Symptoms and treatment of cold allergy in adults. Signs of an allergic reaction. Features of cold allergies in children and adults. How to cure Allergy to cold what to do

Allergies have become a fairly common disease in recent years. It can arise as a reaction to completely unexpected things. For example, recently people started talking about the phenomenon of cold allergies. Not all doctors classify it as a disease, because it does not have an allergen as such. And the symptoms are most often confused with a common cold or fatigue. But more and more people are noticing that after being in the cold or coming into contact with cold water, they experience headaches, the skin on their hands itches and breaks out in a rash. Most often in this case we can talk about a phenomenon such as cold allergy.

What is it

This is the name given to various reactions of the body, similar to allergic ones, that occur under the influence of low temperatures.

Most often this phenomenon occurs in women. This reaction can occur after being outside in the cold, swimming in cold water, and even after drinking ice-cold drinks. This is due to the fact that the body, in response to low temperatures, produces a lot of a special hormone - histamine, which causes such a reaction. Under its influence, blood rushes to the skin, which causes redness and itching, a runny nose and headaches. But the exact reason for this reaction to low temperatures has not yet been established. Some scientists believe that cold allergies appear due to an increase in the number of special blood cells - cryoglobulins. They appear under the influence of cold.

Characteristics of the disease

In fact, this is not a true allergy, since there is no allergen that causes such a reaction. It occurs under the influence of a physical factor - low temperature. But since its symptoms are similar to allergies, that’s why they called the disease that way. What are its features? Some time after the onset of exposure to low temperatures, a small pale rash appears on exposed areas of the body. It begins to itch, often these places are painful and red.

Mostly the hands, face, and sometimes the inner thighs are susceptible to cold allergies. But this reaction can spread throughout the body. If your lips are sensitive to low temperatures, then after drinking ice-cold drinks or being exposed to wind and frost, rashes appear on them, and cracks appear in the corners. Cold can also cause internal reactions throughout the body, similar to a cold, migraine, or even an upset stomach. Cold allergies on your hands can occur after washing them with ice water. The reaction on the face appears not only from wind and frosty air, but also when eating cold food.

Causes of cold allergies

This reaction develops due to a violation of the body's immune defense. Most often it occurs in people with common allergies or in those who suffer from any chronic diseases. Many experts believe that this is not an independent disease, but only a complication of other diseases. Metabolic disorders can also provoke a reaction to cold. What can cause cold allergies:

Lupus erythematosus;

Avitaminosis;

Dysbacteriosis;

Advanced caries;

Cholecystitis, gastritis or stomach ulcer;

Helminthiases;

Some infectious diseases, such as mumps, measles or ARVI;

Sinusitis;

Atopic dermatitis.

Symptoms of the disease

How do you understand that a person has a cold allergy? Symptoms of the disease are varied and depend on the organ in which the immune system is impaired. How does it most often manifest itself?

1. Skin reaction: itching, redness, peeling, rash and blisters. In severe cases, painful cracks appear. Photos of cold allergies on the face or hands are sometimes striking in their appearance: the skin can be so altered that ulcers or large swelling occur.

2. Reactions similar to a cold: runny nose, difficulty breathing through the nose, itchy nose, watery eyes, sneezing, itching and pain in the eyes.

3. Headaches, low blood pressure, chills, feeling tired and low mood.

4. From the respiratory system, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and even bronchospasm may be observed.

Types of cold allergies

The disease is difficult to diagnose, and many people with it do not see a doctor. In what forms can it manifest itself?

1. Cold urticaria is similar to an allergic skin reaction. The course of the disease can be acute or chronic, and manifestations can be local or general.

2. Cold dermatitis can be mistaken for normal skin peeling. It can be complicated by painful areas of the skin and even swelling.

3. Cold rhinitis differs from a simple runny nose in that it goes away quickly in a warm room.

4. Cold conjunctivitis.

5. Hereditary cold allergies differ from all others in that the reaction does not appear immediately, but after some time after contact with cold. Patients with this form react more to the wind than to the cold. And the reaction manifests itself in a strong burning sensation on the skin.

Is this disease dangerous?

Photos of cold allergies in people’s hands and face indicate that this is not just a harmless reaction of the body. In severe cases, the rash can turn into blisters, simple peeling of the skin can turn into weeping dermatitis, and shortness of breath can turn into bronchospasm.

In some cases, cold allergies can cause more severe reactions, such as anaphylactic shock or angioedema. And it is very important to recognize the disease in time and begin to treat it. Anyone who experiences such reactions when exposed to cold temperatures should get tested. For a doctor, cold allergies are also a cause for concern: this means that the patient has other, more severe health problems that require immediate treatment. But the problem is complicated by the fact that the disease is very difficult to diagnose, and no treatment has yet been created for it. In addition, even its mildest forms can cause the patient a lot of unpleasant sensations. Cold allergies on the face cause especially a lot of inconvenience. After all, the rash is not only painful, but also looks unsightly. An allergic reaction to cold occurs almost immediately after its exposure and goes away only after the person enters the heat. Therefore, the best way to avoid it may be preventive measures.

