welt skin

i used to have regular skin but when i was around the age 10 or 11 i got the flu and one of the symptoms were that your skin would puff up or welt and get very red if you were just itching yourself , it goes away after 30-45 minutes. i took medication for the flu and got over it but the skin sensitivity never went away. its even more sensitive than ever just trying on close makes it "welty" i went to the doctors a while back and he told us the special name
it was something along the lines dermagraphia meaning you can basically write on my skin  
i was wondering if there was anything i could take or do to reduce or make it go away.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
What you are having is dermatographism. Dermatographism can be caused by stress, tight or abrasive clothing, watches, glasses, energetic kissing, heat, cold, or anything that causes stress to the skin. In many cases it is merely a minor annoyance, but in some rare cases symptoms are severe enough to impact a patient's life.

It can be treated by antihistamines or cromoglicate and sometimes steroids, as they prevent the histamine from causing the reaction. As the underlying cause of dermographism is not known, it can last for many years without relief.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.