13 November 2025
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What is Chronic Urticaria?
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Chronic urticaria is a group of changes to the skin that consists of the appearance of wheals (hives) on the whole body, which cause itching and are sometimes accompanied by swelling (angioedema).
Chronic urticaria explained in first person
Professionals and patients explain how you live with the disease
Chronic urticaria | PortalCLÍNIC
It is difficult to explain because everyone believes it is an allergy. There is no miracle or cure other than properly treating the outbreaks.
Paula Ribó
Allergologist
Chronic urticaria | PortalCLÍNIC
The doctor told me that what I had was chronic hives, but the good news was that it can be cured.
Xavier
Patient
Types of Chronic Urticaria
Urticaria is classified depending on the duration of the lesions:
Acute urticaria. If it lasts for less than six weeks.
Chronic urticaria. When the lesions last for six weeks or more and appear daily or almost daily.
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Chronic urticarias can be classified as spontaneous, if there are no triggers, or inducible, if there are triggers (water, cold, pressure, friction, vibration, temperature increase or physical exercise).
Urticarias due to an allergic trigger (foods or medicines) require investigation by a specialist to confirm the cause and be able to avoid contact to prevent the reaction.
How many people are affected by Chronic Urticaria?
Urticaria affects people of all ages (children and adults), although it is more common in adults, especially in women, in its chronic form. Approximately 1 in 5 people in the world will exerience an episode of acute urticaria over their lives, while the chronic form of the disease has an estimated annual prevalence of approximately 1% of the population. It is estimated that there are more than 250,000 people in Spain with chronic urticaria.
PortalClinic home
Joint project with
BBVA Foundation website.This link opens in a new tab.
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Substantiated information by:
Paula Ribó Gonzalez
Published: 25 May 2020
Updated: 25 May 2020
The donations that can be done through this webpage are exclusively for the benefit of Hospital Clínic of Barcelona through Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica and not for BBVA Foundation, entity that collaborates with the project of PortalClínic.
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