Comedienne, Actress Vicki Lawrence Teams Up with AAFA To Talk About Chronic Skin Condition

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmy^® award-winning actress, television icon and comedienne Vicki Lawrence is partnering with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to talk about chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), a form of chronic hives without a known cause that affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States. Vicki is sharing her personal experience with CIU, a diagnosis that caught her off-guard and left her looking for answers. By sharing her story in a campaign called CIU & You, she hopes to show others that they are not alone in their journey and empower them to take charge of their condition. CIU is a disease characterized by itchy hives that appear anywhere on the skin lasting for six weeks or more, with no known cause.

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7388251-aafa-ciu-and-you-campaign/

Supported by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), and made possible by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Genentech, CIU & You is an educational program designed to support patients by helping them define and track their symptoms, and by encouraging them to speak with their doctors as a critical step to understand treatment options. People living with the condition can now visit www.CIUandYou.com to access tips and tools to support productive conversations with their specialist.

"When I first got an outbreak of hives, I tried everything to find relief. I felt like no one understood what I was going through," said Vicki, who is best known as the star of TV sitcom Mama's Family, ensemble cast member of The Carol Burnett Show, and more recently for her recurring role on Hannah Montana. She was first diagnosed four years ago after hives appeared across her torso, neck and arms. "I was lucky to have my allergist who diagnosed me with CIU. CIU is not something to just tolerate. It's important to find an allergist or dermatologist who can work with you to help manage your condition."

CIU can cause hives and severe itch that may last many months or even years, and can be difficult to diagnose. The itchy red bumps or hives can appear anywhere on the body, and symptoms come and go unpredictably without an identifiable cause. But the way patients define their symptoms differs from person to person.

"Too often, skin conditions like CIU are overlooked, especially when information on the Internet is limited, scattered and unreliable," said Dr. Beth Corn, a Board-certified allergist and member of AAFA's National Board of Directors. "This form of chronic hives is especially frustrating for patients who continue to try to find out what is causing the disease, which by definition has no known cause. They can spend months—even years—eliminating things such as foods and detergents from their lives looking for relief to no avail."

The CIU & You campaign and website provide reliable and easy-to-understand information about recognizing, managing and living with CIU. Visit the campaign website, www.CIUandYou.com, for more information on the condition, Vicki's story, and a downloadable discussion guide and symptom tracker for patients to use when talking with their allergist or dermatologist about their symptoms.  

About CIU
CIU is characterized by hives that spontaneously appear without an identifiable cause and reoccur for six weeks or more. CIU symptoms come and go unpredictably and include red, itchy hives on the skin that can last for many months or even years. In the U.S., it is estimated that approximately 1.5 million people suffer from this form of chronic hives. Women are twice as likely as men to experience CIU, and most people develop symptoms between the ages of 20 and 40 years. For more information, visit www.CIUandYou.com.

About AAFA
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1953. AAFA is the leading patient organization for people with asthma, allergies and related conditions, and provides practical information, community-based services and support through a national network of chapters and support groups. AAFA develops health education, organizes state and national advocacy efforts and funds research to find better treatments and cures. Learn more about AAFA at www.aafa.org.

SOURCE Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America