HOW TO COPE WITH YOUR CONDITION

Anyone living with urticaria must know that while the condition can worsen their quality of life, it is not transmissible, and in the vast majority of the cases, is not life-threatening. Therefore, you will have to learn how to cope with it and live a normal life.

If you are experiencing a flare, you are probably feeling severe itching, are covered with red “welts”, and, in some cases, your eyes and/or mouth are swollen. And you must be feeling miserable,

wondering if you’ll ever have a normal life, if this is going to disappear eventually, or if you’ll be able to do all the things you used to do.

The answer to these questions is “yes”! With the right therapy, you will be able to manage your condition and live a normal life again. As urticaria evolves as outbreaks (sometimes in a flare, sometimes not), it is critical that you follow all medical recommendations and try not to change or stop any medication at your own discretion. Many patients try that – because they think they are already “cured” – but the flares ultimately recur, sometimes even more severe than before. As previously discussed, there is no cure for urticaria yet, but it can be controlled with drugs.

So, if you have and are being treated for urticaria, you must:

• Ask all the questions you might have to your doctor;
• Take your medicine on a daily basis, at the recommended time;
• Not use other medications without asking your doctor;
• Not “try” things to see if you are already “cured”;
• Contact your doctor if you are not responding well to therapy;
• Be present at scheduled medical appointments;
• Keep a positive state of mind;
• Attend an advocacy group and share experiences;
• Live with quality of life