chronic hives

The hives are denfined as lasting longer than six weeks. when they become chronic the hives can become severley itchy.the prurities can kee people awake for several hours each destroying their sleep or waking hours. Total or substantial hives on the body can make people unable to participate in the daily activities of life. Chronic hives are most likely caused by autoimmune or infectious causes. Such markers as antithyroid peroxidase or thyroglogulin can indicate a tendency for autoimmunedisease. positive double stranded DNA Rheumatoid factor or sjogrens aantibody can indicate a tendency towards rheumatoid disease. Other blood measures can indicate incpient diabetes. Elevated immunoglobulins indicate a tendency towards autoimmune ddisease and positive viral titers to hepatitis c can indicate an active infection causing the hive Most patients who have hives over three months are unable to find the cause. We usually chec a CU index or antibodies against their own mast cells with ige receptors. Usual treatments involve using H1 receptor antagosnist such as fexofenadine or levocetirizine.Singulair can be added as a secondary agent. Severe itching and painful rashed sometimes demand a skin biopsy to see if their is a neutrophilic infiltrate. If so one may have to consider immune modualtors such as cyclosporin ,dapsone or plaquinil. further updates to follow arthur lubitz