Cold allergy What to do in allergic reactions to cold?

For cold allergy, always wrap your face warm

In the cold season it can come to skin problems due to the often icy temperatures. In "cold allergies", the low temperatures have a particularly intense effect: Itching, wheals, swelling or severe redness of the skin. Affected persons should therefore always protect themselves and also wrap their faces warm.

Icy cold puts stress on the skin

At the moment the cold demands a lot from us: Dry skin in winter is not unusual. But some people react particularly intensively to the winter weather. With them, it comes to a so-called cold urticaria. Experts recommend that sufferers always protect their skin with warm clothing in icy temperatures, especially with regard to the face.

Some people are particularly sensitive to the current cold. They cause hives, swelling or redness on the skin. These "cold-allergy" should protect their face well. (Image: Halfpoint / fotolia.com)

Around 25 percent of the population has ever undergone urticaria

Urticaria, also known as hives or nettle fever, is the most common skin disorder. About one in four people get sick at least once during their lifetime.

The causes of hives can have many causes: intolerances, infections or even physical stimuli such as pressure or light.

"Even cold can be a trigger for urticaria," writes the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB) on its website.

Protect face with a scarf or ski mask

According to the experts, it comes in the affected "cold-allergic" to itching, wheals, swelling or redness of the skin.

Most affected are areas of the body that are directly exposed to the cold; especially the hands and the face.

You can protect yourself with warm clothes. Not only the wearing of gloves, but also a special face protection can be useful. For example with the help of a scarf or a ski mask.

Mucous membranes can swell up

In very rare, but then dangerous cases, the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat can swell and lead to suffocation-like shortness of breath.

According to DAAB, only antihistamines or cortisone tablets help with acute complaints.

If the cold urticaria occurs more frequently, a so-called tolerance induction can be helpful. The body is repeatedly confronted with the trigger cold - in increasing dose, so he learns to tolerate this trigger, so the cold.

The DAAB is also engaged in the journal "Allergie konkret" with the topic cold-urticaria.

Cold as a trigger for respiratory distress

In winter, however, threaten more health problems. Because cold is a physical trigger of respiratory distress.

In people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, or a hypersensitive respiratory system, the current extremely cold air irritates the bronchi and narrows the airways.

The consequences can be problems during inhalation and exhalation, wheezing and acute respiratory distress up to the asthma attack.

"Here only warm clothing with a" mouthguard "(for example a scarf) and no unnecessary force actions (like now outdoor sports) help in freezing cold", writes the DAAB.

Even an unnecessarily long stay in the cold should be avoided according to the experts. This helps a lot of drinking, as it moisturizes the mucous membranes. (Ad)