A clinic has come up exclusively for patients suffering from Urticaria, a “deceptive” allergy that can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Institute of Allergic and Immunologic Skin Diseases, in Kasba, inaugurated the clinic on Sunday, World Allergy Day.

The clinic will have “all state-of-the-art machines” to diagnose the disease and a counselling wing.

Urticaria, commonly known as hives, causes a sudden, reddish swelling of a part of the body and is usually accompanied with severe itching and/or a burning sensation.

A variant of urticaria affects the upper respiratory tract and can even choke a person to death.

“The first symptom of such an attack is swelling of the lips, tongue or the uvula. A delay in treatment can lead to death,” said Ashok Ghoshal, the honorary secretary of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (West Bengal chapter).

Around four per cent of urban patients suffering from various dermatological diseases suffer from Urticaria. “Our findings reveal that among this four per cent, an overwhelming majority eats out or takes painkillers frequently,” said Sanjay Ghosh, the medical director of the institute.

“Some painkillers, like aspirin and the ibuprofen group of drugs, and preservatives used in several junk food items and soft and hard drinks cause Urticaria,” he added.

Mosquito repellents, spray perfumes and deodorants can also cause the disease.

“People usually ignore a small swelling on the skin and itching. And that makes them vulnerable to Urticaria,” Ghosh pointed out.