Emmy award-winning actress and comedienne Vicki Lawrence was a guest on DelmarvaLife. Vicki talked about a medical condition doctors diagnosed her with four years ago – chronic hives, or chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). Vicki is not alone. 1.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic hives.

She woke up in the morning with her palms itching and it happened multiple days in a row. The hives spread all over her body. Her allergist said many people just goes through a stage of getting hives, but after six weeks of trial and error, her doctor diagnosed her with chronic hives.

Vicki teams up with AAFA to talk about CIU. She shares her story in a campaign called ‘CIU & You’ to teach more people about hives and this condition.

Chronic hives can show up in both men and women, but is more common in middle-aged women. It is hard to say what causes chronic hives but it is believed to be related to a person’s immune system which causes a reaction. Chronic hives can worsen from heat and exertion, emotional stress, drinking, or fever.