Hives Treatment - How to Get Rid of Hives » General Information

How will you diagnose urticaria – ways to diagnose hives

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:09:55 +0000

You can diagnose urticaria clinically by a close examination of the skin eruptions on the body. Once these skin eruptions are observed and felt, the patients are very well able to recognize urticaria. In order to arrive at a correct diagnosis, it is very important to make a careful analysis and proper evaluation.

Hives, in medical parlance is termed as urticaria. Hives are often referred to as raised and very often itchy type red welts on the skin surface. It can occur on any part of the body like the arms, legs and trunk. Urticaria is therefore a common skin condition that could affect anyone of any age at any time of the year. Generally, except for the palms and soles of the feet, hives can occur on any skin surface. When the swelling goes deep inside the skin due to hives, is termed as angioedema. This could occur in both hands and feet as well as mucuous membranes.

How do you diagnose Hives?

After making a systematic and careful case history by the physician, it is possible to make an exact diagnosis of urticaria in terms of its causation. In order to diagnose properly, the patient’s co-operation is very essential for giving proper information. Certain food products can also be eliminated if they are suspected.

A careful evaluation helps to arrive at a proper diagnosis of urticaria. Moreover, a thorough evaluation of the whole system is done by ruling out certain systemic diseases like malignancy, allergic disorders, respiratory disease, lupus etc. One may also need to have a hormonal study and thyroid profile.

Sometimes, an uncommon possibility of malignancy when supported by clinical findings is ruled out. The clinical history of the individual with a checklist of different causes is carried out. Hives or urticaria is caused by histamine and other compounds that are released from cells known as mast cells.

Histamine causes certain fluid to leak from local blood vessels that further leads to the swelling in the skin. Urticaria is caused due to dilation of capillaries thereby allowing the fluid to leak to the surrounding tissue known as the epidermis. People suffering from allergies like hay fever experience hives as a usual reaction. Allergies from certain foods and medications can also cause hives, but majority of the cases are non-allergic and there is no specific cause ever found in these cases.

Generally just changing soaps, diets, detergents or makeup are not helpful in prevention of hives. This can be quite disappointing to patients. Urticaria is often scratchy, as the swelling in the skin takes place in the epidermis.

Knowing Urticaria – Causes, symptoms and treatment of Urticaria

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:06:42 +0000

Knowing urticaria in terms of its causes and symptoms will go a long way in treating this skin disorder more effectively. Hives, commonly known as urticaria are red or pink swollen bumps, welts or patches that appear suddenly on the skin. The most common synonym associated with hives is itching, although few people also experience a burning or stinging sensation.

Causes of urticaria:

Hives occur as a common reaction to all types of stimuli. Though an allergy can be the major reason for hives, in most outbreaks of urticaria the exact cause of hives is unknown. Hives occur when a chemical namely histamine and other compounds are released from specialized cells known as mast cells. It is an established fact that any form of allergy ultimately result in the release of histamine, but other factors also influence its release.

The chemical substance called histamine acts by causing the blood vessels to leak a fluid to the neighbouring tissues. Therefore small areas of swelling are formed due to the capillary leakage. Though alarming, hives generally fade on their own in a matter of a few weeks. These are rarely medically serious.

Some cases of urticaria are caused by allergic reactions from things such as medications, food and stings of insects. Majority of hives cases are non-allergic, and there is no specific reason ever for the causation of such hives. Patients find it annoying not able to know the causes for hives, and it is also true that just changing diet, soaps, detergent or makeup will not help in any manner.

Certain hives are caused by drug allergy or bee stings; and in rare cases urticaria and angioedema are often accompanied by difficulty in breathing and shock. This condition is known as anaphylaxis.

Symptoms of urticaria:

Hives can broadly be categorized into two categories, namely ordinary urticaria and physical urticaria. Ordinary hives do flare up all of a sudden without any known reason. Welts or wheals often appear at different places of the body. These eruptions itch, flare, swell and disappear only in a matter of minutes to certain hours, only to be seen elsewhere in the body. This appearing and disappearing sequence continues for many days to weeks. But most cases last for a duration that is less than six weeks. Hives that do last for a period of more than six months are termed as “chronic urticaria”.

