Understanding Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: Hives Demystified
Welcome to a new series of podcasts focusing on chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). It is part of our ongoing “Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations” podcast. In this first podcast episode, co-hosts Kortney Kwong Hing and Payel Gupta, MD, dive into understanding CSU by addressing what each term means. They also describe CSU symptoms to watch for in terms of diagnosing the disease.
Listen to the Hives 101 Podcast
The podcast series is sponsored by Novartis.
What to Know About Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
Join Kortney and Dr. Gupta as they make sense of the complexities surrounding CSU. They start by explaining “urticaria,” or hives, and what sets CSU apart from other types of hives. Dr. Gupta and Kortney discuss the role of itch in CSU and they dig deeper into what causes itching and why scratching feels so good.
Dr. Gupta clarifies that, unlike other urticarias, CSU does not involve triggers. She shares the various factors that can worsen a CSU flare-up, from stress to medications.
In addition, Kortney and Dr. Gupta look at whether certain populations are more affected by CSU. They shed light on how autoimmune conditions play a role in the prevalence of CSU.
Key takeaways from this podcast episode
- Get a clear understanding of chronic spontaneous urticaria
- Get insights into its symptoms and why they occur
- Learn about histamine’s role in causing hives, the itch and scratch paradox, and what can exacerbate CSU.
- Find out who is most affected by CSU, if there’s there a cure, and how long symptoms might last.
Podcast Timestamps
- 01:30 What is urticaria
- 03:47 Defining chronic spontaneous urticaria
- 04:32 Allergic reactions and hives
- 05:35 Chronic inducible urticaria
- 06:43 How hives look
- 08:32 What is happening in the body to cause hives
- 09:54 Itching, what you need to know
- 12:57 Angioedema
- 13:57 What can make you more sensitive to getting hives
- 17:27 Who is more likely to have CSU
- 18:15 Does CSU ever go away
- 20:06 When should you see a doctor
