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Cure for Hives


Hives Treatment » Medicinal Treatment For Hives » Cure for Hives

Cure For Hives The right cure for hives is a sincere quest that people suffering from it often look for. Hives (also known as utricaria) is a skin reaction to an allergen substance and makes an appearance as raised red or pale welts. These welts are mostly itchy and produce burning sensation as well on the skin. They appear as cluster welts that keep changing shapes and even sometimes the locations. Hives commonly occur on legs, arms, trunk and even on face. People suffering from hives try to scratch the area or rub it vigorously. But this does not seem to solve the problem; in fact scratching the area only aggravates the condition.

Cure for hives

Skin hives need not be taken very seriously as they are known to disappear on their own. In most of the cases, there is no need for any medication as well. However, if the condition of hives is persistent and last for more than a week, then it is better to seek the advice of a doctor. The cases of hives which last for more than six weeks are called as chronic hives. Chronic hives need urgent medical attention as the condition may be severely disfiguring and even debilitating. Sometimes, hives also cause swelling of face and the tongue. This is medically referred as angioedema. It may turn out be life threatening if the swelling results in constriction of the food pipe.

Doctors first begin by eliminating the allergen that might have triggered hives rash as soon as it is identified. The allergen needs to be identified which is again a big challenge.

In fact identifying the food substance that has caused allergy maybe the biggest challenge. Doctors may ask the patient to go through blood tests, allergy tests and other related physical examinations. You may also be asked to provide some information on your family history so that the doctor can gauge the common allergen that might have triggered the reaction of hives.

The mild cases of hives rash can be treated by applying thin layers of milk of magnesia or calamine lotion on the skin. These lotions contain zinc oxides which have healing properties on hives. Apart from these doctors may also prescribe anti-histamine drugs that control the itching and severity of hives. The most common anti-histamine drugs that can be even purchased over the counter are Benadryl, Loratidine etc. These anti-histamine drugs may be highly sedating. The patient may find himself lethargic and sleepy all the time. Doctors may then try to change the anti-histamine drugs and replace with non-sedating ones.

If the condition of hives is much severe then doctors prescribe oral steroids or corticosterones which are very effective in treating hives. Steroids are powerful drugs and may have their associated side-effects.

In severe and life-threatening cases of hives, where the person may find it difficult to even breathe or feels suffocated, a quick shot of epinephrine is administered as an injection to cure the hives.

There are certain home-made remedies also to get rid of hives. the most popular one is to drink a brewed tea made from the bark and leaves of Red Alder tea. The leaves of chamomile and rosemary also make wonderful and soothing herbal teas. If a patient is sure that the hives has been caused by nervous tension or stress, then it is advisable to sip these teas and calm the nerves as well as heal the hives.

Apart from these tips, hives condition is aggravated by taking very hot or cold water showers. One must avoid doing so. Also, tight and constricting clothes are also known to trigger the onset of hives. Avoid wearing tight clothes if your family history has hives and related skin rashes. Excessive perspiration is also a cause which is known to aggravate the condition of hives.

Sometimes hives can be due to hereditary factors as well. Owing to its genetic predisposition, these hives are the most difficult to combat. Patients in these cases are given danazol, which regulates the blood protein level in the body. This eventually reduces and regulates the production of histamines.
More information on Cure for hives is provided at Hives-Treatment.

Causes of hives

The actual cause of hives is not really known. In fact, any allergen can trigger the onset of hives. People are known to be allergic of food additives, food substances, and food colorants and sometimes as simple as old furniture items etc. The auto-immune system of the body gets stimulated in the presence of these allergens. As a result the antibodies IgE are produced in the blood stream and they bind with the mast cells of the skin. These mast cells soon begin to produce histamines in the body. Histamine depositions in the body trigger the onset of hives on the skin.

Food substances such as eggs, soy, chocolates, shellfish etc are known to produce hives on the body. Some people may be allergic to synthetic colors and additives, even preservatives. These colorants may trigger hives in some people.

Non-food substances such as cat's dander and pollen grains are also known to trigger allergic reactions. People having cats are found to be more allergic to their pets. It has been observed that dust mites in the air and pollen on the flowers produce hives on the body.

Other non-food substances that are capable of producing allergic reactions of hives are medications and drugs. Sometimes people are allergic to sulfa drugs and even antibiotics such as penicillin. Owing to infection in the body, they might have been asked to ingest these medicines, which might have triggered the hives reaction on the skin. Patients must completely stop using the drug which might have caused the allergic reaction hives.

It has been observed that when a person is under emotional stress and depression then he/she might end up getting skin hives. Extreme weather conditions such as too hot temperature or too cold a climate may trigger the onset of hives as well. The person who is more prone to allergic reactions of hives must avoid being in the presence of such weather extremities.
Causes of hives are discussed in detail on Hives Causes.