Do I Have Chronic Hives?

Do you have batches of red or skin-colored welts (wheals), which can appear anywhere on the body?

Do your symptoms last longer than six weeks or do they recur frequently and unpredictably, sometimes for months or years?

Do you have welts that vary in size, change shape, and appear repeatedly and fade over several weeks?

Do you have itching, which may be severe?

Do you have a painful swelling (angioedema) of the lips, eyelids and inside the throat?

Are your symptoms usually triggered by heat, exercise and stress?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have chronic hives. Hives or urticaria is a condition characterized by itchy, red welts on the skin. They are often caused by an allergic reaction to a certain food or medication. Welts can appear on any part of the body. The size of the welts can vary from very small to large as a dinner plate. They can merge together to form even larger welts. Hives usually go away within a few days. However, if hives last longer than 6 weeks, they are called chronic hives. The exact cause of chronic hives is usually not known.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have chronic hives. Chronic hives are a condition characterized by hives that last longer than six weeks. They can often recur over months or years. Chronic hives are not a dangerous condition, but they can be very uncomfortable and interfere with your daily activities. Chronic hives are considered to be the result of a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have chronic hives. Chronic hives or chronic urticaria is a medical condition that is defined as hives that last longer than six weeks. In 95% of cases, chronic hives are so-called "idiopathic hives", which actually means that they occur for no apparent reason. Only in 5 percent of cases, there is a known cause of urticaria, such as thyroid problems, skin diseases, sinusitis or some allergic reaction. The main treatment for chronic hives is antihistamines. Antihistamines can be extremely effective if the dose and strength of the medicine are appropriate and if the treatment lasts long enough.