How to diagnose the disease

It is very difficult to distinguish allergic reactions from a common cold or migraine. One of the hallmark signs of allergies is itching in the nose, ears and eyes. In addition, a runny nose and malaise quickly disappear after exposure to heat. How can you diagnose the disease at home? A piece of ice from the freezer will help do this. You need to apply it to your wrist for 5-10 minutes. If a rash, itching or swelling appears after this, it means the patient has a cold allergy. Sometimes the presence of the disease is checked by placing a person in a room with a low temperature for half an hour. But symptoms do not always appear with such tests. In complex cases, medical diagnosis and special blood tests may be required.

Treatment of the disease

Like any other disease, a reaction to cold should be treated by a doctor. After all, this condition signals that the patient has a reduced immune system or has serious chronic diseases. Therefore, you need to start with strengthening the body’s defenses and getting rid of major diseases. And the treatment of cold allergies itself consists of relieving symptoms. To do this, use well-known antihistamines, for example, Tavegil, Suprastin, Claritin tablets or others that the doctor recommends. You can also use antiallergic nasal drops or ointments. In addition, you need to use any means of official and traditional medicine to strengthen the immune system. There is also a more modern and complex way. Treatment of cold allergies is sometimes carried out using autolymphocytotherapy. It consists of injecting the patient with lymphocytes isolated from his own blood.

Traditional methods of treatment

1. Freshly squeezed vegetable juices strengthen the immune system well. Beetroot and celery especially reduce sensitivity to cold. You need to eat them fresh and boiled, and also squeeze the juice out of them regularly. You can drink a third of a glass of beetroot, and a teaspoon of celery 2-3 times a day. Birch sap is also useful.

2. Traditional medicine also suggests how to treat cold allergies with pine needles. You can regularly take pine baths or make an infusion of young pine shoots in vegetable oil. This medicine takes at least 5 months to prepare, but it relieves itching and flaking of the skin well.

3. To relieve skin manifestations of allergies, herbal emulsion helps well. To prepare it, add oil to a mixture of celandine herb, mint, calendula flowers and burdock root. The emulsion is infused for a day, and then sterilized in a water bath.

4. Shilajit is a wonderful remedy for alleviating the condition of a patient with cold allergies. You can drink its solution or wipe sensitive areas of the skin with it.

5. You can also use herbal decoctions: tricolor violet, horsetail, nettle or walnut leaves to strengthen the body and relieve itching on the skin.

Prevention of cold allergies

If symptoms of the disease appear, it is better to avoid hypothermia and take some measures to reduce skin contact with the cold.

To avoid freezing, use only cotton underwear, and outer clothing should be warm. Don't forget gloves, a scarf and a hood for protection from the wind. Try to reduce your time outside in cold weather. If this is not possible, carry a thermos with hot tea with you. And to protect your skin from the effects of frost and wind, half an hour before leaving the house you need to lubricate your hands and face with a protective cream. It is also necessary to monitor your diet: avoid fatty and smoked foods, coffee, soda and alcohol. And be sure to include foods containing omega-6 fatty acids in your daily menu: olive oil, sea fish and others.

Cold allergy in children

For babies, urticaria causes great discomfort. After a walk in the cold, some children develop red spots and a rash on their faces. They itch and the skin may become inflamed. Therefore, from an early age it is necessary to strengthen the baby’s health and harden him. If your child nevertheless suffers from cold allergies, try to walk him less in bad weather, dress him correctly and protect exposed areas of the body with baby cream. Antihistamines should only be given to children on the recommendation of a doctor. But it is necessary to treat the child, as well as strengthen his immunity and monitor his diet.

Symptoms of an allergy to cold often very similar to the natural reaction of the skin to hypothermia and frosty weather, to the symptoms of other allergic skin reactions. Usually small itchy rashes, redness, and sometimes even quite large blisters - the so-called “cold urticaria” and “cold dermatitis” - appear on exposed areas of the skin during walks. Primarily on the face, ears and hands. However, later the rash and other skin symptoms of cold allergies can spread throughout the body.

Most often, an allergy to cold occurs at temperatures below 10 degrees. But for some, it also occurs in relatively warm weather – around zero. The whole point is an increase in the blood level of cryoglobulins, special proteins that respond to cooling. It is quite simple to distinguish between cold urticaria or simple dermatitis and hypothermia. The body's usual reactions to sub-zero temperatures (sharp constriction of blood vessels in the cold, causing redness of the skin and sometimes even itching) disappear in a warm room after a few minutes. And for the manifestations of allergies to disappear, it will take from several hours to 3-5 days.

Also, skin allergies to cold can be accompanied (or manifest completely independently of it) by the so-called pseudo-allergic cold runny nose (rhinitis) and pseudo-allergic conjunctivitis, the latter is usually characterized by redness or swelling of the eyelids and increased lacrimation in the cold. In a warm room, all symptoms of such an allergic runny nose or allergic conjunctivitis quickly disappear.

Irina Tokareva

If an allergic reaction occurs, you need to take an antihistamine, for example, based on desloratodine. But there is no cure for cold allergies that will work once and for all. Therefore, the fight against hypothermia and strengthening the immune system come to the fore. Dress warmly. Before going for a walk, apply a rich protective cream to your face. Eliminate pockets of chronic infection. Minimize the consumption of highly allergenic foods. Changes in lifestyle can also be a good way to prevent allergies: exercise, exercise, try to be less nervous.

Skin allergies to cold can make themselves felt in the summer. To do this, it is enough to stand under a cold shower, sit in a draft, swim in a cold pond, eat ice cream or drink some iced drink (when eating cold food and drinks, it is also possible swelling of the tongue and larynx).

