What is chronic urticaria?
Urticaria (sometimes called hives) is an itchy rash caused by tiny amounts of fluid that leak from blood vessels just under the skin surface. Urticaria is classed as: • Acute urticaria – if it develops suddenly and lasts less than six weeks. Most cases last 24-48 hours. About 1 in 6 people will have at least one bout of urticaria in their life. It can affect anyone at any age. Some people have recurring bouts of acute urticaria. • Chronic urticaria – if it persists long-term. Chronic means persistent or ongoing. In chronic urticaria a rash develops on most days for at least six weeks. This is uncommon. About 1 in 1000 people develop chronic urticaria at some stage in their life. It is twice as common in women than men. Some people have an urticarial rash ‘on and off’ for months, or even years. The rest of this leaflet deals only with chronic urticaria. See separate leaflet for information about acute urticaria. What does the rash of urticaria look like? The rash can affect any area of
