Chronic Urticaria: When You Cannot Identify the Cause
Table of Contents
Hives that cannot be explained even after testing
Suddenly the skin swells and intense itching begins. After a few hours it disappears, only to reappear in another area. Even after allergy and blood tests at the hospital, no clear cause is often found. Hives that recur for more than 6 weeks like this are called chronic spontaneous (idiopathic) urticaria, and account for about 70% of all chronic urticaria cases.
Korean medicine analysis of the cause
Korean medicine approaches chronic urticaria from the perspectives of Yeong-wi-bul-hwa (營衛不和, disharmony of nutritive and defensive qi) and Hyeol-yeol (血熱, blood heat).
- Yeong-wi-bul-hwa: The harmony between defensive qi (wi-gi, 衛氣) protecting the skin and nutritive qi (yeong-gi, 營氣) supplying nourishment is broken, causing hypersensitivity to external stimuli.
- Hyeol-yeol (blood heat): Stress, overwork, and food cause heat to accumulate in the blood and radiate out through the skin.
- Spleen-stomach weakness: Weakened digestion fails to process food properly, generating dampness and heat (seup-yeol) within the body.
- Liver depression (gan-ul, 肝鬱): When stress causes liver function to stagnate, urticaria worsens.
Korean medicine treatment methods
Korean medicine treatment for chronic urticaria varies according to constitution and symptom pattern. When heat is the main cause, formulas in the Sopung-san (消風散) or Bangpungtongseong-san (防風通聖散) family are used; when qi deficiency is the cause, Okbyeongpung-san (玉屛風散) family formulas are used. Acupuncture stimulating points such as Hyeolhae (SP10), Gokji (LI11), and Hapgok (LI4) helps relieve itching and regulate immunity.
What to manage along with treatment
- Limit alcohol, spicy food, and raw food, as they aggravate blood heat
- Excessive stress and fatigue are immediate trigger factors
- Take short showers in lukewarm water rather than hot baths
- Wipe sweat off promptly and keep the skin from becoming dry
Even chronic urticaria of unknown cause can improve significantly through constitutional correction.