Treatment of urticaria:

Ordinary urticaria may be treated by relieving its symptoms and in this process the condition fades away by itself. The most common of all the oral treatments available are antihistamines which perform the function of opposing the effects of histamines that are leaked by mast cells.

Many of the antihistamines are available without a prescription. Though these medications can be taken for about three times in a day, they can cause drowsiness and hence advisable to take at the bedtime. Oral steroids are also administered for relief in the short term, but not advisable due to the side effects.

Knowing urticaria at a base level will save you much time and money in treating your skin condition. One must have a basic idea about what causes hives, what are the symptoms and how it can be effectively treated.

Home remedies for hives – easy and effective ways to treating hives and allergy

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:04:25 +0000

Ever thought that there are effective home remedies to cure urticaria? Yes, it is possible to cure yourself of this disease with certain precautionary measures. Hives are medically termed as urticaria. These are itchy and red raised areas on the skin that take various shapes and sizes. They could be a few millimetres to several inches in diameter. Hives may be either round or shaped as rings or appear as large patches. It could occur on any part of the skin.

Hives are formed when a chemical namely histamine are released by certain specialized cells known as mast cells. Very often it is allergy that triggers release of histamine, but one cannot rule out other factors as well. Histamine comes into action by causing blood vessels to leak fluid to the nearby tissues. Thus swelling occurs in small areas of the skin as a result of capillary leakage.

Precautions to take for treating hives:

Though alarming to look at, hives do not always call for a medical emergency. Most hives do not have any known reason, but sometimes they are caused by a physical stimuli like contact with water or heat. First time medications also can lead to urticaria.

For hives that last for days longer than six weeks, oral treatments are prescribed, the most common being the non sedating antihistamines. Chronic hives are treated with antihistamines or a combination of other medications.

Home remedies for hives

Tips for home remedies for hives:

In order to rid yourself of urticaria, you need to religiously follow these tips for faster relief.

Try applying the calamine lotion may give you relief from the itching sensation.

Apply some milk of magnesia on the affected area could give you relief to some extent. Milk of magnesia comes with an alkaline solution and helps reduce the itchy sensation.

In a tub half filled with warm water, add half a cup of cornstarch and also half a cup of baking soda. Laze and soak yourself once in a day will indeed make a lot of difference.

You could try having nettle tea by adding ½ teaspoon of powdered stinging nettles. Try adding honey or lemon to spice up the flavour.

Take cayenne pepper capsules to cope with the healing process. For fast relief, you could also have Zinc, Vitamin C or Vitamin E tablets.

Herbal tea is very beneficial for health. Try to sooth out your nerves by having passionflower or peppermint tea.

In order to get relief from pain, you could as well apply the cool compression on your affected area.

You may also like to go for an ice-cold shower or a bath and seat yourself on the front of a fan on the high for at least 5 minutes.

You need to take plenty of water to prevent skin allergies. Try to include fresh fruits and vegetables that have high water content. During summer, you could take cool drinks like lemon juice and sherbets.

There are numerous tips for home remedies to cure urticaria effectively. All you need to do is relieve hives symptoms while the severity of the condition fades away by itself.

Detailed information on urticaria – Learning to treat urticaria with proper information

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:57:55 +0000

Do you have complete information on urticaria? Well, it is worth a look here before you obtain treatment for this disease. Hives are medically termed as urticaria. These are often itchy and red areas on the skin that are a bit raised and come in varied shapes and sizes. Another form of hives is the wheals or welts, or red lesions with a flare at the borders. They have a tendency to change their size fast, sometimes disappear at one place and again reappear at another place.

Hives occur due to production of histamine and other compounds that are release from mast cells. Histamine makes fluid leak from local blood vessels, bringing about a swelling in the skin. Hives, though annoying is not medically serious.

Types of Hives:

Hives commonly fall into two categories: Ordinary urticaria and physical urticaria.

Ordinary hives are those that flare up suddenly on the skin without any specific reason. Wheals and welts appear in many spots. They come and go instantly, and reappear elsewhere. If this condition last for more than six weeks, then it is termed as “chronic urticaria.” Most of the cases are “idiopathic hives” where there is no known cause. Some other hives may be triggered due to viral infections. Sometimes hives are also caused due to medications that are taken for the first time. Chronic hives could last for months and even years. Allergy and laboratory tests do not help in this case.

Physical urticaria occurs due to direct stimulation of the skin. The most common form in this category is the “dermographia” which implies skin writing. When the skin is rubbed or scratched, a red welt shows at the line of the scratch. When pieces of clothing or belts rub against your skin, the mast cells break histamine to cause physical hives. Another form is the cholinergic urticaria and produces numerous small itchy bumps.

What is nettle rash?

Nettle rash is also termed as urticaria. It comprises of very itchy red wheals or swellings on the skin that resemble those that result from contact with stinging nettle. These may vary in size and shape and last for as long as 24 hours. They can be very itchy and occur repeatedly. No apparent cause is obvious in a nettle rash.

Nettle rash may be caused due to -

Allergy from a particular kind of food that you may be allergic to.
Having a contact with fungal spores.
Medicines being used for the first time.
Insect bites
Bacterial and viral infections.
Physical stimuli like experiencing warmth or cold, sunlight and water, pressure or even sweating.
Certain substances like preservatives, nickel, perfumes or colouring.

It pays to have a detailed information for treating the skin disorder called urticaria. In doing so, you will save a lot of your time and money instead of having to rely on the doctor’s advice alone.

Chronic Urticaria – what you were never told about chronic hives

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:57:00 +0000

You could be among the thousands of patients suffering from chronic urticaria. Probably you could have spent many number of hours visiting your dermatologist for a solution to your skin disorder.

It is very unfortunate that conventional doctors treating hives do not have many options for treating your kind of skin condition. Many a times, chronic urticaria is treated only by conventional methods and practices like drug therapies. Doctors even apply the training they gained through all the years treating patients. As a consequence, there was no alternative solution to treating chronic urticaria.

What doctor avoids telling about chronic urticaria:

It remains a fact that most of the medical practitioners have little idea of how hives can be treated successfully. Your doctor, more often than not is not likely to prescribe anything else but the usual cortisone or antihistamine drug therapies.

Doctors do believe that the only solution to treating urticaria is through the conventional methods, and this is true especially in cases of chronic urticaria or hives and another condition such as the idiopathic chronic disorder.

This brings to light the fact that due to ignorance in the subject, doctors usually deprive their patients of a very sustainable cure for this disease. Even after bearing with chronic urticaria for several years, patients are very disappointed provided by these poor treatments.

Nonetheless, the benefits offered by other alternative solutions to this skin disorder can probably offer patients a golden chance of getting rid of this episode of chronic urticaria. Depending on the severity of your medical condition, it is your best bet that your doctors would not have given any other treatment other than the usual antihistamine or cortisone drug. Most medical professionals consider these two as the only options for effectively treating chronic urticaria.

These drugs may be of help for the short term because antihistamines blocks release of histamine into the derma. But this effect is short lived. It is true that even if you have been on medications for years together, symptoms of urticaria will inevitably reappear as soon as the effect of antihistamine subsides.

Doctors very often prescribe steroids for chronic skin disorders that may help curing urticaria for the short term. However a prolonged use of steroids could pose serious side effects that may cause irreversible damage to the body. Cortisone injection is also prescribed for suppressing urticaria. Though it works amazingly fast, it is not advisable to use it for the long term. Your doctor may insist you to take more doses of this to attain same level of relief. But increased doses could make chronic urticaria more resistant to the medication.

