Signs and symptoms
Information regarding history of previous urticaria and duration of rash and itching is useful for categorizing urticaria as acute, recurrent, or chronic. For chronic or recurrent urticaria, important considerations include previous causative factors and the effectiveness of various treatments, as follows [2] :
• Precipitants, such as heat, cold, pressure, exercise, sunlight, emotional stress, or chronic medical conditions
• Other medical conditions that can cause pruritus (usually without rash), such as diabetes mellitus, chronic renal insufficiency, primary biliary cirrhosis, or other nonurticarial dermatologic disorders
• Family and personal medical history of angioedema - Characteristics of angioedema [1] include vasodilation and exudation of plasma into the deeper tissues more so than with simple urticaria; angioedema can occur with and without the wheals of simple urticaria and presents clinically as subcutaneous swelling that is generally nonpitting and nonpruritic; it can affect the mouth as well as the mucosal surfaces of the respiratory and GI tracts, manifesting as hoarseness and GI upset; it can be a feature of anaphylaxis if the throat is involved, leading to airway compromise