What is the difference between hives and urticaria?
Amelia Brooks
Updated on March 22, 2026
What is the difference between hives and urticaria?
Hives are raised, red dots or welts that appear on the skin. These welts often itch. The medical term for hives is urticaria. Angioedema is swollen tissues under the skin.
What is the difference between pruritus and urticaria?
Urticaria is a frequent dermatological skin disease characterized by the occurrence of transient pruritic wheals. The sensation of pruritus has been described to be stinging, tickling and burning in patients with chronic urticaria.
Is urticaria another word for hives?
“Urticaria” is the medical term for hives. Hives are raised or puffy areas of the skin that itch intensely (picture 1).
What are the different types of hives?
There are two types of hives – short-lived (acute) and long-term (chronic). Neither is typically life-threatening, though any swelling in the throat or any other symptom that restricts breathing requires immediate emergency care.
What is the main cause of urticaria?
Urticaria occurs when a trigger causes high levels of histamine and other chemical messengers to be released in the skin. These substances cause the blood vessels in the affected area of skin to open up (often resulting in redness or pinkness) and become leaky.
What does pruritic mean?
Pruritus is the medical term for itchy skin. It’s the kind of itch that makes you want to scratch. Normally, itchy skin isn’t serious, but it can make you uncomfortable. Sometimes, itchy skin is caused by a serious medical condition.
What does pruritus look like?
Also known as pruritus (proo-RIE-tus), itchy skin is often caused by dry skin. It’s common in older adults, as skin tends to become drier with age. Depending on the cause of your itchiness, your skin may appear normal, red, rough or bumpy.
What does the term pruritic mean?
itching
Definition of pruritic : of, relating to, or marked by itching.
What is the description of urticaria?
Hives (urticaria) are red, itchy welts that result from a skin reaction. The welts vary in size and appear and fade repeatedly as the reaction runs its course. The condition is considered chronic hives if the welts appear for more than six weeks and recur frequently over months or years.
How do I know its hives?
Signs and symptoms of chronic hives include: Batches of red or skin-colored welts (wheals), which can appear anywhere on the body. Welts that vary in size, change shape, and appear and fade repeatedly as the reaction runs its course. Itching, which may be severe.
Can urticaria be caused by stress?
Introduction. Chronic urticaria (CU) belongs to a group of psychodermatological disorders, thus stress can play a significant role in this dermatosis onset and/or exacerbation. On the other hand, the disease itself accompanied by itch, may be a source of distress and could worsen patients’ quality of life (QoL).