At risk for cold allergies are people who have recently had a viral infection (ARVI, influenza), have any allergic reactions or a hereditary predisposition to them, and suffer from chronic diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Also, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and other chronic diseases always make the body more vulnerable to allergens.

A simple test will help diagnose an allergy to cold: apply a piece of ice to your hand for 5 minutes and watch the reaction. However, it should be remembered that no “home” diagnostic tools are highly accurate. Only an allergist can reliably diagnose allergies using a special examination.

Cold allergy is one of many types of negative responses of the body to various external stimuli. The very name of this allergy suggests that an allergic reaction occurs under the influence of cold temperatures.

Until recently, medicine rejected such a diagnosis, since there is no allergen that provokes a specific reaction of the body as such, there is only a physical effect - cold. No allergen means no allergies.

But when exposed to cold air, some sensitive people experience a significant release of histamine, which causes reactions similar to other types of allergies - the development of swelling, dilation of blood vessels, redness of the mucous membranes. This is a response to a decrease in the temperature of the skin's thermal receptors.

Causes of cold allergies

Why does cold allergy occur? Medicine does not yet know the exact answer to this question, but with the following factors, particularly sensitive people may experience this strange type of allergy:

• When there is a sharp change in a person’s presence in an environment with normal air temperature to an environment with low temperature - in winter, especially in windy weather
• In contact with cold water - in everyday life when washing dishes, cleaning, swimming in open water
• When drinking very cold drinks or cold food

In a strong, hardened organism with a strong immune system, such temperature changes do not cause any reactions.

However, in the event of a decrease in protective forces, systemic disorders, serious illnesses, or metabolic disorders in the body, this type of allergy may occur. Stress, as we know, is the most important risk factor for immune failure, so stress-resistant people tend to get sick less often and have good health.

Provoking factors for the development of cold allergies

• The presence of allergic reactions to other irritants - food, pollen (), household allergies
• Some infectious diseases - mumps, measles (see), mycoplasma, rubella
• Thyroid diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, cancer
• The presence of chronic diseases - sinusitis, various worm infections,
• Recurrent skin diseases - eczema,
• Hereditary factor

There are cases when such a reaction is hereditary in nature, that is, it is inherited and most often it is the body’s reaction to windy weather than to cold. The symptom of such an allergy is a burning sensation, not itching of the skin.

How does an allergy to cold manifest itself?

How does an allergy to cold manifest itself? Symptoms of such an allergy can have various forms of manifestation - from mild symptoms that disappear some time after contact with a cold environment, to serious recurrent skin rashes.

Skin manifestations are the most common signs. These include redness, swelling, itching of open areas of the body that have come into contact with a cold environment. After some time, the skin begins to hurt, itch, and may become blistered, similar to hives.

Cold allergies in children can even affect the inner surface of the legs, thighs, knees and manifest themselves in the form of hives. The rash is pink, dense, itchy, but goes away within a few hours. There are cases when, after a cold, the skin not only turns red and itches, but also becomes covered with a layer that begins to peel off, as with dermatitis. Sometimes bruises appear at the site of the allergy over time.

Most often, cold allergies occur on the face and hands, since these places are more exposed to the external environment, they are always open and more vulnerable.

General malaise - increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, headache and weakness.

– the appearance of a runny nose, sneezing when going out into cold air. Swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose can either greatly complicate nasal breathing or completely block it, and upon returning to a warm room, all allergy symptoms disappear.

- tearing, swelling around the eyes, swelling of the eyelids, pain in the eyes. Hypersensitivity to bright light also occurs. To differentiate the diagnosis, you should definitely contact an ophthalmologist and a dermatologist, since if profuse lacrimation occurs in the cold, this may be a sign of a tick-borne infection () or a fungus, etc.

Diagnosis of cold allergies

If you experience similar symptoms, then first of all you need to visit a therapist and an immunologist - an allergist. After a set of diagnostic and laboratory tests, it will be possible to accurately determine the cause of the allergic reaction. Cold allergies, the symptoms of which are similar to other types of allergic reactions, should be differentiated from a number of other diseases.

When symptoms appear, it is important to make a correct diagnosis, and only after differentiating the signs of allergy can a doctor confirm this disease. Then, the question arises: is an allergy to cold treatable?

How to treat allergies to cold

The inability to eliminate an allergen such as cold makes the fight against such an illness quite difficult. If the patient is diagnosed with an allergy to cold, treatment in this case is purely symptomatic. It is only possible with the help of antihistamines to slightly reduce its manifestations, or to protect exposed areas of the body as much as possible from exposure to negative temperatures. You can reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions if:

• Before going out into the cold, lubricate your face and hands with baby cream for children, and for adults with any rich cream. Lips should be lubricated with hygienic lipstick. This will partially protect uncovered areas of skin from cold air.
• Badger fat has a very good effect; it is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins B and A, which have only a positive effect on the skin. 20 minutes before going out into the cold, you can lubricate exposed areas of the skin with badger fat (lips, cheeks, nose, hands); if there is no serious liver damage, then you can consume it orally 40 minutes before. before breakfast, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fat.
• Long warm gloves, preferably waterproof mittens for children, warm scarves, it is preferable to have hoods in outerwear - this will effectively protect from the wind and better retain heat.
• Medicinal herbs, if there is no allergy to them, can also help with the development of urticaria, which appears as an allergy to cold. Very, tricolor violet and walnut leaves. To collect, mix the raw materials in equal proportions, 2 s. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain, consume the resulting broth 60 ml 3 times a day.
• Pine cones (see) or spruce cones also have beneficial properties; 4 cones are required to prepare the decoction; they should be ground in a mill or meat grinder, poured with water and simmered over low heat for half an hour. After straining the broth, you can wipe it on chapped and rough skin every evening.
• If you have a cold allergy, the symptoms of which are minor, then gradual hardening and rubbing can strengthen the immune system and reduce the body's reaction. But for young children and people with intense symptoms, hardening is contraindicated, as it is fraught with the development of complications in the form of anaphylactic shock,

