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Urticaria - Background information
How common is it?
- Acute urticaria is much more common than chronic urticaria. Acute urticaria affects 1 in 6 people at some point in their lives, compared with 1 in 1000 people for chronic urticaria [Humphreys and Hunter, 1998].
- Acute urticaria is more common in children, in women (aged 30–60 years), and in people with atopy [Zuberbier, 2003; Kozel and Sabroe, 2005].
- The incidence of urticaria in children is estimated to be around 8 per 1000 person-years [Mohammedamin et al, 2006].
- Prevalence rates for chronic urticaria vary from 1–5 in every 1000 people [Kobza-Black and Champion, 1998; Kozel et al, 1998].
- Angio-oedema can occur concurrently in some cases of acute urticaria, and in up to 50% of cases of chronic urticaria. For more information, see the CKS topic on Angio-oedema and anaphylaxis.
- Hospital admissions for systemic allergic conditions (urticaria, angio-oedema, anaphylaxis) have increased over the last 10 years, reflecting an overall increase in the incidence of these conditions [Gupta et al, 2003].
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