Table of Contents
What are Hives?
Hives (urticaria), they cause itchy, raised scars on the skin. They are red, pink, or flesh-colored and sometimes it is the cause of the burn or ache.
In most cases, hives happen due to an allergic reaction to medications, foods or in response to environmental stimuli. Often, hives are an acute problem that may go with allergy medications.
Mostly symptoms are disappear automatically as per time goes. But, chronic cases, as well as urticaria along with a severe allergic reaction may be more severe medical conditions.
Causes of Hives
- Medicine: Including some antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ACE inhibitors.
- Foods: Such as nuts, seafood, food additives, eggs, strawberries and wheat products.
- Infections: Such as the flu, influenza, infectious mononucleosis, hepatitis C, and a B
- Bacterial infections: Such as urinary tract infections and bacterial infections
- Intestinal parasites
- Temperature extremes and changes in temperature
- High body temperature
- Hair-pets: dogs, cats, horses, etc.
- Insect bites and stings
- Some of the chemicals
- Chronic diseases, such as thyroid disease or lupus.
- Exposure to direct sunlight,
- The water in the skin
- Scratches
- Exercises
Symptoms of Hives
- Patch of red painted on the skin are wheals that can occur anywhere on the body
- Wheals, which can vary in size, shape, and appear and disappear several times.
- Itching, which may be severe
- Painful swelling
- Development of the symptoms associated with triggers such as heat, exercise and stress relief.
- The tendency for signs and symptoms to persist for longer than six weeks can reappear in the near future.
Types of Hives
Acute Urticaria (hives)
This results in less than 6 weeks and it usually causes a negative or allergic reaction to certain foods or medications.
Insect bites can be the cause of this type of acne.
Symptoms
Acute hives have many minimal symptoms such as: Light red patches on skin with little irritation.
Causes
Skin rashes, friction are common causes of acute hives.
Chronic Urticaria (Hives)
These results are less than 6 weeks. The results are underlying medical conditions, such as the illness of the thyroid gland, cancer, and hepatitis.
Chronic hives is a more severe form of urticaria than in acute urticaria, as it can spread to various parts of the body, including the lungs, muscles, joints, and gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms
- Packs of red or painted on the skin are stretch marks (on wheels) that can appear anywhere on the body
- Itching, which may be severe
- Painful swelling at eyes, lips, mouth and throat.
- The signs and symptoms find longer than 6 weeks and May be years as well.
Causes
The marks that appear in the hives occur when some of the cells that contain histamine and other chemicals enter your bloodstream.
Medical doctors are not in a position to get to the root cause of chronic urticaria, or why, chronic urticaria, and sometimes it will be a long-term problem.
The reactions of the skin may be due to the following:
- Pain relievers
- Insects, and pests
- Infection
- Scratch
- Hot or cold
- Stress.
- Solar light
- Exercises
- Alcohol or food
- The pressure on the skin, as of a belt
In some cases chronic urticaria can appear with an underlying medical condition, such as the illness of the thyroid gland or, less often, cancer and cancer treatment.
Heat Hives
This is due to the irritation of the skin. Extreme heat or cold, excessive exposure to the sun, excessive sweating, in the skin during exercise – all which can lead to an explosion.
Symptoms
Hives seem to be red, itchy, and uncomfortable. Each of the hives, a clear, round bump. The result is out of this cluster of bumps, which cover the exposed areas of the skin.
In fact, the healing process occurs, and the result seems to be very aggressive and painful. The sting can be very annoying for the person experiencing it.
- A red rash that appears on the skin when exposed to the sun
- Itching
- Burning
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Causes
The skin rashes can occur within a few minutes, once the skin is exposed to the ultra-violet rays of the sun. According to the British Association of Dermatology, there are three types of uv radiation, which lead to solar heat hives.
- Long-wavelength ultraviolet light (UVA)
- Short-time ultraviolet light (UV-b)
- Visible light, (sunlight without UV light)
Stress rashes
Hives can occur anywhere on the body. These spots can be the size of a pencil tip, or a picture.
In some cases these marks can combine to form even larger scars. This skin can range in size from less than a centimeter to big patches covering large areas of the skin.
Hives can show a general swelling of the skin that forms in a body.
Symptoms
Stress rashes often appear in the form of hives, also known as scars or blisters, which usually are:
- Itching
- Pain
- Red
- Swollen
Hives start out as small red bumps, such as the typical skin rash are seen anywhere at body.
Causes
The Hives are the result of an allergic reaction to something in your environment. Stress can trigger a sympathetic nervous system response, which leads to the release of histamine.
Histamine is a response to trauma, allergies, and inflammatory responses, but stress can also release it.
Many other factors that can cause hives include:
- Chemicals
- Exercises
- Extreme weather events
- Dust
- Food products
- Infection
- Medications
- Polling
- Use solar light
- Sweating
The most common food allergens that can cause by hives like milk, tree nuts, soy, eggs, fish, seafood, and wheat.
Diagnose of Hives
Diagnosis of hives mainly depends on their types.
Diagnose of Acute Urticaria(Hives)
A doctor can make a diagnosis of acute urticaria, and by examining the rashes.
