I’ve Had Hives For 6 Months, And My Doctor Has Not Been Able To Find Out What’s Causing Them. Will They Last For The Rest Of My Life?
Fortunately, chronic idiopathic urticaria spontaneously resolves over time in the vast majority of patients. After 1 year, 80% of cases will spontaneously resolve; by 2 years, 90% will resolve; and by 5 years, 95% will resolve. These statistics suggest that a small portion of patients will continue to have hives for a very long time, and in my own experience, I have seen a very small number of patients with the disorder for over 15 years without resolution.
Often, the severity may change over time, such that the skin lesions become more easily managed as time passes. Following remission, a small but significant group of patients will have relapses after variable periods of time. I have seen patients become hive-free for many years, only to have a recurrence that lasts for months to years. The causes of the recurrence are not well understood, and it is not possible to determine which patients will experience these relapses.