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Are hives contagious?
Contagious nature of hives? No, hives are not contagious. Hives are allergic reactions and not infections, triggered by usually foods, (tomatoes, shell fish, egg, milk, nuts,chocolate etc),medicine, pollen ,insect bite etc. Some times direct physical stimulation also causes hives like heat cold, sunlight, pressure, stress, exercise, sweating etc. The cause of chronic urticaria is difficult to find (idiopathy) If hives are caused by an allergic reaction to a food ,they appear quickly after eating that food. Thus, there is no evidence to prove that hives is capable of spreading from one person to the other. Hives rash is a typical allergic reaction which is usually found among siblings or between a parent and child. This scenario is prevalent in family because allergic idiosyncrasies are genetically passed in most of the cases. Hives can occur on any part of the body including face, lips, tongue, ear etc, except palms and foot soles. The peculiar feature of hives is, their tendency to change size and place rapidly i.e. moving around, disappearing at one place and within matter of hours reappearing on other places. Individual hives usually last for two to twenty four hours. Dermographia or ‘skin writting’, is a form of hive where itchy red welts appear wherever skin is scratched or rubbed by any clothing, belt etc. Acute urticaria’ is the hives that lasts for less than six weeks, whereas Chronic urticaria’ lasts for more than six weeks. Except for duration there is no visual difference between acute and chronic hives. Causes of hives Hives are produced by the release of chemical ‘Histamine’ by the specialized mast cells, which are normal part of the skin. Histamine acts by causing fluids to leak from the fine blood capillaries, leading to swelling. Swelling deeper in the skin ,accompanying hives is known as ‘angioedema’. Angioedema generally occurs around lips and eyes and sometimes on the genitals, hands and feet. In rare cases (caused by drug allergy or sting) angioedema and urticaria are accompanied by difficult breathing and shock called as ‘anaphylaxis’. But vast majority of cases of hives do not lead to life threatening stages. HIVES ARE VERY COMMON AND RARELY MEDICALLY SERIOUS. They usually resolve on their own over a period. As part of medical investigation, doctors ask the patients to pass a series of allergy tests and blood tests. Their medical history, family details and diet studies are also carried out to determine what could have triggered the onset of hives. In most of the cases, hives are caused by food allergens or food additives present in the stuff that people eat. The common food substances that can trigger allergic hives rash are eggs, soy, chocolates etc. People are sometimes allergic to the drugs they are taking. Sulfa drugs, penicillin, aspirins etc are known to trigger hives reaction on the skin surface. They must be immediately stopped to prevent further aggravation of hives. Some people are also allergic to animal dander and often get hives from cats’ dander. Apart from the above mentioned allergens, anything can drive the histamine level to threshold in the bloodstream. People are sometimes allergic to wasp sting, insect bite, old furniture, musty clothes, old bed sheets etc. Certain molds and viral attack are also known to trigger hives. Considering these causes, it is extremely clear that hives are not contagious and does not spread through contact, droplets etc. Now-a-days stress induced hives have been detected. In patients who suspect that the causative factor for them getting hives is nervous depression, anxiety or stress, often find themselves suffering from hives rash. It has been found that elevated levels of cortisol in the blood stream triggers the mast cells of the skin to produce histamines. These histamines trigger hives rash on the body. Wearing very tight fitting clothes and extreme sweating also trigger hives reaction on the skin. Extreme weather temperatures trigger hives rash on the body. Certain cancers such as leukemia are known to have associated hives rash on the skin. Treatment of hives Hives is an allergic reaction where the first approach of the doctor is to establish the allergen that could have triggered the condition of hives. Eliminating the hives causative factor can be a big challenge in front of the medical practitioner. Apart from this treatment, doctors also prefer administering common harmless anti-histamine drugs that help a person overcome the problem of itching, swelling and with raised welts. A doctor may provide Bendaryl and Claritin to treat milder forms of hives. However, these drugs are known to induce sleepiness and drowsiness in the patient. The doctor may then prescribe non-sleepy anti-histamine drugs that reduce the hives rash and control the spread of the allergy. There are several effective drugs that are found to control the stinging condition and itching of the affected area. Some of them are Loratidine, Alavert etc. If the condition of hives is very serious and severe, then it is advisable to take steroids (only after prescription) which can regulate the histamine levels in the blood stream. These powerful corticosterols are known to reduce itching and burning sensation on the skin. The only drawback of steroids is that those steroid medicines may have side-effects. In cases of chronic hives, the patient may be given an injectible solution of epinephrine which quickly regulates the presence of histamines here. In anaphylactic shocks and severe angioedema, epinephrine shots have proven to be highly affective.
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Hives Treatment
Hives Info Hives FAQ
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Hives, medically known as URTICARIA , is a skin disorder in which red ,bumpy patches appear on the skin. The patches are of various shapes and sizes that usually appear suddenly. Hiyes vary from few millimeters. To several inches and May join together to form larger areas known as plaques. These patches are very itchy, sometimes with burning sensation. People suffering from hives rash often complain about its incidence and wonder: “Are hives contagious?”