Health 02/14/2015

Dear readers, today on the blog I want to talk about a problem such as allergies to cold. Recently, we have been hearing about it more and more often, although just a few years ago doctors did not recognize the existence of such a disease, explaining it by the simple absence of an allergen. And if there is no allergen, there is no allergy. After all, the cause of cold allergies is physical exposure – cold.

However, a considerable number of cases and a rather striking and specific reaction of the body still force us to admit that an allergy to cold does occur. And the conditions caused by it cannot be ignored and often require medical attention. Therefore, today we will try to figure out what an allergy to cold is, what are its causes, symptoms and treatment. It is quite logical that most often allergies to cold manifest themselves during the winter period, so the information, I think, will be more relevant than ever.

Winter cold and severe frost evoke positive emotions in us mainly if we are at home, warm, ideally with a cup of aromatic tea. But harsh weather conditions are not uncommon in our region, and it is simply impossible to stay at home all winter, so we try to sneak along the frosty street as quickly as possible to the next “warming point” in the form of a store, office, cafe or other purpose of our deployment.

Most of us experience discomfort only in severe frosts - from minus ten and below. Until this point, we save ourselves with warm scarves, mittens, outerwear and shoes. But for some people, even a slight decrease in temperature on the thermometer outside the window can cause a very unpleasant reaction in the body. According to researchers, about 30% of people experience discomfort due to exposure to low temperatures.

Allergy to cold (cold allergy). Causes

Any allergy is a reaction of our body to an irritant. In the case of a cold allergy, the irritant is not a specific substance - an allergen, but, as already mentioned, a phenomenon - cold. When exposed to it, a natural reaction occurs in the body in the form of a significant release of histamine, which in turn causes manifestations similar to other allergic reactions - redness of the skin, itching, peeling, swelling, and sometimes headaches and chills.

The occurrence of allergies to cold is based on the reaction of cells located at the surface of the skin - mast cells. When exposed to cold as an irritant, mast cells release large amounts of histamine, which manifests itself in the form of an allergic reaction.

In people who are sensitive to temperature changes, these cells begin to be produced in large quantities when exposed to cold. But what is the reason for such an incorrect reaction? The answer is trivial - in the depletion of immunity. If a healthy body is able to “deal” with the influence of cold without unpleasant reactions, then in a weakened person, a walk in the cold with a high degree of probability can cause such an unpleasant reaction in the form of an allergy. So often, an allergy to cold is a signal that the body is susceptible to some other disease, the existence of which we may not even be aware of. And naturally, treatment of allergies to cold, if it is not only the removal of unpleasant symptoms, should begin with eliminating the root cause.

However, we will talk about ways to treat allergies to cold below. Now let’s list the reasons that can provoke our body to develop a reaction in the form of an allergy to cold. So, the body may be weakened:

• Long-term use of antibiotics
• The presence of chronic diseases: tonsillitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, caries.
• Often, even helminths can be the cause of weakened immunity.
• The presence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidney or pancreas disease, dysbacteriosis.
• Problems with the endocrine system.
• Colds, cancer and even stress.

As you can see, the “circle of risk” is quite extensive and ignoring the body’s reaction to cold can be fraught with more serious problems. Those who may be more susceptible to cold allergies also include:

• Those who have a parent or relative suffering from an allergy to cold. That is, the fact of heredity is also present.
• Allergy sufferers who experience problems from other allergic manifestations - allergies to household dust, pollen, food allergies, atopic dermatitis.

It is noteworthy that the body’s reaction in the form of allergies can manifest itself not only from frosty air. Provoking factors can even be a draft, a change in ambient temperature (for example, moving from a warm room to a colder one), banal contact with cold water - when washing dishes, for example, or when swimming in an open reservoir or even in an indoor pool - at that moment leaving the water, and so on.

Allergy to cold. Symptoms

Normally, all people notice a not entirely comfortable reaction when returning from a cold street to a warm room. The most common phenomenon is redness of areas of skin exposed to the street - the face, hands. Everything is logical - this is a consequence of the rush of blood to the vessels that contracted in the cold, and then expanded in the warmth. But such negative consequences disappear in 30-40 minutes. But the symptoms of an allergy to cold not only appear more actively, but do not disappear as quickly.

How does an allergy to cold manifest itself?

