The Itch Factor: Living with Chronic Hives and Other Itches

The other itches

My entire life has been full of rashes, itching, and scratching those itches. Until I was an adult, I wasn’t aware there was a name for some of my rashes: eczema. As I got older, the rashes and itches evolved. I had new rashes that I’d never seen before. I started having itchy skin when I wore certain types of clothing. I started reacting to fabrics and substances that I had tolerated without issue in the past.

As an adult, I was also diagnosed with asthma. Though it was mild, it was bothersome at times. When I told my doctor about my itching and rashes, she told me about the link between asthma and eczema. Little did I know, this was just the beginning.

As the years went on, and I birthed four children, the ups and downs of hormones frequently wreaked havoc on my skin. At times, the rashes seemed to go away, only to worsen with the slightest irritation. I figured out some of my triggers: wool, some synthetic fabrics, eating too much dairy, and hot showers. But in the spring of 2020, my world, just like everyone else’s, changed.

How covid changed everything

After becoming sick with Covid shortly after the lockdown began, my body began reacting in ways I never expected. Later that year, my rashes turned into something I experienced all over my body-- not just small patches in the usual places. I developed allergy issues that caused me to sneeze 50-100 times each day, with a constant runny nose. Other symptoms piled up, and my skin felt like it belonged to someone else.

In 2021, after a long hospital stay, I was diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome and severe asthma. When discussing the bothersome hives, I received a referral to a dermatologist. He diagnosed me with idiopathic chronic hives. I dug into researching these new diagnoses and realized they were all linked.

Now, asthma does not cause my hives, and eczema does not cause hives, but I was getting hives on top of hives whenever I had an anaphylactic reaction. This happened as a result of having mast cell activation syndrome. The rescue meds I received in the ER often cleared the hives, but within a few days, they’d be back.

The link

In a 2025 article in Frontiers in Allergy, a noticeable overlap is reported between those with chronic hives and those with atopic dermatitis (eczema). An even greater overlap is reported in those with asthma and chronic hives. The article reports, "a substantial subset of co-morbid cases required biologic treatments with Dupilumab (Dupixent), offering benefit in AD-dominant cases unresponsive to Omalizumab (Xolair)."¹

Once I started treatment for my chronic hives, with Xolair, I noticed a complete elimination of my hives and eczema. A lifetime of itching and scratching, gone after a few injections. It felt like a miracle. Unfortunately, the Xolair had no effect on my asthma, and I was eventually prescribed Dupixent. This did have a positive effect on my asthma. As my asthma was better controlled, I noticed some of my remaining symptoms from other conditions were also reduced.

I still get breakthrough hives with severe allergic reactions, but they are nowhere near what they used to be. And when I see my kids deal with rashes similar to the ones I once had, I can empathize with their itching and annoyance. And I can be beyond thankful that there is medicine out there that takes care of all my bumps, rashes, and itches.