Thyroid diseasecan sometimes cause repeated bouts of an itchy skin rash known ashives.
Thyroid rash looks like patches of raised red or skin-colored welts.
The rash tends to develop rapidly and can arise anywhere on the body.
Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee
Hives associated with autoimmune thyroid disease are most often chronic.
Why Does Thyroid Disease Cause a Rash?
Autoimmune diseases are those in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells and tissues.
DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
It does so with immune proteins called autoantibodies that cause chronic or recurrent attacks known asflares.
In the case of autoimmune thyroid disease, thethyroid glandis the target of the assault.
This can lead tohypothyroidism(underactive thyroid) orhyperthyroidism(overactive thyroid).
Autoantibodies that target a specific receptor found in tissues under the skin are produced during a flare.
IgE is theantibodyresponsible for allergic reactions, such as hives or rash.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Hashimoto’s thyroiditisis the most common kind of autoimmune thyroid disease.
During subclinical episodes, even low levels of autoantibodies can trigger an IgE response.
This suggests that other environmental or genetic factors may contribute to the risk.
This causes the body’s functions to speed up.
In rare cases, hives have been associated with this pop in of thyroid condition.
Due to limited research, the mechanism linking hives and hyperthyroidism is still not clearly understood.
If diagnosed, thyroid disease requires lifelong management with appropriate therapy.
This may or may not be true.
In some cases, there may be no apparent reason for a recurrent outbreak.
Rashes that recur should generally be treated, particularly if they are severe or persistent.
The first and arguably most important goal is toavoid any triggersthat instigate hives.
These vary from one person to the next.
They may include:
Other treatment options include topical anti-itch creams, oral antihistamines, and thyroid hormone replacement.
These drugs block a chemical calledhistaminethat is involved in allergic reactions.
Antihistamines are the first line of treatment for moderate to severe hives.
Second-generation antihistamines are usually recommended, as they do not cause drowsiness.
Your healthcare provider may need to adjust your thyroid hormone dose if you are taking either of these.
Levothyroxine has been shown to work better than antihistamines in relieving hives related to autoimmune thyroid disease.
It also tends to work for a longer period of time.
Summary
Hives (urticaria) are skin reactions that cause raised, itchy welts.
Most cases tend to go away within several days to a few weeks.
Hives can be treated with topical anti-itch creams or oral antihistamines.
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