Manifestations of cold allergies can be quite varied, but the main symptoms are:

• Rash on exposed skin. The color of the rash can vary: from pale pink or whitish to bright red
• Blisters and lumps on the skin
• Burning and itching, which may later result in peeling
• Swelling, not only of the skin, but also of the mucous membranes: larynx, lips, tongue, sinuses
• Sneezing and coughing, tears
• Headache and chills

Sometimes, due to the manifestation of specific symptoms, a cold allergy may be called:

1. Cold urticaria (skin rashes similar to nettle burns in the form of blisters and swelling)
2. Cold dermatitis (unlike cold urticaria, it manifests itself not only in the form of redness and blisters, but noticeable peeling, itching and, as a result, damage to the skin)
3. Cold conjunctivitis (accompanied by an increase in the amount of tear fluid released. It differs from the usual reaction to wind and frost by a long period of manifestation, swelling and pain)
4. Cold rhinitis (symptoms are similar to ordinary rhinitis, but most often they disappear when placed in a warm room)
5. Cold asthma (accompanied by swelling of the larynx, shortness of breath, can cause bronchospasm. Most often manifests itself in people prone to pneumonia and suffering from asthmatic diseases)

Sometimes cold allergies are also confused with colds and viral diseases. But unlike ARVI, an allergy to cold is rarely accompanied by a high temperature. But the characteristic swelling of the larynx and mucous membranes differs from the reactions of the nasopharynx in viral diseases. And the skin reaction, which in most cases accompanies manifestations of cold allergies, rarely occurs during a cold.

Allergy to cold. Photo

This is what an allergy to cold on your hands might look like.

Allergy to cold in a child. Photo.

Allergy to cold (cold allergy). Treatment

It is beyond our power to eliminate the root cause of cold allergy - the natural effect in the idea of ​​frost and wind. It would be logical to reduce your time outdoors in cold weather. But you won’t be able to completely isolate yourself for the entire winter, so you need to follow some rules that will help, if not completely prevent an unpleasant reaction, then at least reduce its intensity.

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Allergy to cold. What to do?

1. Don't ignore advice good insulation in cold weather . Protect your legs with additional tights and socks, your neck with a warm scarf, and your hands with warm mittens (mittens are better than gloves). Also try to ensure that your underwear is made of cotton or linen. Wool, and even more so synthetics, will cause a negative effect. The hood is also your assistant in gusts of wind and severe frost.
2. Before going outside, lubricate your face and hands for at least 20-30 minutes. special protective cream against bad weather . An ordinary rich cream will also work, the main thing is that it is not moisturizing, otherwise the “moisture” contained in it will have a detrimental effect on skin cells in the cold. Don't forget about chapstick either.
3. Try to have a drink before going out warming drink . It is warming, not “hot”, otherwise the body’s reaction will be much more negative.
4. Try on the street breathe through your nose . At the same time, just when you go outside, take small and shallow, but not frequent, but regular breaths, gradually starting to breathe more deeply at your usual rhythm.
5. Review your diet . Eat more nuts, fatty fish, olive oil, and foods containing omega-3 fatty acids.
6. Has a good effect badger fat. It can be used both externally, 20 minutes before going out into the cold, lubricating exposed skin with it, and internally, using 1 tbsp 40 minutes before breakfast. a spoonful of fat. As we know, badger fat is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins, plus it can strengthen the immune system, so don’t give allergies a chance to cripple a weakened body. If you are interested in information about badger fat, I invite you to read the article that was on the blog.
7. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to harden your body, accustoming and “introducing” it to the cold gradually. But you need to start hardening in the summer and do everything gradually and wisely, without unnecessary fanaticism, so as not to achieve the opposite effect.
8. And also strengthen your immunity. You can find all the tips in the blog article

I suggest watching the video - what doctors tell us about such a problem as allergies to cold:

How to treat allergies to cold?

All of these measures are good for preventing a possible reaction. But what to do if the allergy has already manifested itself or the reaction is systemic in nature? Of course, treatment depends on the existing symptoms.

1. The first thing to do if you still feel cold is to warm yourself up, drink warm tea, crawl under the blanket, warm your extremities.
2. If you are concerned about skin rashes, you can use antihistamine ointments, which will reduce swelling and itching and promote healing of the skin.
3. Knowing that your mucous membrane reacts poorly to cold, you can put antihistamine drops in your nose before going out.
4. If you suffer from cold allergies all the time, most likely you will have to take antihistamines orally in the form of tablets or syrups.

However, all these measures are aimed not at treatment, but at relieving the symptoms of cold allergies or preventing their occurrence. And to approach the problem more fundamentally, you cannot do without consulting a doctor. And not only a therapist, but also an allergist, and possibly an immunologist. They will help identify the cause of the disease, that is, the problem that led to weakened immunity. They will also prescribe an adequate and safe regimen for taking antihistamines. After all, these medications cannot be taken uncontrollably either.

I hope the information was useful to you.

And for the sake of our souls, we will listen and watch video with works by artist ANNE COTTERILL . Such a miracle. I hope you enjoy touching everything. Music of flowers before us...

I wish you all health, spiritual fulfillment, harmony in your heart.

Cold allergy is a pathological condition of the body that occurs in people with abnormal intolerance to low temperatures.

It occurs in the following cases:

1. If a person is in the cold in the external environment (sharp wind, damp cool air, frost). Cold allergies in children, especially infants, can lead to an attack even with normal ventilation of the room or moving from a place in the sun to the shade.
2. When in contact with cold objects, including snow, ice, water, rain and even a cold bed.
3. While taking chilled drinks and meals.

Moreover, the time for the development of painful signs varies depending on the form of the disease from 1 – 10 minutes to several hours, in rare cases - days.

Features of cold allergies

Many experts classify this disease as pseudoallergy, since the mechanism of its development is significantly different from other allergic reactions. The fact is that the allergen that excites the body’s response does not exist; the influence of a physical factor occurs - cold.

