A basic review of urticaria

Categorizing urticaria and following up with effective treatment can prove to be very challenging to the clinician, says Aniko Kobza Black M.D.

"Urticarias can markedly reduce the quality of life due to itching, unsightliness, and unpredictable nature of the condition, similar to that of eczema out-patients, or to medical patients waiting for a coronary bypass operation," says Dr. Kobza Black, St. John´s Institute of Dermatology and St. Thomas Hospital, London.

Some patients present without weals, so a comprehensive history is essential for diagnosis, classification, elucidation of causative factors of the urticarias, and for instigation of appropriate diagnostic investigations.Dr. Kobza Black suggests low sedation antihistamines as the treatment of choice.