TULSA — Actress, singer, and comedian Vicki Lawrence has launched a national campaign to raise awareness of a form of hives that has stumped medical science, and made millions of people miserable - including herself.

It’s called “chronic idiopathic urticaria,” or CIU, and it affects an estimate 1.5 million Americans at any given time.

The sad truth is that despite years of research, no one has been able to figure out what triggers the condition.

Patients often waste a lot of time and energy trying to figure out why they have the condition, Lawrence told KRMG Wednesday.

She knows, because she became a patient herself in 2011.

“I think the frustrating part for patients is that you try to blame yourself,” she said. “You’re going ‘what am I not thinking? What have I done? What detergent have I changed? What am I eating that I’ve never eaten? What am I doing?’”

I think it's the most frustrating thing for patients - trying to blame yourself, and trying to find an answer -- Vicki Lawrence

But the name of the condition says it all.

The medical term “idiopathic” means any condition which is spontaneous or for which the cause is unknown - and CIU qualifies on both accounts.

“There is no trigger,” Lawrence said, “so it can come and go as it pleases.”

She said people who think they may have CIU may need to do some research to get help.

“The trick to the whole deal is to find an allergist or a dermatologist who is familiar with the condition,” she told KRMG, and unfortunately many doctors aren’t.

Her advice is to call the offices of allergists and dermatologists in the area, and if they’re don’t know about CIU, hang up and try someone else.

While there’s no cure, there are treatments that bring relief from the hives.

To learn more, visit the “CIU and You” website.