What do ordinary urticaria and angioedema look like?
The weals of urticaria may be pale, pink or red, and may look like nettle stings. They can be different shapes and sizes; often they are surrounded by a red flare. They are usually itchy. As the raised weals flatten, they leave red marks that usually disappear in a day. New weals may then appear in other areas. In ordinary urticaria the weals can occur anywhere on the body, at any time, and usually fade within a day. The pale or pink, deeper swellings of angioedema occur most frequently in the eyelids, lips and sometimes in the mouth. They may not be itchy, and usually settle in a few days. If the hands are affected, they may feel tight and painful. How will ordinary urticaria be diagnosed? Usually its appearance, or a description of it, will be enough for your doctor to make the diagnosis. In the vast majority of people no cause can be found, though your doctor will ask you questions to try to identify one. There is no special test that can reliably identify the cause of urticaria, bu
