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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Physical exam and medical history
Your doctor will ask you a number of questions and do a physical exam. Your doctor also may ask you to keep a diary to keep track of:
- Your activities
- Any medications or herbal supplements you take
- What you eat and drink
- Where hives appear and how long individual hives last
Testing
Although it isn't always possible to determine the underlying cause of chronic hives, your doctor will want to learn as much as possible about what might be causing your symptoms. Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may order one or more tests, including:
- Blood tests. Your doctor may ask for blood tests to check for levels and function of specific blood cells and proteins.
- Allergy tests. Your doctor may use skin or blood tests to see whether your hives may be caused by an allergic reaction, especially if the hives seem related to specific triggers.
- Tests to rule out underlying conditions. You may need additional tests to make certain your hives are not caused by an underlying health condition, such as hepatitis or thyroid disease.
- Kaplan AP. Urticaria and angioedema. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2958607. Accessed May 2, 2009.
- Urticaria. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch109/ch109e.html. Accessed May 2, 2009.
- Austen KF. Allergies, anaphylaxis, and systemic mastocytosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2858746. Accessed May 2, 2009.
- Bingham CO. Etiology and diagnosis of urticaria. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 4, 2009.
- Urticaria. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.acaai.org/public/advice/urtic.htm. Accessed May 2, 2009.
- Fromer L. Treatment options for the relief of chronic idiopathic urticaria symptoms. Southern Medical Journal. 2008;101:186.
- Xyzal (prescribing information). Bridgewater, N.J.: Sanofi-Aventis. 2008. http://www.xyzal.com/pdf/pi.pdf. Accessed May 4, 2009.
- Sicherer SH. Advances in allergic skin disease, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects in 2008. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2009;123:319.
- Khan DA. Chronic urticaria: Diagnosis and management. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. 2008;29:439.
