Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2022 Mar 11;14(3):e23062.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.23062. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Exercise-Induced Urticaria: A Rare Case Report

Nikita Sijapati  1 , Monica Sciturro  2 , Matthew Le  2 , Jesus Lanza  3 , Edgar Mercado  4 , Admir Seferovic  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Exercise-Induced Urticaria: A Rare Case Report

Nikita Sijapati et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, there is a subset of the population who are allergic to exercise. Exercise-induced urticaria is a rare clinical condition, which, as the name suggests, manifests as flushing, pruritus, and hives following physical exercise. A minority of patients even develop more severe reactions including angioedema and anaphylaxis induced by exercise. Some patients are affected by certain cofactors that constitute food-dependent exercise-induced urticaria, which is relatively more common when compared to exercise-induced urticaria without other cofactors. This case report documents a healthy 27-year-old Asian male, with no other allergies or cofactors, who was diagnosed with exercise-induced urticaria. He was diagnosed based on history and a positive exercise challenge test. Avoidance of exercise is the mainstay of prophylactic treatment for this condition. Modification of physical activity proved to be effective for treating this patient. We intend to increase awareness about this rare condition through this case report and literature review.

Keywords: allergy; anaphylaxis; exercise; exercise-challenge-test; urticaria.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclaimer: This research was supported (in whole or in part) by HCA and/or an HCA-affiliated entity. The views expressed in this publication represent those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of HCA or any of its affiliated entities.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Urticaria in the volar aspect of the right arm within 20 minutes of the onset of the exercise
Figure 2
Figure 2. Urticaria on abdomen within 20 minutes of the onset of the exercise
Figure 3
Figure 3. Urticaria on the left wrist within 20 minutes of the onset of the exercise
Figure 4
Figure 4. Urticaria on left axilla within 20 minutes of the onset of the exercise
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Exercise-induced anaphylaxis and urticaria. Hosey RG, Carek PJ, Goo A. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11681778/ Am Fam Physician. 2001;64:1367–1372. - PubMed
    1. Exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Briner WW Jr, Sheffer AL. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1406167/ Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1992;24:849–850. - PubMed
    1. Physical allergies and exercise. Clinical implications for those engaged in sports activities. Briner WW Jr. Sports Med. 1993;15:365–373. - PubMed
    1. Exercise-induced urticaria and anaphylaxis. Volcheck GW, Li JT. Mayo Clin Proc. 1997;72:140–147. - PubMed
    1. Exercise-induced anaphylactic syndromes. Insights into diagnostic and pathophysiologic features. Casale TB, Keahey TM, Kaliner M. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3514973/ JAMA. 1986;255:2049–2053. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources