Body system: SkinRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.118DBQ: DBQ DERM Skin Diseases
Chronic urticaria is when you have ongoing hives that keep coming back for months or years. The VA rates this condition based on what level of medication you need to keep your symptoms under control. A 10% rating means antihistamines work for you, 30% means you need stronger treatments like steroids, and 60% means you need the most aggressive treatments like immunotherapy because nothing else helps.
Rating levels
- 60% — You have chronic hives (raised, itchy skin bumps) that don't respond to standard treatments like antihistamines and steroid creams, so you need intensive medical treatments like immune system suppression drugs, blood filtering procedures, or specialized immune therapy to keep the condition under control. Your hives are so severe and persistent that basic medications simply don't work for you anymore.
- 30% — You have chronic hives (raised, itchy bumps or welts on your skin) that keep coming back and can't be controlled with basic treatments like antihistamines or topical creams. Your condition is severe enough that your doctor has to prescribe stronger medications like steroids (corticosteroids), epinephrine-type drugs (sympathomimetics), or other specialized immune system medications to keep your hives under control.
- 10% — You have chronic hives (raised, itchy bumps or welts on your skin) that keep coming back and need daily antihistamine medication like Benadryl, Claritin, or Zyrtec to keep them under control. The hives are ongoing rather than just occasional flare-ups, and you can't manage the itching and skin reactions without taking these over-the-counter or prescribed allergy medications regularly.