Got Itchy, Swelling Bumps - Maybe You Have Hives

Urticaria, Uredo - ominous sounding names for a very well known affliction - the hives. Hives are something nearly everyone experiences at some point in their lifetime.

What Skin Hives Look Like

Hives are a skin rash that present as small to moderate bumps. Hives can be pale or red in color. They might be small, bug-bite sized swellings, or, when many hives form near each other, large areas of swelling may occur. When the hives are suspected, it is helpful to look up pictures of hives in medical encyclopedias or online to get a good idea of what hives look like.

What Causes Hives

There are several causes of hives.

In the majority of cases, it is an allergic reaction that causes hives. The body is introduced to some allergen, and for whatever reason, it overreacts to the allergen, producing an allergic reaction - hives. Allergens can be something touched by the skin or something that is ingested. In most cases, it is a food allergy that causes an allergic hives reaction. Medication allergies are often signified by a case of the hives.

Hives can also accompany infections. Some viruses will cause hives. This can make it difficult to determine whether a true medication allergy exists, or whether the presence of a hives rash while on medication is simply a coincidence.

Can stress cause hives? Perhaps, but the answer is not definitive. Like so many cases of hives, the true cause is elusive. Stress may weaken an immune system and open the door for opportunistic infections and reactions, or again, it may just be a coincidence that a person gets hives when they are stressed.

What causes my dogs hives? Causes of hives in animals are similar to those in humans - and again, not always easy to define. Hives in animals are usually the result of an illness or allergy.

A mild case of hives on occasion can sometimes be passed off as a fluke thing, but chronic hives need to be investigated with a doctor. Swelling from allergic reactions can block airways, and multiple occurrences can intensify in severity. When a person has chronic hives causes must be determined first to avoid a medical emergency, but also so that the cause can be identified and avoided so the patient can live comfortably again.

Hives Treatment

Mild hives are a minor annoyance that can be remedied with over the counter medication. Severe hives warrant an immediate call to the doctor who will likely prescribe a prescription medication for allergies to block the immune reaction causing the hives (Zoloft is one). When severe hives are inhibiting breathing, a call to emergency services is needed immediately. Paramedics carry medications on board that can quickly reverse the swelling and restore breathing once again.

In addition to medications, sometimes an anti-itch cream can help relieve the painful itching of hives. An oatmeal bath or cold compresses are also useful for some people.

Somewhere along the line, hives will likely happen to you and/or your child. Knowing what to look for and how to treat hives when they happen makes living with hives for a short period of time bearable, but you’ll also want to look further to try to determine reaction triggers. Learning what triggers a reaction like the hives puts you in control of never having to get hives (at least due to identified triggers) again.