Urticaria, commonly known as hives or welts, are raised, flat, red, itchy rashes on the skin. Hives are fairly common and up to 25% of the general population will have experienced a form of hives in their lifetime. They generally appear without any warning and can happen at any age.

Angioedema is a swelling that occurs deep in the skin. It can occur with or without hives. Common areas affected are- face, throat, hands, and feet. For patients that have angioedema in the absence of hives, it is important to evaluate for Hereditary Angioedema, which is a genetic disorder in which your body is not able to properly regulate its inflammatory cascade.

Hives and angioedema may be allergic and your allergist can perform testing to try and help identify a cause for your symptoms.
Your doctor can also provide you with treatment for your hives to try and relieve the itching and control the swelling.

Approximately half of the patients with chronic hives will respond to antihistamines. For those who do not respond, there is an FDA approved medication for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) known as omalizumab (Xolair). This medication is injected under the skin once a month and can often be life-changing for patients suffering from chronic hives.