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What Are Hives?Hives are red raised bumps or welts on the skin. Hives (or urticaria) is a commonskin reaction to something like anallergen(a substance that causes allergies).The spots can appear anywhere on the body and can look like tiny little spots,blotches, or large connected bumps.Individual hives can last anywhere from a few hours to a week (sometimes longer),and new ones might replace those that fade. Hives that stay for 6 weeks or less arecalledacutehives; those that go on longer than 6 weeks arechronichives. What Causes Hives?An allergic reaction can cause hives, as can:. temperature extremes. stress.
infections. some illnessesIn some cases, a person has hives and angioedema, a condition that causes swellingaround the eyes, lips, hands, feet, or throat.
Hives (urticaria) is a rash on your body. Although hives are often associated with allergic reactions, they can also be triggered by: stress; medications; insect.
Very rarely, hives and angioedema areassociated with an allergic reaction that involves the whole body orshock.The red welts of hives happen when mast cells in the bloodstream release the chemicalhistamine, which makes tiny blood vessels under the skin leak. The fluid pools withinthe skin to form spots and large welts. This can happen for a number of reasons. Butin many cases the cause is never found.Most often, hives are associated with an allergic reaction, which can make theskin break out within minutes. Commoninclude:. foods, especially, tree nuts, milk, and fruit. medicines (antibiotics) and allergy shots.
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pets and other animals. pollen.Sometimes a breakout of hives has nothing to do with allergies. Other causes include:. infections, including viruses. exercise. anxiety or. sun exposure.
exposure to cold, such as cold water or snow. contact with chemicals. scratching (dermatographia). putting pressure on the skin, such as from sitting too long or carrying a heavybackpack over a shoulderHives due to physical causes (such as pressure, cold, or sun exposure) are calledphysical hives.It can be hard to figure out what causes chronic hives, though it's sometimes linkedto an immune system illness, like. Othertimes, medicines, food, insects, or an infection can trigger an outbreak. Often, though,doctors don't know what causes chronic hives.
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Hives?The hallmark red raised welts are the main sign of hives. The welts can:. have a pale center. appear in clusters. change shape and location in a matter of hours.
be tiny or as big as a dinner plate. itch, sting, or cause a burning sensationSomeone who also has angioedema might have puffiness, blotchy redness, swelling,or large bumps around the eyes, lips, hands, feet, genitals, or throat.
Other symptomscan include nausea, vomiting, or belly pain.Rarely, a person with hives and angioedema can also get anaphylactic shock. Signsof anaphylactic shock include breathing trouble, a drop in blood pressure, dizziness,or a loss of consciousness (passing out). How Are Hives Diagnosed?Most of the time, a doctor can diagnose hives just by looking at the skin.
Hives are the result of an allergic reaction in the skin. When hives occur, blood leaks out of blood vessels under the skin. The cause of this is a chemical called histamine that is released by mast cells under the skin. Identifying the trigger or causes of the allergic reaction skin hives can be difficult. In many cases, the causes of hives are never determined.Hives can occur anywhere on the body, and can range in size from few millimeters to a foot or more in diameter.
They can burn or sting, and are almost always itchy. Often, they will come and go, and change size very rapidly. You may wake up in the morning feeling fine, by lunch have a bad looking outbreak, and by dinnertime look fine again. Then later in the evening they can reappear again.As we said, an allergic reaction skin hives is very common. We will now go over the types and causes of hives.Types of hives (urticaria)There are basically two types of hives, ordinary hives (ordinary urticaria) and physical hives (physical urticaria). Ordinary hives appear suddenly, and for no apparent reason. They usually appear in several places on the body, swell and turn red, and are itchy.
They come and go, and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Episodes of ordinary hives can last from a few days to weeks. If they last more than 6 weeks, then they are considered chronic.
Chronic hives can last months or years, and usually the cause is never identified. Physical hives occur when something stimulates the skin. Physical hives caused by scratching are referred to as dermatographism. Other stimuli that can cause physical hives include heat or cold, sunlight, exercise, pressure or water.Cause of an allergic reaction skin hivesThe following are the most common causes of hives:. Ordinary hives.
Foods such as nuts, fish, chocolate, berries, or milk are common triggers. Other possible triggers include: insect bites, viral infections, or a medication. Chronic hives. Despite allergy testing and other advanced laboratory tests, the cause of chronic hives is usually never determined. Physical hives. The most common triggers are cold, sun and water. Other triggers of hives include: stress, deodorant or perfume, pets, fungus, bacteria, or a disease.Now that we have discussed the types and causes of allergic reaction skin hives, it is important to discuss treatment.Treatment for urticariaWhen you first get an allergic reaction skin hives, you should see your doctor.
A doctor can run tests and try to identify the causes of hives. Most often the doctor will not be able to determine the cause. However, if it is the result of a medication or a viral infection, it is easily treatable.If no cause can be found, then doctors usually recommend an antihistamine or a steroid to relieve the symptoms.
The goal of this treatment is to relieve the symptoms, and hope that the hives go away by themselves. There are no approved medications that will cure hives, and there is no guarantee that they will go away on their own. There is only hope.There are two problems with this approach: First – these medications are not a cure, they only treat the symptoms. Second - is that steroids and antihistamines can have severe side effects.
They are not intended for long-term use.For this reason, many people look into alternative and natural treatments. Natural treatments have no dangerous side effects, and for many people, can be an effective treatment for hives. Featured natural product.At healthy skin guide, we have spent a great deal of time and money researching natural remedies. Our goal is to help you find the best and safest one.We are very happy to have finally identified an effective treatment for hives calledAlthough no product will work for everyone, OxyHives has many advantages over other treatments. OxyHives treats the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.Click here to learn more aboutand compare it to other treatments you may be considering. If you have any questions about an allergic reaction skin hives, please write to us. If you need more information about the causes of hives (urticaria), please contact us.
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