Cold urticaria is a skin reaction triggered by exposure to very low temperatures, snow and ice. This particular form of hives reaches its peak in the winter period, but it can also occur in the summer after the handling of refrigerated objects, the ingestion of drinks and very cold foods or the entry into a room with air conditioning. Symptoms may also appear if a person washes his hands with cold water or after swimming in a pool or at sea.
The cold urticaria has particular characteristics: the itchy wheals have a punctiform appearance and, at least in a first phase, are limited to the part exposed to low temperatures.
Another characteristic is the fact that the manifestations are more persistent than other urticarial reactions (generally, they last more than 24 hours) and are attenuated at night.
The diagnosis of cold urticaria is obtained, in addition to a careful medical history, with a simple provocation test. This consists of placing an ice cube on the forearm for 3-5 minutes or immersing the part in cold water.
