A dermatologist and pharmacist explain this unusual condition

“I get a rash when I exercise, for example when the temperature changes. My family didn’t believe it and I even took a photo of the report so they could see I wasn’t making it up. I love to exercise, but I can’t, I’m itching: “It’s because of histamine.” This is how Tamara Falko (42 years old) told the reason why she cannot train and play sports. Does Tamara Falko have an allergy to sports? But does this really exist? The answer is yes, partially. Lecturas.com spoke with a renowned dermatologist and pharmacist to clear all doubts regarding this unusual disease and the treatment that should be followed to cope with its symptoms.

“Sweat allergy or cholinergic urticaria. This is a rare disease which is characterized by the appearance, after an increase in body temperature, of a rash consisting of many small hives located mainly in the upper part of the chest, they cause severe itching. Very rarely, it can even cause anaphylaxis in some patients. Exercise, hot and humid environments, hot baths or showers, strong emotions and eating spicy or hot foods can trigger an outbreak,” says Dr. Marta Gonzalez from the Ricart Medical Institute.

Dermatologist specializing in diagnosis and treatment diseases and conditions related to the skin, from cosmetic problems to serious diseases, resolved all our doubts regarding this health problem, from which, according to Tamara Falko herself, she suffers.

“Sweat allergy”: how can it affect normal life?

“Identifying and preventing triggers are the first steps in managing cholinergic urticaria. Baths in hot water and physical exercise should be avoided. intense at high temperatures. The first line of treatment is antihistamines, which can be taken either daily or before exposure to a trigger (for example, before exercising). In cases of resistance, treatment with certain biologics or anticholinergic drugs has also proven effective. In addition, there have been published cases in the literature of resolution of the disease after injection of botulinum toxin into the armpits (a treatment that we often provide to people with excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis),” the dermatologist tells us.

Is it only sport that causes an exacerbation of sweat allergies?

“Depending on the patient, urticaria is more likely to appear after certain irritants, as we have already mentioned, potentially any increase in body temperature can cause an outbreak, this applies not only to sports, but also to high temperatures, hot showers, strong emotions and even the use of spicy or hot food,” explains the doctor.

How is this skin disease treated? Is there a cure for it?

Cholinergic urticaria is usually diagnosed around the second to third decade of life and appears to affect both sexes equally; The exact reasons for its occurrence are currently unclear. “There is no cure for this as such, but there are different medications that can help control outbreaks. The prognosis is favorable as it tends to resolve over time. In fact, only 30% of patients typically experience flare-ups after 10 years of diagnosis,” Marta Gonzalez tells us. “The presentation of classic cholinergic urticaria lesions in the context of typical triggers (eg, the appearance of multiple itchy urticaria after exercise) is usually sufficient to establish the diagnosis.

Care, treatment, home remedies and prevention

“The best prevention for cholinergic urticaria is to avoid triggers. As a home remedy “You can try to lower your body temperature and cool the skin (using cold water) at the beginning of a flare-up,” the dermatologist concludes. from the Ricard Medical Institute.

Treating sweat allergies with pharmaceutical cosmetics

Carolina Uriarte, pharmacist at Uriage, shares with Lecturas.com several keys to stopping the outbreaks of this disease from which Tamara Falco suffers and which add to the prevention that the dermatologist comments on. “Sweat allergy, also known as exercise urticaria, can be an unpleasant and distressing condition for sufferers. In fact, this is not a true allergy, but rather a reaction of the body to heat, exercise or stress, which causes the release of histaminebut the reality is that it causes discomfort, itching, redness and rashes on the skin,” he tells us.

For care and treatment When dealing with sweat allergies using dermocosmetics, “it is important to choose products that are gentle and do not irritate the skin. It is recommended to choose hypoallergenic products without fragrances or dyes. Ideally, they include Ingredients painkillers which help strengthen the skin barrier function and help reduce inflammation; This could be: panthenol or vitamin B5, ceramides, shea butter, chamomile, calamine, etc.”

“It is important to avoid situations that may cause excessive sweating, such as prolonged intense exercise, extreme temperatures and stress. Also, keep your skin clean and dry, wear loose, breathable clothing, and take cold showers after physical activity. may help reduce symptoms allergies to sweat,” concludes a pharmacist specializing in sensitive skin.

So he recommends two products to calm this condition. On the one hand, the oil balm soothes itching “and increases the protection of the microbiome barrier by 3 times.” This balm is non-greasy.

And a restorative drying spray for irritated areas that dries up excess moisture and reduces the itching sensation.

The importance of skin care to avoid premature aging

Dr. Emma GuttmanProfessor at Waldman University and Director of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine, she is a pioneering dermatologist who has dedicated her career to putting science into practice to improve patients’ lives and now joins Clinique at Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin. Dermatological center for study allergies, as well as other skin diseases. Gutman gives us the key to healthy skin and explains the importance of skin care to avoid the dreaded premature aging.

“Years of chronic inflammation play role in premature skin aging. Extensive research has allowed us to understand the molecular map of allergy-related dermopathy, such as eczema and contact dermatitis. We are now at a decisive moment to confront these diseases and other challenges,” he tells us.