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Hives are red raised bumps or welts on the skin. Hives (or urticaria ) is a common skin reaction to something like an allergen (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.
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If you haven’t tangled with hives before, you might be alarmed when your face and neckline break out in red or flesh-colored welts, or when your kid comes home from school with an itchy hives rash all over his body. So what do you do? You call the doctor (or text a friend or search the web) to find out how to get rid of hives—fast!So what is the best hives treatment? And are there natural remedies for hives?Hives, also called urticaria (ur-tih-CARE-ee-uh), is a raised skin rash that typically lasts for a matter of hours or days. Sometimes it takes up to six weeks to clear as new bumps surface and old ones disappear.
Cases that persist for more than six weeks are considered chronic hives.Hives may be triggered by an allergy to food, medication, insect bites, pet dander, pollen, certain plants, or latex. Some people get hives when they’re stressed out. In children, the itchy rash can be due to a viral infection.
Or sometimes a physical stimulus–such as heat, cold, sunlight, exercise, or friction or pressure on the skin–can cause hives to erupt.The body’s immune system responds to each of these threats by waging a chemical attack. The raised patches that appear on your skin occur when histamine and other chemicals cause small blood vessels in the skin to leak blood plasma (a watery, straw-colored fluid).In most cases, you can quickly clear up hives with over-the-counter antihistamines. Depending on the severity, duration, and cause, doctors may prescribe other medicines too.As for home remedies?
They won’t stop hives but may “have a soothing effect,” says Luz Fonacier, MD, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Hives usually aren't serious. But whenever someone has hives with wheezing, shortness of breath, tongue swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, or lightheadedness, seek emergency medical care. These may be signs of a life-threatening.If hives are the only concern, follow these basic strategies to get rid of the rash and calm the itch.RELATED. For temporary itch relief, immerse yourself in H2O.
If you have hives, your skin is already inflamed–so be kind to it. Avoid harsh soaps and other skin irritants since itching and scratching can make hives worse. Drinking alcohol can also make your hives worse.Wear loose, comfortable clothing, especially if you have “physical urticaria,” a type of hives caused by a stimulus like squeezing or rubbing.“Even just the pressure in their clothing will make them hive,” says Dr. Fonacier, professor of medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and head of allergy at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, New York.RELATED. Antihistamines, the ones you buy in the pharmacy aisle, are the go-to medicines if you really want to get rid of hives.Benadryl (diphenhydramine) helps by blocking the production of histamine. It works great but can make you drowsy, so it’s best to take it before you go to sleep.
Same goes for Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine), another older antihistamine.Fortunately, newer, second-generation antihistamines such as Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine), Clarinex (desloratadine), Xyzal (levocetirizine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine) are non-sedating, and “all of them are equally effective,” Dr. Fonacier says.RELATED. When over-the-counter antihistamines fail to resolve hives, see an allergist who can assess your triggers and prescribe other treatment regimens.One option may be to increase your dose of over-the-counter medicine, Dr.
Fonacier explains. “Sometimes we have them on Zyrtec, two tablets twice a day, for example.”Or, your doctor may prescribe oral or injectable steroids (such as prednisone); an antibiotic called dapsone; or an injectable drug called Xolair (omalizumab).To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the.
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