[Kok! Health] Today is World Urticaria Day... Can Cause Sleep Disorders and Depression

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] October 1st every year is designated as 'World Urticaria Day' to raise awareness of urticaria and to wish for the complete recovery of urticaria patients. Chronic urticaria patients suffer from itching and skin symptoms that interfere with daily life, and their quality of life is significantly lowered due to economic burdens.

According to Novartis Korea on the 1st, a survey conducted on 369 patients receiving treatment for chronic urticaria in Europe and 1,476 control subjects without chronic urticaria showed that chronic urticaria patients experience unbearable itching and skin symptoms that seriously affect their quality of life.

Chronic urticaria patients were about twice as likely as the general population to experience sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression. On the other hand, due to the prolonged symptoms, their work performance was about half that of the general population.

Compared to other severe skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, their quality of life was particularly low. According to research presented at the 2022 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), chronic urticaria patients scored lower in both mental and physical health domains compared to other patient groups. In particular, 51.1% of chronic urticaria patients experienced overall work performance difficulties, which is about twice the level of other skin diseases, which were around 26%.

These symptoms also led to economic burdens. Sudden symptom exacerbations resulted in emergency room visits or hospitalizations, imposing significant financial burdens on patients. Among chronic idiopathic urticaria patients, 60% had experienced unexpected hospitalizations leading to absences or missed work, and experienced income reductions during treatment.

Novartis Korea is conducting the ‘Chronic Urticaria Calming Project’ in commemoration of World Urticaria Day. It was planned to dispel misunderstandings about chronic urticaria, its symptoms, and patients’ concerns. They operate the 'Chronic Urticaria Calming Website,' providing self-diagnosis methods, specialized treatments, management knowledge, and OX quizzes about the disease.