When Eddie woke up with itchy red bumps on his arm and back, his
mom told him it was just a case of hives and it would be gone in
a few days. After a couple of weeks, though, the hives weren't
any better. Eddie's mom thought he should see a doctor. The
doctor looked at Eddie's skin and asked him some questions about
his recent activities and his diet. He told Eddie that he had
chronic urticaria — the medical name for long-lasting hives —
and prescribed an antihistamine to treat the condition. What Is
Urticaria? The medical name for hives is . It's a common
condition that causes raised red bumps or welts to appear on the
skin (some hives have a pale center as well). Hives can be
itchy; sometimes they also burn or sting. Usually, they're
harmless and last anywhere from half an hour to a couple of
days. New hives can show up to replace the old ones as they
fade, though. So the condition can go on for a while. Doctors
put hives into two categories: Acute hives, when the condition
lasts for less than 6 weeks (also