Hives refers to an eruption of wheals (flat-topped itching or stinging bumps, welts, or patches) on the skin following contact with an allergen or some other physical agent. It is not a single disease but rather a pattern of reaction to an irritant of some kind. Hives might be triggered by infections, medicines, insect bites, chemicals, food allergies, underlying medical disorders, or a variety of other causes. Hives that final much less than six weeks are defined as acute urticaria; hives that are present for six weeks or longer or that recur often are recognized as chronic urticaria.
Hives are pale, itchy, or stinging welts or wheals that type on the skin, most commonly as a reaction to an irritant. Hives situated close to the mouth, eyes, or genitals may cause the lower layers of nearby skin to swell up or appear puffy this reaction is recognized as angioedema. Hives differ in size from about a quarter-inch in diameter to six inches and even larger.
They can also join together to type even bigger patches of raised skin with clearly defined edges. They will turn white when the center of the wheal is pressed. They may seem all of a sudden, alter shape, and disappear within hours or even minutes. Hives, after disappearing, do not leave scars on the skin. Acute hives are usually triggered by an allergic reaction to foods or medications, fresh foods being more likely to cause hives than cooked foods.
The most typical “problem” foods are nuts, chocolate, fish and shellfish, tomatoes, eggs, fresh berries, soy, wheat, and milk. Almost any medication can cause hives in a susceptible individual. The typical offenders are aspirin and ibuprofen; penicillin and other antibiotics; codeine and pain relievers containing codeine; and medications given to treat high blood pressure.
Other triggers of acute hives include certain substances, particularly latex; pollen, molds, and animal dander; infections, especially the common cold; and insect bites. Some cases of acute hives are triggered by physical causes, like exposure to sunlight, hot climate, cold water, or exercise. Hives resulting from sun exposure generally fade in one to two hours. Some people who get hives after swimming in cold water may really feel faint or dizzy as well.
A couple of people get hives when their skin is scratched or stroked firmly. This situation is known as dermatographism and can happen together with hives caused by allergens. Chronic hives last for longer than six weeks. The causes of chronic urticaria are usually more difficult to identify than the causes of acute hives. They frequently include autoimmune disorders like lupus or Hashimoto illness, or bacterial or fungal infections. In the majority of cases, nevertheless, the cause of chronic hives is never found. Chronic hives may last for months or even years and have a severe influence on the patient’s high quality of life.
Diagnosis of the trigger of acute hives is usually helped by asking sufferers about their food or medication history, recent exposure to sun or insect bites, current infections, or their occupation. Sufferers may be asked to maintain a record of the foods they eat, the medicines they use, and the types of physical exercise they do on a regular basis. Medical doctors might also ask sufferers to keep a record of the place of the hives once they appear and how long the individual hives final.
Although it is usually not necessary to test for the causes of acute hives in order to treat the issue, the physician may order skin tests to see regardless of whether specific foods, medicines, or chemicals are triggering the hives. In some cases the hives might have more than one trigger. Blood tests might be ordered to test for the possible causes of chronic hives. A primary care doctor may refer the patient to a dermatologist (a specialist in skin diseases) for more detailed tests or to make certain that the patient doesn't have a different kind of skin illness.
Acute hives can often be treated at home by a combination of antihistamine medications prescribed by the doctor, avoiding recognized triggers, and protecting the skin against further irritation. If the hives are not relieved by antihistamines, the doctor may prescribe cortisone or other steroid medications, but these should be used only for short periods of time. Sufferers who have severe attacks of hives or angioedema are generally given an injection of adrenaline to clear the airway and are taken to a hospital emergency room.
Individuals who've repeated episodes of angioedema that cause breathing problems are generally given an EpiPen, which is really a device that contains adrenaline, so that they can inject themselves in an emergency. Patients whose hives seem to be triggered by emotional stress might be helped by relaxation methods or stress management programs.
The prognosis of hives depends on the trigger and regardless of whether the hives are acute or chronic. Acute hives frequently clear up quickly once the allergen or other trigger of the skin reaction has been removed. Chronic hives, nevertheless, can be difficult to treat or cope with, especially if the skin eruptions are associated to an autoimmune disorder.
There is no known method to prevent all possible kinds of hives, even though avoiding foods and medicines recognized to trigger acute hives can help. The limitation of this method, nevertheless, is that specific triggers can't be identified in about 50 percent of cases. An additional recommendation would be to cut down on alcoholic beverages they can make the itching of hives worse or even trigger hives in some individuals. Some sufferers are also advised by their doctors to take antihistamines on a every day basis in order to stop acute attacks of hives.
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