What are chronic hives?

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[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
What are chronic hives?]

[Text on screen: 
Christopher Brooks, MD
Allergy and Immunology Physician
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

Christopher Brooks, MD: The cause of chronic hives is very different than the cause of hives that are happening for a short period of time. So when hives just happen for a few days or for a week or two, it's typically an allergic reaction to something specific, or hives that happen during an infection. When hives are happening most days for over six weeks, typically it's more of an intrinsic process where our body's cells that cause an allergic reaction either get activated by an antibody or other factor, or for some reason, become active more so than they should be. But it's not an allergic reaction to something from the outside.

Many of the treatments are very similar to those medications you might recognize for treatment of allergies. Sometimes we go to a higher dose than the typical over-the-counter dose, and then maybe even add on other medications. If that's not enough, there's even injectable medications that can be used. Those would need to be prescribed by an allergist.

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit: wexnermedical.osu.edu/allergy]

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