Since an allergy to cold manifests itself in local changes on the skin, similar to signs of urticaria, itchy blisters, swelling, erythema (redness), the disease is also considered as one of the subtypes of physical urticaria.

But cold allergies also cause more severe system-wide disorders that require special therapy. Therefore, pathology is not at all as harmless as it might seem. Yes, in most cases, it is manifested by sneezing, skin rashes, spasms, shortness of breath from the respiratory system, progressing to “peak” conditions. It is capable of killing a person, like the most abnormal frost.

Treatment of chronic cold allergies lasts from several months to a number of years, but in half of the patients the disease can stop spontaneously over time. In almost 85 - 90% of patients in 5 - 7 years, the severity of the disease decreases significantly, especially with active therapy.

Risk group

It has been revealed that almost 70% of the disease affects girls and women. Most often, primary signs are diagnosed at 22–26 years of age. The disease is extremely rarely observed in children under 2–3 years of age.

It has been noted that in every third patient a cold reaction develops due to existing sensitization (especially high sensitivity) of both skin receptors and nerve centers to the effects of allergic and physical irritants. Therefore, the patient is often simultaneously diagnosed with cold allergy in combination with dermatitis of various types, with heat, cholinergic urticaria, and utricarial dermographism.

Causes of cold allergies

Classification

There are two types of cold allergies:

1. Acquired or secondary, that is, not associated with genetic abnormalities, and occurs most often in adulthood.
2. Hereditary (that is, genetically determined) or familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome. Signs are already recorded in infants. This type of pathology is transmitted to a child with a mutant gene from one of the parents through an autosomal dominant type of inheritance.

The types of acquired forms of cold allergy are identified:

• local, local, in the form of cold urticaria, the symptoms of which appear only in a certain and limited area of ​​the body.
• forms of immediate type and with delayed reaction, differing in the time of onset of the first symptoms;
• systemic (generalized) form is the most severe reaction of the body.

Causes

Symptoms of cold allergy. Where does it appear?

How to recognize a disease whose symptoms are varied and depend on the type of cold allergy, severity, concomitant diseases, and age of the patient?

Symptoms in the typical course of local cold allergy

All areas of the skin that react to low temperatures are characterized by:

• rapid, within 1 – 5 minutes, onset of skin changes;
• urtic manifestations similar to signs of a nettle burn (urtica - nettle, lat.) in the form of:
• itching, burning, tingling;
• formation of edema at the site of contact with a cold object;
• severe redness (erythema);
• the appearance of flat, whitish or bright pink blisters, or a small red rash;
• peeling that occurs later;
• It is not uncommon for bruises to appear on the rash areas within 24 to 48 hours.

Typically, symptoms reach their maximum when the affected areas are warmed, when moving from a cold room to a warm place, and not only in frost, but also in cool, damp weather.

Abnormal changes on the skin subside within 0.5 - 2 hours.

Sometimes urticaria appears later (after 10–20 minutes) and lasts up to 7–12 days.

With the next exposure to cold (local or general), allergic manifestations usually intensify.

Features of cutaneous local manifestations of the disease in a typical form are shown in the table.

Atypical course of local cold allergy

Reflex urticaria

A feature of this condition is the appearance of pinpoint red-pink urticarial rash and blisters not on the cooled area itself, but around it. In this case, the skin exposed to cold aggression is not affected.

Allergy delayed action

It is characterized by disrupted timing of the appearance and subsidence of skin changes. This condition is characterized by an abnormally slow reaction of the skin to cold aggression - ranging from 3 - 4 hours to 2 days, as well as long-term retention of all signs up to 7 - 14 days.

This atypical reaction warns of the possibility of other serious disorders that require immediate diagnostic attention.

Systemic allergy to cold

The severity of general manifestations is determined by:

• age and sensitivity of a person to cold, histamine, acetylcholine;
• supercooling area;
• intensity and time of low temperature exposure.
• existing diseases of blood vessels, respiratory organs, heart.

In addition to skin changes, when exposed to cold, in many patients, low temperature provokes systemic (whole-organism) signs of cold injury:

• sneezing, mucous discharge from the nose;
• swelling and complete congestion of the nasal passages;
• sore throat, paroxysmal dry cough;
• lacrimation, swelling of the eyelids, itching and irritation of the conjunctiva, light intolerance;
• itching all over the body, small blistering rashes;
• feeling tired, depressed, neuroses.

The patient experiences several symptoms or all symptoms simultaneously or sequentially.

In case of acute individual intolerance to low temperature, if the whole body is cooled, a generalized form of cold allergy develops.

This is a very dangerous condition that borders on an anaphylactic reaction and is characterized by:

• bursting pain in the back of the head, forehead area;
• difficulty breathing with shortness of breath;
• dizziness, tinnitus;
• nausea, weakness, joint pain;
• contraction of the muscles of the face, neck, fingers.

Anaphylaxis due to hypothermia

Prolonged cooling of a large area of ​​the body leads to serious disorders due to the release of large portions of histamine and acetylcholine into the blood. With such an abnormal condition and the spread of the process, dangerous changes occur in the body, up to an anaphylactic reaction that threatens human life.

