Is acute urticaria serious in children?
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Is acute urticaria serious?
Usually not. The rash is itchy but normally fades within a day or so and causes no harm. Most people with acute urticaria do not feel too unwell unless they have a cold or 'flu that is triggering the rash. The cause of the rash is not known in more than half of cases and it is commonly a 'one-off' event. However, urticaria may be more serious in the following situations.
- Food allergy. If a food allergy is the cause then the rash is likely to return each time you eat the particular food. This is more often a 'nuisance' than serious.
- Severe allergies. People who have a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, insect stings, etc, often have an urticarial rash as one of the symptoms. This is in addition to other symptoms such as severe angio-oedema, breathing difficulties, collapse, etc. A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. But note: most people with acute urticaria feel well and do not have anaphylaxis.
- Chronic urticaria. This means the rash keeps coming and going on most days for six weeks or longer. This is uncommon.
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