! Mr Garfield suggested to consult a doc and forbid me from scratching!! on the way down, my hands were so itchy!! actually it's still itchy now!! the doc told me from the look of it, it was 'Hives' (or also known in chinese as 'Feng Mo')otherwise it must have been the seats at the cinema not clean or i am allergic to some food i ate (which i had the popcorn and 2 mouth of Hotdog bun!!)... so now, i cant go for the BBQ and had to munch MOS Burger Teriyaki Chicken Bun at home and a packet of saltless fries.... *actually the saltless fries taste nicer... since i have nothing much to do so here i am, bloggin and playing the games and taking some bo liao quizzes in Facebook.... hmmm.. Mr Garfield muz b havin some nice food now! and my family are eating good food!!! arrgghhh... wat to do... the 'Hives' came at the wrong time! 'Hives', 'Hives', please go away..... went to search the web and got some definitions and symptoms of it to share... *see below text in blue..
few daes ago, i received an email "Offer of Appointment" from MOE!! after considering and i have decided... i shall go ahead wif it... I WILL MAKE IT!! i'm a 'poor student' no more!! the appointment starts on 22 June.. so i'll have abt 1 month to prepare and getting ready!! tis time round i must perserve for the future of me & Mr Garfield..
What are hives (urticaria)?
Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They range in size from a few millimeters to several inches in diameter. Hives can be round, or they can form rings or large patches. Wheals (welts), red lesions with a red "flare" at the borders, are another manifestation of hives. Hives can occur anywhere on the body, such as the trunk, arms, and legs.
It is estimated that 15% of all people will develop urticaria at some point in their lives. Of those with chronic hives, some 80% are idiopathic, the medical term which means that no cause, allergic or otherwise, can be found.
One hallmark of hives is their tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours. Individual hives usually last two to 24 hours. An outbreak that looks impressive, even alarming, first thing in the morning can be completely gone by noon, only to be back in full force later in the day. Very few, if any other skin diseases occur and then resolve so rapidly. Therefore, even if you have no evidence of hives to show the doctor when you get to the office for examination, he or she can often establish the diagnosis based upon the history of your symptoms. Sometimes it is helpful to bring along a photograph of what your rash looked like at its worst.
Swelling deeper in the skin that may accompany hives is called angioedema. This may be seen on the hands and feet as well as on mucous membranes (with swelling of the lips or eyes that can be as dramatic as it is brief.)
What causes hives?
Hives are produced by histamine and other compounds released from cells called mast cells, which are a normal part of skin. Histamine causes fluid to leak from the local blood vessels, leading to swelling in the skin.
Hives are very common. Although they can be annoying, they usually resolve on their own over a period of weeks, and are rarely medically serious. Some hives are caused by allergies to such things as foods, medications, and insect stings, but the large majority of cases are not allergic, and no specific cause for them is ever found. Although patients may find it frustrating not to know what has caused their hives, maneuvers like changing diet, soap, detergent, and makeup are usually not helpful in preventing hives and for the most part are not necessary.
In rare cases (some hereditary, others caused by bee stings or drug allergy), urticaria and angioedema are accompanied by shock and difficulty breathing. This is called anaphylaxis. Ordinary hives may be widespread and disturbing to look at, but the vast majority of cases do not lead to life-threatening complications.
Symptoms of ordinary hives
Ordinary hives flare up suddenly and usually for no specific reason. Welts appear, often in several places. They flare, itch, swell, and go away in a matter of minutes to hours, only to appear elsewhere. This sequence may go on from days to weeks. Most episodes of hives last less than six weeks. Although that cutoff point is arbitrary, hives that last more than six weeks are often called "chronic."
Causes of ordinary hives
As noted above, many cases of ordinary hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections. A few may be caused by medications, usually when they have been taken for the first time a few weeks before. (It is uncommon for drugs taken continuously for long periods to cause hives or other reactions.)
Some medications, like morphine, codeine, aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen), cause the body to release histamine and produce urticaria through nonallergic mechanisms.
Despite the reputation hives have for being "allergic," when there is no obvious connection between something new that a person has been exposed to and the onset of hives, allergy testing is not usually helpful.
*special thanks to http://www.medicinenet.com/hives/article.htm