Not all doctors will tell you that there is a connection between your stress levels and chronic urticaria. Perhaps the only thing that doctors could possibly do is to prescribe antidepressants for quick relief. But for some realistic chance of permanent solution to chronic urticaria is to overcome the underlying hindrances that cause your body to become hypersensitive to food, additives and the environment.

Simple facts about Urticaria – understanding facts that could prevent hives

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:55:33 +0000

Medically termed as urticaria, hives are some sort of red and itchy raised skin areas that may appear in various sizes and shapes. These itches or skin eruptions vary in size ranging from a few centimetres to inches in diameter. Hives are sometimes round in shape and can also form rings or big patches. They also appear as wheals or welts and red lesions with a flare at borders. Urticaria can occur on any part of the body like the arms, trunk and legs.

: Mechanism Behind Urticaria Rash

Understanding Urticaria:

Urticaria or hives is one type of harmless rash on the skin that is often caused by some kind of allergy. Some of the important facts about hives are given below

Urticaria is caused by histamine as well as other compounds that are released from mast cells. Histamine causes liquid to leak from local blood vessels which results in swelling of the skin.

Hives have a tendency to move around and change size fast. It disappears at one place and reappears at another place, in just hours.

Single hives last for two hours to almost 24 hours. An outbreak of a hive often looks alarming. If you happen to notice in the morning, it could be gone by noon, but only to come back in full force in the later part of the day. There is no other skin disease that can occur and resolve so rapidly as hives.

Based on the history of symptoms, a doctor can easily establish a diagnosis of urticaria even if you do not have any evidence to show.

When the swelling goes deeper in the skin, it is called angioedema. This is also visible on both hands and feet and the mucous membranes.

Hives are common phenomena. Though irritating, hives often resolve on their own over some time. They rarely cause any medical emergencies.

Hives are caused by allergy. It is caused by getting in direct contact with some allergenic substance like a plant or some immune response to food. Hives could also be caused by stress.

Usually, hives strikes with sudden force. Initially there is itching in the skin, and thereafter it results into skin eruptions like red coloured welts. This skin itching could become severe, preventing people from sleeping or working.

One must understand that in treating hives, it is important to know the facts of urticaria. It would help immensely to keep your cool at all times, because stress could make matters worse. Try drinking some passionflower or peppermint tea which is beneficial. It would definitely help soothe your nerves. If you discover that the swelling is very severe, especially in the area of the throat, then you could be in an emergency and may need steroids.

Relief from Hives – say goodbye to hives (dermatographism)

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:46:16 +0000

Well, looking for ways to get relief from hives? Your search ends here. Read on to find more. Medically, hives are a deep skin eruption that could be either allergic or non-allergic. It is often characterized by acute itching sensation and could take the shape of red circular or many irregularly shaped eruptions on any part of the human body. These skin eruptions are often raised above skin level, and are coupled with profound itching. The eruptions could be either acute or chronic; and have a tendency to recur after months or years.

Treatment of Hives and prevention tips:

Though they may not pose a serious emergency, hives do appear serious as skin erupts on the human skin. We detail here some of the precautionary measures that need to be taken to get hives treated.

Do not come in contact with those substances that you are allergic to.

Antihistamines are injected in the body that help oppose effects of histamine that are leaked by mast cells.

Sometimes, for the short-term hives oral steroids are used such as Prednisone and Medrol.

If you have had a stroke of hives earlier, do not wear tight fitting outfits and avoid hot showers or baths.

Some tropical therapies for treatment of hives advise the use of certain lotions and creams that do help numb nerve endings and thereby reduce itching.

Hives results more or less due to allergic reaction. There could be many factors that trigger hives in a person, and it is not very easy to find out the exact cause that led to hives. Several kinds of hives exist from which you would as well like to have relief.

Acute urticaria: A rash or swelling that could last for at least six months is termed as acute urticaria. This is a condition that is caused by consuming certain food items or medicines, exposure of skin to latex, insect bites or some internal disease. Chronic urticaria: If the burning and itching persists well over six weeks, it is known as chronic urticaria. Once you suffer from this skin disorder, it becomes difficult for doctors to diagnose its causes. This could lead you further to several other infections, hormonal imbalances, malignant tumours and other autoimmune conditions.