This condition is characterized by acute manifestations of a local and general nature:

• merging of blisters into extensive dense swelling throughout the body, accompanied by acute itching;
• Quincke's edema - swelling of the lips, eyelids, internal organs;
• swelling of the tissues of the larynx and tongue, leading to asphyxia (very often in childhood due to narrow airways and looseness of the tissue of the larynx and mucous membrane);
• shortness of breath, cough due to bronchospasm and swelling of the airways, larynx and pharynx;
• severe exhaustion with nausea, bouts of vomiting;
• pain and feeling of fullness in the head;
• temperature rise to 38 – 39C with chills;
• paleness of the skin with cyanosis in certain areas, more often in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle, earlobes, fingers;
• rapid heartbeat, rhythm disorder (arrhythmia);
• cramps in the stomach, abdomen, diarrhea;
• acute drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, coma.

In practice, cases of death of patients exposed to cold aggression have been recorded: after freezing, drinking cold drinks, frostbite, or being in cold water.

Familial cold syndrome

This pathology is associated with gene mutation and is diagnosed in infants up to 6–9 months.

An allergic attack usually develops even with mild hypothermia of the body (when the room is ventilated), in almost everyone (93 - 94%) when swimming, eating chilled foods and drinks, after long games in a strong wind, at low temperatures (including the positive temperature range).

Features of symptoms

The specificity of familial cold allergies is the delayed (slow) appearance of skin and systemic changes - from half an hour to 2 - 3 hours after a cold attack and their long-term persistence, up to 24 - 48 hours.

Characteristic features:

• acute itching, red dense spots, watery blisters, burning;
• repeated episodes of high fever, chills;
• systemic manifestations in the form of lacrimation, conjunctivitis;
• joint pain, in severe cases - arthritis of large joints;
• increased level of leukocytes in the blood;
• Children often experience nausea, acute thirst, sweating, irritability, damage to the central and peripheral nervous system;
• There is an increased ESR in the blood and a high concentration of C-reactive protein.

Manifestations of a hereditary form of cold allergy increase over 7–9 hours, gradually subsiding by the end of 1–2 days.

A diagnostic feature of hereditary pathology is a negative result, which is obtained during a standard cold test by applying ice to the skin to provoke a local allergy.

In addition, with this form of pathology, edema and urticarial rash often appear even later - within 8 to 40 hours after cold exposure, which makes diagnosis difficult.

Atypical hereditary cold allergy

Initial signs of the disease are observed already in infancy. The specificity of the clinical picture of atypical allergies is expressed in the absence of such general symptoms as nausea, fever, arthralgia (joint pain).

In this form, the main symptoms are convulsions, loss of consciousness, and severe, dense tissue swelling. Children are often diagnosed with laryngeal edema.

Diagnostics

The pathology is often confused with dermatitis, colds, and respiratory viral infections, because when a person is weakened by vitamin deficiency, dysbiosis, or other diseases, including dermatitis, allergic, vascular and infectious pathologies, cold allergies are always more severe and with frequent exacerbations.

In the case of a typical form of cold allergy, the disease is diagnosed by performing a provocative test (Duncan test).

To do this, apply an ice cube to the skin of the forearm on the inside for 3–4 minutes, observing the reaction. Ice must be placed in a thin plastic bag so that there is no direct contact with the skin to avoid misdiagnosis in case of a positive test. This can happen if the patient does not have a cold allergy, but aquagenic urticaria (allergy to water).

After 10 minutes, the result of the Duncan test is assessed as positive if a dense bubble, erythema, itching, burning, and sometimes a pinpoint rash appear at the site of ice application.

People with abnormal cold intolerance may develop skin symptoms within 30 seconds, while others experience a reaction within 20 to 30 minutes. In patients whose body responds only to a decrease in the temperature of the whole body, or with a hereditary form and atypical development of the pathology, local signs may not appear at all.

If a provocative test is suspected of being unreliable, a blood test must be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

If the Duncan test shows nothing, but the patient later develops characteristic symptoms, then the diagnosis is confirmed by detecting cold antibodies (agglutinins), cryoglobulins, cryofibrinogen, and sometimes paroxysmal hemoglobinuria in the plasma.

Familial cold syndrome (as opposed to the typical form) is characterized by an increased ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and an increased concentration of C-reactive protein.

Today, competent doctors do not use other types of tests for diagnosis in the form of keeping the patient naked for 10 - 15 minutes in a room at + 4C or immersing hands up to the elbows in cold water, since there is a high risk of a systemic reaction with the development of severe general body symptoms.

Treatment of cold allergies with medication

How to treat cold allergies correctly?

To mitigate the manifestations of a cold attack, the patient is treated comprehensively, including the use of both external agents and oral medications aimed at eliminating various symptoms.

Local preparations

Itchy rashes, blisters, severe redness, pain and swelling are relieved with ointments, gels, sprays, and creams.

Among them: Nezulin, Fenistil-gel, Soventol, Protopic, Gistan, La-Cri, Elidel, Radevit, Psilo-balm, Skin Cap.

Of the hormonal ointments for severe swelling, pain, painful itching, which is resolved in short courses (under the supervision of a dermatologist), the following are used: Flucinar, Hydrocortisone, Sinaflan, Laticort, then the stronger Gistan N, Momat, Sinaf-ointment, Akriderm GK, Celestoderm, Lorinden S, Advantan , Elokom. And the most powerful glucocorticosteroids are Cloveit, Dermovate.

