Acute Urticaria Quiz
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Red rash
Rashes
Itchy skin
Raised bumps on skin
Red bumps on skin
Redness of the skin
Red skin rash all over the body
Swelling under skin
Lips are swollen and painful
Difficulty breathing
Face is swollen
Skin rashes that are itchy
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Acute Urticaria?
Acute urticaria is a sudden onset of hives that lasts less than six weeks. It is often triggered by allergic reactions to foods, medications, insect stings, or infections. Acute urticaria can affect individuals of any age and typically resolves once the underlying cause is identified and addressed.
Typical Symptoms of Acute Urticaria
- Skin over the entire body is red
- Itchy skin
- Itchy skin that gets worse at night
- Multiple areas of skin redness or red spots
- Mild itch
- Hives or raised rashes
- Bumpy rash that appeared, then rapidly spread to the rest of the body
- Swelling in the affected area
Diagnostic Questions for Acute Urticaria
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Is your whole body red?
- Do you have itchy skin?
- Does your skin get itchier at night?
- Do you have multiple red areas or spots on your skin?
- Do you have a mild itch?
Treatment of Acute Urticaria
Treatment for acute urticaria usually involves the use of antihistamines to relieve itching and reduce hives. If the reaction is severe or associated with anaphylaxis, emergency treatment with epinephrine may be required. Identifying and avoiding the trigger is essential for effective management, and in some cases, corticosteroids may be prescribed for more severe reactions.
Reviewed By:
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Pulmonology)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
Unnati Patel, MD, MSc (Family Medicine)
Dr.Patel serves as Center Medical Director and a Primary Care Physician at Oak Street Health in Arizona. She graduated from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine prior to working in clinical research focused on preventive medicine at the University of Illinois and the University of Nevada. Dr. Patel earned her MSc in Global Health from Georgetown University, during which she worked with the WHO in Sierra Leone and Save the Children in Washington, D.C. She went on to complete her Family Medicine residency in Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital before completing a fellowship in Leadership in Value-based Care in conjunction with the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, where she earned her MBA. Dr. Patel’s interests include health tech and teaching medical students and she currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Content updated on Jan 23, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- Itchy
- The skin is itchy and has scratches
- Skin itching that worsens at night
- Itch is mild
- Itching
- Scratching the skin
- Nighttime itch is worse
- Persistent, mild itch
- Itch
- A scratch
- Itch improves during the day
- Itch is minor
See full list
Symptoms Related to Acute Urticaria
Diseases Related to Acute Urticaria
FAQs
Q.
Allergy Attack? Why Your Body Is Reacting and Your Medically Approved Diphenhydramine Plan
A.
Allergy attack relief with diphenhydramine: your immune system is releasing histamine, and diphenhydramine blocks it to rapidly ease itching, hives, sneezing, and swelling, but it can cause drowsiness, is for short-term use, and does not treat severe reactions that require emergency care. There are several factors to consider to choose the right next step, including correct dosing, side effects, interactions, high-risk conditions, pediatric guidance, prevention, and when to seek urgent help; see the complete details and medically approved plan below.
References:
* Palomares O, Akdis M, Akdis CA. Allergic inflammation. Nat Rev Immunol. 2016 May;16(5):292-304. doi: 10.1038/nri.2016.32. PMID: 27103239.
* Galli SJ, Tsai M. Mast Cells in Allergic Diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012 Feb;129(2):293-306. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2011.10.040. PMID: 22209702.
* Church MK, Church DS. First- and second-generation antihistamines: current roles in the treatment of allergic diseases. Ther Adv Respir Dis. 2018 May;12:1753466618776263. doi: 10.1177/1753466618776263. PMID: 29883912.
* Kalra M, Mahajan R, Mahajan M. Histamine H1 receptor antagonists: an overview. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2020 Jan;76(1):15-26. doi: 10.1007/s00228-019-02752-x. Epub 2019 Sep 28. PMID: 31562303.
* Shaker MS, Wallace DV, Golden DBK, et al. Anaphylaxis--a 2020 practice parameter update. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 Apr;145(4):1082-1123. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.017. PMID: 32094038.
Q.
Hives Won’t Stop? Why Your Skin Is Reacting and Medical Next Steps
A.