Physical urticaria is a condition when physical activities and touch could trigger hives in your skin. Dermatographism is a condition brought out when you scratch on an itch, which in turn makes hives appear on the skin surface. When a congenital tissue swells, it leads to hereditary angioedema. This situation could lead to an emergency.

The best way to get relief from hives is to relieve a patient of the symptoms as the condition fades itself away. One of the most commonly used oral treatments are the antihistamines, that help prevent the effects of histamine that gets leaked from mast cells.

All about Chronic Urticaria: Overcome chronic urticaria naturally

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:36:53 +0000

What is chronic urticaria all about? Yes, this is one of the different kinds of urticaria that develops on a person’s body. Hives or urticaria is a medical condition characterized by eruptions of varied sizes or raised red spots on the skin. These are often itchy and appear and disappear occasionally. Sometimes urticaria happens due to an allergy to some particular food item or some drug. Hives usually vary in size and also may combine to form bigger swellings.

Urticaria is among the common skin disorders, and resembles formation of weals on the skin. This type of skin disorder is also called nettle-rash, because the rash of hives is similar to the sting of a nettle. Urticaria or hives come in different forms and can be chronic, acute or recurrent.

Types and causes of Urticaria:

Urticaria or hives is a skin disorder, which is an allergic skin rash. You will find that there are two distinct types of urticaria: the first being acute urticaria that is generally caused by allergy and could last several hours to six weeks; whereas chronic urticaria persists beyond six weeks. Normally urticaria disappears within a few days to some weeks. But itching and swellings do persist in certain unfortunate individuals that continue for years together.

Chronic Urticaria

Generally cold, dermographic and pressure urticaria happen together with chronic idiopathic, cholinergic and other physical urticarias. Contrarily, heat urticaria is associated with other kinds of physical urticaria and appear isolated. Skin eruptions that are raised above skin level coupled with acute itching are worsened by a slight local warmth. These could be either acute or chronic; and has a tendency to recur frequently for years together.

Urticaria takes shape on any part of the body and a typical lesion could last for one minute to half an hour, and others could last longer. Some have skin eruptions only once in a while, and some have it numerous times in a day. Some patients just have a couple of rashes on their bodies, while others have wide spread rashes that may last for many days or months.

It is very important to note here that Urticaria may not be always allergic in nature. One may suffer from chronic urticaria due to allergic and non-allergic causes. While allergic reasons could be food and other items, non-allergic reasons could be related to stress, exercise, auto immunity related and temperature based.

Particularly in recurring cases of chronic urticaria, the emotional factors play an important role. If a person is suffering from emotional stress, it could directly or indirectly lead to develop a tendency for urticaria. Chronic urticaria does have an auto immune link. Histamine is releases due to presence of auto antibodies against Immunoglobulin, which causes chronic urticaria.

Symptoms and features of Urticaria: How to look for symptoms of Eczema

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:29:06 +0000

Eczema is a disease

How do you look for the symptoms and features of Urticaria? Well, eczema or urticaria symptoms vary between different individuals. The most usual symptoms that one can see are itchy and dry skin, rashes on cheeks, legs and arms, and cracks behind the ears. It is important to note that itching is an important feature of urticaria, and scratching and rubbing the skin due to itching can make the skin inflammable.

Important features of urticaria:

Medically, urticaria presents itself as more acute or chronic acute or recurring. The affected person may suffer from generally sudden and acute skin eruption coupled with swelling and redness, acute itching, anxiety with burning sensation. Let us see some of the salient features of this skin disorder:

The skin eruptions in urticaria are shaped irregularly or can be round in shape. Sometimes they take the form of vertical lines. They could also be seen single or multiple; sometimes they are occasional or sometimes appearing all at once. At times, these skin eruptions reappear and disappear in random sequence.

