What began as a minor itch didn’t stay minor for long.
At first, it was easy to ignore—just a faint burning sensation and a few red, raised patches that appeared out of nowhere. They faded on their own, then resurfaced somewhere else hours later, almost teasing. Like many people, he brushed it off as a simple allergy. Something he ate. Something he touched. Nothing serious.
Then came the diagnosis: urticaria.
That single word reframed everything.
Urticaria, commonly called hives, isn’t just a surface-level skin issue. It’s an immune response. Mast cells in the body release histamine and other chemicals, causing tiny blood vessels to leak fluid into the surrounding tissue. The result is the classic pattern of swollen, itchy welts—but what’s happening underneath is far more complex.
And sometimes, far more dangerous.
As the reaction intensified, the swelling moved beyond the skin. His lips ballooned. His eyelids puffed shut. A tight, alarming pressure crept into his throat. This wasn’t just hives anymore—it was angioedema, a deeper form of swelling that affects tissue beneath the skin and can become life-threatening when it involves the face or airway.
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