Medicines in tablets and injections

Internally prescribed:

Antihistamines of the II – III generation, which reduce the reaction to the release of histamine, reduce inflammation, itching, swelling: Fexofenadine (Allegra), Claritin, Erius, Zyrtec, Gismanal, Tofrin, Cetirizine, Cyproheptadine, Cetrin, Levocetirizine.

If they give a weak effect, use first generation drugs: Acrivastine, Diphenhydramine, Diazolin, Suprastin, Tavegil, Pipolfen, Cyproheptadine. Although the drugs have a certain number of side effects, they can quickly relieve painful symptoms.

In case of acute allergic attacks, antiallergic drugs are administered by injection.

For long-term allergies with frequent exacerbations, Ketotifen and Ebastine can help.

A more pronounced therapeutic effect is observed when antiallergic drugs of the first generation are combined with new drugs of the third and fourth generations.

If the patient does not respond positively to antihistamines, a diagnosis of cold cholinergic urticaria is possible.

In this case apply:

• H2 receptor blockers: Cimetidine, Ranitidine, Famotidine;
• drugs with m-choline blockers: Belloid, Cyproheptadine, Bellaspon, Bellataminal.

Hormonal medications.

Glucocorticosteroids are usually prescribed for a short time (up to 7 days) to patients who do not respond to antiallergic therapy, and long-term for severe forms of the disease and at a high risk of acute anaphylaxis. The drugs of choice are Prednisolone and Dexamethasone.

Additional medications

If frequent exacerbations exhaust the nervous system, the patient suffers from neuroses, insomnia, severe itching, the following is prescribed:

Antidepressants (Paxil, Doxepin, Sibazon, Fluoxetine), which during the first 4 to 6 weeks of use are combined with benzodiazepine tranquilizers, which relieve the side effects of antidepressants.

Treatment of familial cold urticaria

For severe manifestations of diagnosed hereditary cold syndrome of autoimmune origin, the following is currently used:

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, high-dose glucocorticoid therapy;
• medications that suppress the immune system: Cyclosporine, Omalizumab (Xolair)
• antiviral interferon-beta, which in 85 out of 100 patients leads to the almost complete elimination of cryoglobulins in plasma and the elimination of severe symptoms;
• interleukin-1 blocker - Anakinra, showing a pronounced therapeutic result;
• androgens.

other methods

Other methods used in patients with severe exacerbations include:

1. Extracorporeal blood purification from cryoglobulin proteins.
2. Autolymphocytotherapy is a method that relieves cold allergies in people of any age with contraindications to other treatment options. The patient is injected subcutaneously with lymphocytes isolated from his blood 8 times. The cure rate for the disease is almost 90%.

Acute anaphylactic reaction to cold

Situations in which cooling causes a condition similar to anaphylactic shock threaten the patient’s life and require immediate subcutaneous injection of Adrenaline in the exact age-specific dosage, administration of a large dose of Prednisolone, as well as other medications required for use in anaphylactic shock.

Treatment of cold allergies with folk remedies

Any home recipes using natural remedies are only of auxiliary value, especially for moderate and severe illness.

Important! When treating cold allergies with folk remedies, always remember that herbs, bee products and other active natural substances can worsen the course of the disease and cause additional manifestations of allergies. Some natural remedies are not approved for oral use for diseases of the kidneys, heart, liver, cholelithiasis, have an abortifacient effect and are absolutely contraindicated for pregnant women.

Common recipes:

1. For severe itching, you can use a solution of 1 teaspoon of soda in 200 ml of water, gently treating the itchy areas.
2. Infusion of lingonberry leaves. Pour boiling water (a glass) into 1 tablespoon of lingonberries, leave for 60 minutes and take a quarter glass 2 times a day.
3. Infusion of nettle flowers. A tablespoon of inflorescences is poured into a glass of boiling water, infused for 30–60 minutes and drunk after meals, 150 ml up to 3–4 times a day warm.

Besides:

1. Wash yourself with warm infusion of the string and wipe the affected areas with it.
2. Lubricate exposed areas of the body with fatty creams containing vitamins A and E. You can use high-percentage butter or vegetable oil.
3. Before going outside in the cold season, never use moisturizers: the freezing water contained in them will only accelerate the manifestation of allergies.
4. In cold weather, apply badger fat and baby fat cream to your face and hands.

The benefits of hardening are to accustom the skin and blood vessels to cold.

Important! Hardening in case of severe manifestations of the disease, especially if it is hereditary, or in children of an early age group is considered a deadly activity.

Low-temperature allergies against the background of general cooling occur with a massive release of histamine, and the patient, even after a cool shower, douche, or bathing, can die due to damage to the entire body and cold shock.

All warnings on hardening have special relevance to children in whom an acute attack occurs suddenly and unpredictably.

Children with cold urticaria under 3–4 years of age are prohibited from any preventive measures related to exposure to cold.

For patients older than 4–5 years, the skin vessels can be gradually and with the greatest care accustomed to the effects of low temperature. To do this, hardening begins by wiping the hands, feet and face with cool water. This is done with careful monitoring of any skin and general changes. Approaching the “threshold” temperature, when primary abnormal signs appear on the skin, hardening is limited to this temperature, observing. If the “cold threshold” increases over time (the reaction at this temperature no longer bothers the patient), the next stage begins, slowly lowering the degree.

Important! With any hardening procedures, you should be prepared to immediately stop the process, and if an attack begins, have all the necessary medications to stop it.