Alright, I’m going to start with a little background. I have an autoimmune disease, which most of you have probably heard of, it’s called arthritis. Statistically, if you have one autoimmune disease you are 20% more likely to have a second autoimmune disease. So, in my case, I am part of that 20%, along with arthritis I have Chronic Urticaria. Basically, this means I am allergic to my own blood. 

I was diagnosed with arthritis in 7th grade but the hives started in May of my freshman year. I was getting hives everyday. I tried at least 5 different allergy medicines and 3 different steroids, but none of them seemed to be working. I tried salt baths, new laundry detergents, new sheets, I even tried new pillows. Nothing was helping. I was leaving school early every day, I was barely ever going to crew and when I did I was miserable. By the end of the school year I had gained 15 pounds from all of the meds I was taking.

Ok, now that you know a little bit more about my background I’ll tell you a little bit about this disease. About 20% of people get hives -- itchy red, or skin-colored welts also known as urticaria. They’re often caused by an allergic reaction to a food or drug. Usually, they go away quickly. For a small number of people, though, hives come back again and again, with no known cause. When new outbreaks happen almost every day for 6 weeks or more, it’s called chronic idiopathic urticaria. It is only considered Chronic if the hives have been occurring for 6 weeks or more. Chronic urticaria, also known as Chronic Hives, is an allergic reaction in the skin. 

So exactly how is this caused? Experts don’t know. Establishing the cause of CU is difficult and at times almost impossible. The immune system seems to play a role. Some people get chronic hives at the same time that they get other problems like thyroid disease, hormonal problems, or cancer.

CU is also associated with lower quality of life. There’s no known cure, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help you feel better. I, personally, get monthly injections. I also don't eat sugar or gluten because they trigger the allergic reaction with my blood making my hives worse and causing extreme bloating.

I am on several waiting lists to see doctors who specialize in this kind of disease. The type of doctor that I want to see is called “A joint specialist in Rheumatology and Allergy Immunology”. Fun fact, there are only 5 of these doctors that are pediatric in the whole country. 2 in California, 1 in Philadelphia, 1 in Cleveland, and I think the last 1 is in Boston. When I finally get in to see the doctor they will be able to tell me why I am having these hives and what the best way to live and deal with them is. And hopefully that does not include keeping sugar and gluten eliminated from my diet.