What causes chronic hives?

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Chronic hives means itchy raised welts coming and going for more than 6 weeks. The honest headline: in most cases no external cause is ever found - it is called chronic spontaneous urticaria, the immune system releasing histamine on a hair trigger for reasons we cannot pin down, and it is NOT usually an allergy, which is why endless allergy testing often finds nothing. That said, the identifiable drivers worth checking: physical triggers (pressure, cold, heat, sweat, sunlight - some people's hives are provoked by exactly one of these), infections, medications (NSAIDs like ibuprofen can worsen hives), and - the real medical leads - thyroid disease and other autoimmune conditions, which a couple of blood tests can check. Stress does not cause it but reliably stokes it. Treatment that works: daily non-drowsy antihistamines at proper (often higher, clinician-guided) doses control the majority, and stubborn cases have effective specialist options, including an injection called omalizumab. While you wait: avoid NSAIDs, alcohol, heat, and tight clothing, which aggravate most people's welts. Seek urgent care for hives with lip, tongue, or throat swelling or breathing difficulty - that is anaphylaxis, a different emergency. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you document your pattern for the appointment.

What causes chronic hives?

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