Hives

What Are Hives?

Hives are the physical manifestations of a skin condition called urticaria. Hives are very common, and may be caused by a wide range of different factors. They may be round or ring-shaped, and are usually itchy, red and raised. Hives can be either “ordinary” or “physical”, being physical hives more rare than ordinary hives.

Causes Of Hives

The chemical process that produces hives is the releasing of histamine and other substances present in mast cells, a certain type of cells that form one of the layers of the skin. Once released, histamine causes the leakage of fluid from the blood vessels, causing inflammation of the skin.

In ordinary hives, this chemical release can be triggered by many factors, often allergic reactions to certain environmental elements, viral agents, allergies to certain foods and medicines, intolerance to certain soaps or detergents, and stress. There may be a genetic predisposition to develop hives in reaction to certain elements, like pollen. Most cases of hives, however, are not allergic and have no apparent cause at all; this is called “idiopathic hives”.

Hives caused by nerves are especially interesting, because they are an evident proof of how stress levels can affect the chemical balance of the body. This type of hives appears when a person is very nervous or emotionally stressed.

Physical hives are caused to the sensitivity of the skin to physical agents, like heat, coldness, water or contact. The most common form of physical hives is called “skin writing” (dermographia): the stem cells react to a normal scratch or pressure, releasing histamine. As a result, hives appear in the contact areas, such as waist (due to the pressure of the belt), the wrist (due to pressure of the watch), and others.

Symptoms Of Hives

Symptoms of hives include raised skin, itch, skin reddening, and the formation of small wheals, often surrounded by a flare. In very severe allergic cases, hives may appear in the respiratory system or the glottis, preventing normal airflow and therefore threatening life. This is a medical emergency, an urgent condition named anaphylaxis.

How To Get Rid Of Hives

Hives usually go away on their own, just as they appeared. People with physical hives have a persistent sensitivity, so hives may come and go all the time. Most hives episodes subside within 5 or 6 weeks, and if they last longer they are called “chronic hives”, although they usually disappear eventually.

Despite this, there are some treatment practices that may help relieving the symptoms. Treatment for hives includes creams and ointments to deal with the itch, and the intake of oral antihistamines will help reduce the effects and action of the histamines.

In severe cases, treatment for hives can also consist on certain steroids, useful in the short term but unsafe to be used for too long. Emergency treatment for anaphylaxis due to allergic hives consists on the immediate administration of Decadron or equivalent drug.

Prevention Of Hives

As most cases of hives just appear with no evident reason, they cannot be prevented. However, if there is a known allergy then the specific allergen must be avoided. Also, water that is too hot in the shower may cause physical hives, so it is advisable to avoid excessively high temperatures.

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