Question 1

My whole body itches every night, driving me crazy

Accepted Answer

Urticaria is worst at night when blood vessels dilate. Body cortisol (anti-inflammatory hormone) drops and bedding temperature rises.

Question 2

Is it food allergy?

Accepted Answer

Acute urticaria may be caused by spoiled food or specific items (peach, crab, peanuts), but chronic urticaria is far more often unrelated to food.

Question 3

My eyes and lips swelled up (angioedema)

Accepted Answer

Swelling of deep skin (lower dermis) or submucosal tissue. Sometimes accompanies urticaria; if severe, airways can swell causing breathing difficulty.

Question 4

Cold-induced urticaria — appears in cold wind

Accepted Answer

Hives appear when cold air or water exposure is followed by warming. Mouth can swell from eating ice cream, and cold-water swimming risks shock and is forbidden.

Question 5

What is urticaria? Looks like insect bites

Accepted Answer

A reaction where skin swells red like mosquito bites (wheals) with severe itching. Disappearing in hours and reappearing elsewhere is characteristic.

Question 6

What is cholinergic urticaria?

Accepted Answer

Urticaria appearing when body temperature rises by more than 1°C from exercise, bathing, stress. Tiny millet-grain wheals with prickling pain are characteristic.

Question 7

What is dermatographism?

Accepted Answer

A type of 'physical urticaria' where skin swells along the path of pressing or scratching. Called dermographism (skin-writing) because you can write on the skin.

Urticaria (Hives)