Hives that keep coming back usually happen because histamine is being released due to triggers like infections, foods, medications, insect stings, or physical factors; if they last over 6 weeks without a clear cause, it may be chronic spontaneous urticaria tied to autoimmune or thyroid issues. Most cases are not dangerous, but persistent or severe symptoms should be evaluated. First-line treatment is non-drowsy antihistamines, with short steroid courses or advanced options like omalizumab if needed, and you should seek emergency care for breathing trouble, throat or lip swelling, fainting, or severe abdominal pain. There are several factors to consider; see below for detailed triggers, home care tips, testing options, and step-by-step medical next actions.
References:
* Zuberbier T, Abdul Latiff AH, Abuzakouk M, Aquilina S, Asero R, Barbaud A, Barker J, Berti S, Bissett G, Bindslev-Jensen C, Bjerre RD, Brockow K, Canonica GW, Carra J, Costa C, Damseaux M, De Raeve L, Degener F, El-Gamal Y, Endoh A, Ferrer M, Fomina D, Grakhova M, Grattan CE, Hentges F, Hoffmann F, Ishii Y, Izumi H, Jörg L, Kaplan AP, Kanda E, Khubchandani RP, Kjaer J, Kurosaka F, Kverneland B, Lanz T, Laroche D, Lim EM, Lockey RF, Magerl M, Makris M, Meshkova R, Mlynek M, Munteanu A, Nakagawa H, Nakahara T, Nishie K, O'Mahony L, Onuora S, Park JS, Peters T, Petri N, Pfaar O, Pohl A, Rabe U, Radde K, Radulovic S, Rahma S, Raio L, Rudenko M, Sado M, Saini S, Saito Y, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Sheikh H, Skov PS, Smiechowski A, Solomon C, Ståhl Skov P, Staubach P, Szabó G, Tani Y, Tharp MD, Thomsen MK, Toth G, Vasileva N, Wagner N, Weller K, Winford A, Wittmann M, Xiang Z, Yoshimoto S. The EAACI/GA²LEN/EDF/WAO guideline for the definition, classification, diagnosis and management of urticaria 2021 update. Allergy. 2022 Jan;77(1):14-34. doi: 10.1111/all.15093. Epub 2021 Sep 15. PMID: 34473210.
* Maurer M, Giménez-Arnau AM, Sussman G, Metz M, Meiser A. Treatment approaches for chronic urticaria refractory to first- and second-line antihistamines. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2023 Feb;37 Suppl 1:3-16. doi: 10.1111/jdv.18683. PMID: 36725345; PMCID: PMC10091392.
* Godse K. Chronic spontaneous urticaria: from diagnosis to treatment. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2023 Jul-Aug;89(4):513-524. doi: 10.25259/IJDVL_27_2023. PMID: 37537449.
* Hussain M, Arai T, Katayama S, Fujisawa S. Mast Cell Activation and Tryptase in Chronic Urticaria. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jul 2;23(13):7347. doi: 10.3390/ijms23137347. PMID: 35806297; PMCID: PMC9266392.
* Sánchez-Borges M, Ensina L, Capriles-Hulett A, Pacheco-Barrios K, González-Díaz SN, González-Pérez R, Sánchez J, Maurer M, Giménez-Arnau AM. Autoimmune chronic urticaria: an update. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2022 Jan;18(1):57-69. doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2022.2016259. PMID: 34914442.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Radonjic-Hoesli S, Hofmeier KS, Micaletto S, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Bircher A, Simon D. Urticaria and Angioedema: an Update on Classification and Pathogenesis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2018 Feb;54(1):88-101. doi: 10.1007/s12016-017-8628-1. PMID: 28748365.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12016-017-8628-1Antia C, Baquerizo K, Korman A, Bernstein JA, Alikhan A. Urticaria: A comprehensive review: Epidemiology, diagnosis, and work-up. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018 Oct;79(4):599-614. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.01.020. PMID: 30241623.
https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(18)30139-7/fulltextSaini S, Shams M, Bernstein JA, Maurer M. Urticaria and Angioedema Across the Ages. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Jun;8(6):1866-1874. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.03.030. Epub 2020 Apr 13. PMID: 32298850.
https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)30329-9/fulltextKayiran MA, Akdeniz N. Diagnosis and treatment of urticaria in primary care. North Clin Istanb. 2019 Feb 14;6(1):93-99. doi: 10.14744/nci.2018.75010. PMID: 31180381; PMCID: PMC6526977.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6526977/Ensina LF, Min TK, Félix MMR, de Alcântara CT, Costa C. Acute Urticaria and Anaphylaxis: Differences and Similarities in Clinical Management. Front Allergy. 2022 Apr 15;3:840999. doi: 10.3389/falgy.2022.840999. PMID: 35958944; PMCID: PMC9361476.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9361476/