Urgent Help needed!!!

Hi -

Hope you are good. I live in london and I am 24 years old. Fairly good health, drink and smoke though. I dont have any allergies that i know off or asma....

Now, I was travelling 3 weeks back and was in pakistan. And i got this really bad rash on my face all of a sudden. Appeared out of nowhere, i was sitting outdoors. So i thought it was insect bites. They looked like mosquito bites, very flat, red, itchy ... no watery stuff inside, so resembled alot like mosquito bites. They were mainly on my forehead, not too many, probably around 10 all together.

Then for the next few days, I had itchy bumps on my scalp also, and i thought it was all insect bites. Than they kind of disappeared and now are back.

Its been 2 weeks, i get them only on my face and scalp. They are very very itchy adn give me a burning feeling. Usually they are on the forehead, behind the ears. Today, I had one on my lip also. They come and go, usually stay for a few hours. They also come in new spots all the time. They dont bleed and neither do they leave any fairly visible marks. They are red in colour.

This has made me suspect that they are not insect bites (still could be). I dont have any blue marks anywhere, or dont feel dizzy, breathing is fine... nothing yet on the inside of the mouth either. Any idea what they could be?? Met a doctor who was very chilled about it (mainly because i didnt have them at that time) gave me piriton.

My main concerns are: What is this?? any ideas?? and what are the chances it will stay for a lifetime???? and what should i do??

I am going to try to go to a doctor tomorrow and am hoping they appear again so i can show him. i hope my description was good. I await your response.

Thanks alot!
Adeel

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

The only condition I know of which behaves the way you describe is urticaria, popularly known as hives.  These are red welts that itch and come and go in different places.  Occasionally allergic, these are almost always not caused by anything in particular.  We suppress them using antihistamines, and they generally go away as mysteriously as they came.  Other rashes may come and go, but don't disappear completely for a time, as hives do.  I don't think the doctor will have any bad news for you, and should be able to help.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff