Hives
Hives (urticaria) is an allergic reaction in the skin characterized by white or pink welts or large bumps surrounded by redness. These welts are known as wheal and flare lesions and are caused primarily by the release of histamine (an allergy mediator) in the skin. About 50% of people with chronic hives develop angioedema—a deeper, more serious form of hives involving the tissue below the surface of the skin.
While the basic cause of hives involves the release of histamine from white blood cells, what actually triggers this release can be a variety of factors, such as physical contact or pressure, heat (prickly heat rash), cold, water, autoimmune reactions, infectious organisms, and allergies or sensitivities to drugs (especially antibiotics and aspirin), foods, and food additives.
What are the symptoms of hives?
Symptoms include an itchy skin rash with red bumps that can appear on the face, trunk of the body, and, sometimes, on the scalp, hands, or feet. Individual lesions usually last less than 24 hours and can change shape, fade, and then rapidly reappear. People with hives may also have wheezing, or swelling of the eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat.
How is it treated?
Conventional treatment includes medications, such as antihistamines, diphenhydramine, doxepin, loratadine, cyproheptadine, and cetirizine to relieve the rash and itching. In serious cases, doctors may also prescribe cortisone-like drugs.
Dietary changes that may be helpful:
Allergy to foods and food additives is a common cause of hives, especially in chronic cases.1 The foods most often reported to trigger hives are dairy products, eggs, chicken, cured meat, alcoholic beverages, chocolate, citrus fruits, shellfish, and nuts.
Nutritional supplements that may be helpful:
In theory, high amounts of vitamin C might help people with hives by lowering histamine levels. Amounts of at least 2,000 mg daily appear necessary to produce these effects. |
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