Hives/Urticaria

Q: I have skin allergy due to hives (urticaria). I am taking Zyrtec (cetrizine) tablet daily to control the histamine level. Is there any cure for hives? Is it safe to take Zyrtec daily?

A:Most of the urticarias undergo spontaneous resolution in about 3 months. Hence, minimal medication is given to make the problem bearable till the condition resolves, which may be a few days to weeks. However, in some cases, urticaria persists beyond 3 months. In such cases (called chronic urticaria), one has to make a systematic effort - proper history and investigations - to find out the cause. These cases of chronic urticaria may also resolve spontaneously but after a long time, which may extend to years.However, if one succeeds in identifying the cause (which sometimes takes a long time) and then removing it, improvement occurs; otherwise the patient has to continue taking the medicine according to the severity of the condition.