Urticaria

Urticaria ( term from stinging nettle Urtica dioica :point_right: nettle rash :arrow_right: also known as hives ) is a hypersensitivity reaction which can occur alone or in conjunction with angioedema and / or anaphylaxis

Types Acute spontaneous urticaria Spontaneously occurring wheals and/ or angioedema for < 6 weeks

Chronic spontaneous urticaria Spontaneously occurring wheals and / or angioedema for > 6 weeks or longer in the :arrow_right: absence of an identifiable trigger

Inducible or physical urticaria Urticaria incited by a well defined eliciting factor

cold urticaria :cold_sweat:

delayed pressure urticaria

heat urticaria :hot_face:

solar urticaria :sunny:

symptomatic dermographism:point_right: dermographism is when erythema & oedema happen about 15 - 20 minutes following application of mechanical trauma to the skin

vibratory angioedema

aquagenic urticaria :droplet:

cholinergic urticaria

contact urticaria

A most common skin disease with marked effects on QoL :white_frowning_face:

About 15 % to 23 % of adults have experienced :point_right:atleast 1 episode of urticaria at some point of their lives

Global :earth_africa: epidemiology of urticaria is not well understood

In the US chronic spontaneous urticaria ( CSU ) affects about 0.23 % to 1.8 % of the population

UK- CSU affects about 0.5 % - 1 % of the population

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