Due to intense itching, the patient becomes impatient and restless when itching becomes uncontrollable. This could be most annoying for the patient. Sometimes this condition could lead to sleeplessness or disturbance at the workplace.

A variant of urticaria, called Angioneurotic edema is the severe swelling of the skin at a cellular level down deep into the skin. When such a condition involves respiratory organs such as the larynx, it could result into suffocation and create an emergency. Sometimes the lips get swollen due to ANO.

One of the most important symptoms of urticaria is itching and patients with atopic dermatitis become more sensitive to it as they require scratching for a longer time.

Patients with urticaria develop red and scaling skin, while some others develop a sort of thick and leathery skin. Some people develop raised bumps all across the skin. When these papules are scratched, they open up and get infected.

A person suffering from urticaria has a dry skin that is incapable of protection. His skin is more susceptible to recurring infections.

Sometimes there is skin inflammation on and around the lips and palms; the eyelids turn dark due to inflammation or hay fever.

After diagnosing the symptoms and features of urticaria, one must go for proper treatment of the skin disorder. It is a known fact that the epidermis which is the outermost skin layer comprises of dry and flattened dead cells and the inner parts have living and moist cells. The outer layer of the skin acts as a barrier and protects the other layers of skin from harm caused by irritants. When this barrier is damaged, the irritants act more intensely on the skin.

Causes of Urticaria: What are the chief causes?

praz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:17:21 +0000

Before you undertake any treatment on urticaria, it is very vital to understand the causes of urticaria. It is a skin condition that causes skin irritation with rashes all over the body. In medical terms, urticaria could be termed as a skin eruption that could be allergic or non-allergic and is always characterized by intense itching and red, circular and irregularly shaped skin eruptions.

Urticaria may not always be allergic in nature. There are different causes for allergic as well as non-allergic chronic urticaria. Some of the non-allergic causes may be related to stress, exercise, temperature and immunity related.

Causes of urticaria:

: Urticaria : Multifactorial Cause

Some of the more common factors inducing urticaria are detailed below:

Allergens: Some cases of urticaria have been classified due to presence of a large number of allergens. Nevertheless, urticaria is a condition of individual hypersensitivity, hence these factors may not cause urticaria in all individuals. For example, milk, egg, wheat, daals and cereals, peas, oranges, chicken and fish are some food allergens that cause urticaria. Some synthetic and natural/ artificial food additives and flavoured food particles also cause urticaria.

Urticarial rashes are common with ethanol ingestion. Reactions with alcohol or ethanol are very rare, and these are secondary to other chemicals present in the beverage like papain, dyes, yeasts etc. However, allergic reactions occur due to the offending properties of ethanol itself. One can see the symptoms of anaphylaxis among patients where beer or wine has been ingested.

Some environmental factors like exposure to dust in the home, fungi, pollen, buffalo dander, sudden change in temperature etc. may cause urticaria. Extreme conditions of heat or cold may also lead to this condition.

Some of the man made drugs such as penicillin and aspirin also cause urticaria. Certain vaccines, hormonal preparations and contraceptive pills also lead to urticaria. Milk secreted by animals treated with penicillin could cause this condition among sensitive individuals.

Other factors that contribute to urticaria are insect bites, protozoa, fungi, frequent bacterial infections in the urinal tract, viral infections or hepatitis, worm infestations like round worms and tapeworms. Sometimes contact with pet animals could also lead to urticaria.

Sometimes use of personal care products like perfumes, talcum powder, deodorant and cosmetics could also lead to urticaria.

Emotional stress could directly or indirectly lead to urticaria. Especially in the case of chronic urticaria, one should check out for the emotional factors.

Due to the presence of auto antibodies against the Immunoglobulin, histamine is released and this leads to the condition of urticaria.

Before embarking on a treatment for urticaria, it is vital then, to understand the causes of urticaria. Different factors play varied roles to induce urticaria among individuals. It is very important to note that urticaria is not always allergic in nature.