Failure to identify a specific cause, not knowing when an outbreak will occur and not being able to find an effective treatment can be very distressing.
If your hives do not get better on their own after 6 weeks, you probably have chronic hives. This may seem straightforward, but an accurate diagnosis can take a lot longer. It is not helped by the myth that chronic hives are caused by an allergy.
In people with the spontaneous form of chronic hives:1
- 50% will get better without treatment within 12 weeks
- 20% will have hives for more than a year
- 11% will have hives for more than 5 years
Symptoms are burdensome and can have a serious impact on your quality of life, like the ability to perform daily tasks at work or school. They can also affect mental health.2
Antihistamines are the first treatment option for most hives sufferers. There are also effective medications, that can be prescribed by a dermatologist or immunologist after a careful assessment of your condition.
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Locate a specialist
Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) Skin Cancer Foundation Australasian College of Dermatologists
References
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. ASCIA Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) Guidelines. 2020. Available at: https://www.allergy.org.au/hp/papers/chronic-spontaneous-urticaria-csu-guidelines Accessed July 2024.
- Maurer M et al. Allergy 2017; 72: 2005-2016.