Urticaria (hives) & angioedema

Etiology

• Arthropod bites (insect bites)
• Drugs (nonallergic), eg, codeine, morphine
• Physical factors: heat, cold, solar, pressure, water, vibratory
• Cholinergic urticaria: exercise, excitement, hot showers
• Drugs (allergic): penicillin, aspirin
• Other allergic causes: feathers, dander, shellfish, tomatoes, strawberries, vaccines, chemicals, cosmetics
• Infection, eg, otitis media, sinusitis, hepatitis
• Serum sickness
• Angioedema: complement-mediated (hereditary or acquired), ACE inhibitors