What is Urticaria (Hives)?
Urticaria, which is also known as hives, is a red, itchy skin rash with a raised white area in the center that can appear anywhere on the body. It is often mistaken for blisters but does not contain fluid. Hives may be associated with swelling of the face, lips, eyelids and hands.
Urticaria usually changes locations on the body over the course of 24 hours, and often goes away in 24 hours, but it may come and go for several days.
What Causes Urticaria?
Hives can be an allergic reaction (especially if occurring with other symptoms) to:
- Foods
- Medicines
- Insect stings
Hives may be triggered by:
- Cold or heat
- Infections (usually viral)
- Other illnesses
- Sun exposure
- Physical exercise
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, naproxen)
- Stress
- Sleep deprivation
- Friction or pressure from clothing
- Menstruation
What Is Chronic Urticaria?
With chronic urticaria, hives can appear off and on for more than six weeks and may recur frequently over several months or years. In most cases, the cause of chronic urticaria is not known. But some of the known causes include:
- Antibodies that react with the tissue in the body
- Certain kinds of infection
Your doctor may order blood tests to help determine the cause of the hives.
How Is Urticaria Treated?
Common treatments for hives include antihistamine medications. Severe cases may require treatment with steroids. A small number of patients with chronic urticaria may require other medicines to control their hives.
It can take several days of treatment before it is effective. To help with symptoms in the meantime, using fragrance-free moisturizers (stored in the refrigerator for added cooling effect) may be helpful. It is also important to note that hives may appear worse when bathing, which can sometimes be confusing during the treatment phase.
