Is allergic purpura contagious?

Written by Liu Li Ning
Rheumatology
Updated on September 14, 2024
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Allergic purpura is not a contagious disease; it is an autoimmune disorder, and therefore it is not transmissible. This condition is a self-limiting disease commonly found in adolescents and children. It mainly comes in four types: simple, renal, abdominal, and articular. Common symptoms include purpura on the limbs and body, and it may also involve abdominal pain, joint pain, and hematuria among other organ impairments. During the acute phase, bed rest is required. Sometimes, when the kidneys are affected, corticosteroids are necessary for timely treatment. If there is joint swelling and pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to alleviate pain, and antispasmodic analgesics can be used for abdominal pain.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
49sec home-news-image

Can allergic purpura cause itching?

Allergic purpura is mainly seen in adolescents and children, with a higher incidence in spring and autumn. The most common cause is infection, followed by medications or food, which can also trigger an episode of allergic purpura. The most common symptoms include purpura on the skin and mucous membranes, abdominal pain, blood in stools, hematuria, or joint pain. The purpura primarily affects the limbs, rarely appears on the trunk, and is symmetrically distributed. At this time, the bleeding spots often have no symptoms, meaning there is no itching of the skin. However, when there is concomitant skin edema or hives, itching can occur.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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Precautions for Allergic Purpura

Allergic purpura is a common allergic disorder, also known as vasculitis, and occurs more frequently in adolescent males. Adults can also be affected, but it is less common, and the majority of cases are due to infections, such as bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections. Food or drug allergies are also part of the causes of allergic purpura. For adolescents who develop allergic purpura, infections should be considered first, followed by allergies. It's important to maintain a light diet, drink plenty of water, wear a mask when going out to prevent upper respiratory infections, and control the intake of high-protein foods such as fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, and lean meat. As for fruits, including mangoes, some people can be triggered to have allergic purpura, especially fruits they have not been exposed to before; it's best to minimize contact with unfamiliar fruits to avoid inducing an allergic purpura attack.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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Does allergic purpura spread to others?

Firstly, allergic purpura is neither a genetic nor a contagious disease, so there is no need to worry about it being inherited or transmitted to others. It is an allergic reaction caused by drugs, food, or infections, typically manifested by bleeding and bruising on the skin and mucous membranes of the limbs, joint pain, and hematuria. Diagnosis requires the combination of clinical manifestations and related tests such as urinalysis. If it is merely a case of the skin type, it only necessitates bed rest and observation of the number and extent of bleeding points on the skin and mucous membranes without special treatment. If there are symptoms like black stools or proteinuria, bed rest is imperative along with the use of anti-allergy medications or corticosteroids to enhance treatment, continuing until the proteinuria resolves.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Is allergic purpura nephritis contagious?

Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis and allergic purpura are not infectious diseases; there is no contagious element involved. Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis is actually kidney damage caused by allergic purpura, which is an allergic disease itself. Patients suffer from an abnormal immune response in the body’s immune system after coming into contact with allergenic drugs or foods, leading to necrotizing vasculitis. This disease is unrelated to pathogens. Generally, there is no direct damage to the kidneys caused by a specific pathogen in this disease, nor do patients carry pathogens that can cause Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis, such as bacteria or viruses, thus making the disease non-contagious.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng
Rheumatology
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Can people with allergic purpura eat durian?

Patients with allergic purpura should not eat durian, as durian is considered a food that can trigger allergies, which in turn can provoke the onset of allergic purpura. Besides avoiding such trigger foods in their diet, patients with allergic purpura should also avoid getting cold, as catching cold can lead to infections, which may also trigger an episode of allergic purpura. Furthermore, intense physical activity, like fast running, should be avoided as well, because such activities can also lead to outbreaks of allergic diseases. Allergic purpura is also a self-limiting disease, and can improve on its own after reaching adulthood.