The doctor will ask about:
When the episode began,
- Insect bite
- Whether the patient lives or works in a place where the potential triggers such as latex gloves, chemicals, or other pets.
- All the medications that the patient takes including herbal supplements.
- The patient’s medical history
Often, the trigger is clear but if a specific trigger is up, the doctor may refer the patient to an allergy clinic.
Doctors check the patient’s blood and skin wether they are allergic to certain substances such as chemicals, dust mites and certain foods.
Diagnose of Chronic Urticaria (Hives)
If the hives trigger for more than 6 weeks, it is not likely to be the external experts recommend that you run the tests from the disease at this point.
The following tests to check for underlying health conditions:
- A blood test for anemia
- Fecal samples to detect the infection, which are erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test for the detection of immune problems
- The function of the thyroid gland is a test for the assessment of an overactive thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism, or hypothyroidism, an under active thyroid gland.
- Liver function tests and in the case of problems with the liver
- Factors that can aggravate any existing hives are:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine intake
- Mental health problems, such as stress.
Diagnose of Heat Hives
Heat hives are easily recognized by the patient’s medical history and can be confirmed by a simple stimulation of the study, in which an ice cube melts in a transparent plastic bag and is placed on the skin for about 5 minutes.
Diagnose of Stress Rashes (Hives)
Doctors will use a tongue depressor to the skin of the hands or the back of a red, swollen, or a line of scar (blister) can seen within a few minutes
Treatment of Hives
The first step in the treatment is to find out if you have hives. In the majority of cases, your doctor may be able to determine whether you have hives after a physical examination.
Your skin will show signs of urticaria associated with scars. Your doctor can perform blood or skin tests to determine what might be the cause of chronic hives, especially if it is due to an allergic reaction to it.
You may not need a prescription for the treatment if you have a mild case of hives that are not related to allergies or other medical conditions.
- Taking antihistamines such as diphenhydramine or cetirizine
- To avoid irritating the area
- Avoid hot water
- Take a cool or warm bath with a mixture of oatmeal or baking soda.
Some of the treatments are over-the-counter
- Antihistamines to reduce itching
- Steroids such as prednisone pills
- Calamine lotion
- Diphenhydramine such as Benadryl
Natural remedies to cure Hives
It is important to understand the potential of the triggers so that you can avoid it from your life, personal, environment, and diet.
This will help you in your struggle to defeat hives, and symptoms of illness.
- Drink herbal teas.
- Flowers are a great natural treatment for hives. They will be able to help you with the removal of the nerve and relieve the itching and inflammation associated with chronic hives.
- Another remedy for hives, take a warm bath with the addition of baking soda (1/2 cup) and corn flour (1/2 a cup).
Home Made Remedies
Vinegar-Sugar Balm
Ingredient
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 5 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon lukewarm water
Steps to follow
- Mix sugar, water and vinegar.
- Apply on affected areas.
How does it work?
Vinegar is fully loaded with antiseptic properties that will decrease your skin infections and irritation.
Shea Butter and Lavender cream
Ingredient
- 2 tablespoon shea butter
- 3 to 4 drops of lavender oil
Steps to follow
- Mix shea butter and lavender well.
- Apply this cream on affected areas.
- Wash it after 30-45 minutes with cold water.
Tips to prevent/control Hives?
You can also apply aloe vera gel to the affected area twice a day to get rid of the itching, burning and to heal the skin.
You can also take vitamin C and E, zinc to help relieve the itching of hives.
A cold pack is an all-natural treatment for hives that you can have a try.
Milk of magnesia, as well as the calamine lotion, can also provide relief.
Acupressure is a great option, but it is a little-known remedy. Points are between the neck and the shoulder.
This will help you take care of the health of your skin.
When to call a Doctor?
The seriousness of the hives breakout, which can vary from one person to another and the majority of people are in a position to manage their symptoms at home. There have been a few cases in which seeking medical attention is very important.
As a person, you should consult a doctor if:
- Your symptoms last for more than a couple of days
- Symptoms get worse over time.
- The symptoms are interfering with your daily routine
- The person experiences dizziness of the throat or on the face starts to swell
- Breathing becomes difficult.
- The person has a feeling of tightness in the chest
The doctor will examine the results and ask questions to find the cause. Blood Tests and allergy tests may need to enter into some issues.
Complications with Hives
Urticaria is usually very treatable and is not responsible for any possible complications. Yet in more severe cases, angio-oedema can occur.
Angio-oedema, a build-up of fluid in the layers of the skin that causes swelling of the joints and can affect the eyes, lips, hands, feet, and genitals. A person should always have a doctor as chronic hives have an influence on their quality of life.
Conclusion
As discussed in the above article, Hives are a common skin infection. These skin infections can affect people suffering with pre-medical conditions. Some sort of foods, medicine and chemicals can trigger Hives.
Normally, many home remedies cure Hives, But if turned serious, a person should visit Doctors.
While using any remedies, please make sure you are not allergic to any of the components of the treatment, if your symptoms worsen, persist or are severe, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
