Top 5 Most Common Things That Can Give You Hives
Hives, urticaria, call it however you want – it’s still terrible. This medical condition causes skin itchiness in different areas of the body along with red welts. As many of us might already know, hives can appear on your face, arms, legs, torso and sometimes may even manifest inside the mouth or years.
Lucky patients develop tiny hives, about the size of a pencil tip. For others, though, urticaria can get as large as a dinner plate.
Almost every time, hives are caused by an allergic reaction to a certain substance; this reaction makes your body release histamine into the blood – and that’s exactly what causes swelling, itchiness and other unpleasant symptoms.
In mild cases, hives should go away on their own within six weeks since the outbreak. However, chronic hives may linger for several weeks or even months.
It’s very difficult to find the exact cause of hives especially if you’re not aware of any sensitivity to common allergens. Here are 5 potential causes of hives you should consider whenever they appear:
5 Common Things That Can Give You Hives
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Your diet
Debra Jaliman, MD, New York based dermatologist, says that one of the most common causes of hives is food related.
Whenever a new urticaria strikes, try to remember what you’ve eaten lately: shellfish, peanuts, eggs, milk and berries are some of the most common allergens known so far. You should take into consideration every meal you’ve had throughout the day and even the day before, because some allergies can take hours to manifest.
If you’re experiencing hives fairly often, it’s best to start keeping a food diary where you write down every single thing you eat daily. It shouldn’t be long until you notice a pattern, which can help you find which allergen causes your hives.
Dr. Jaliman and most specialists in the domain recommend adopting the elimination diet. This means avoiding any potential allergen and gradually reintroducing them to your diet to see which one causes hives.
Additionally, your doctor may also prescribe medicine to prevent extreme allergic reactions; in isolated cases, hives may appear inside the throat which can be life-threatening.
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Outdoor dangers
I think most of us are aware of the fact that insect bites or pollen can cause a hives breakout. What many people don’t know, though, is that cold temperatures, strong winds and even direct sunlight can cause urticaria.
However, Marilyn Li, MD, Los Angeles allergist, explains that this doesn’t mean you’re allergic to sunlight or the air. Instead, your skin may simply be extremely sensitive to such natural elements.
Of course, it’s ideal that you avoid any factor that brings you hives – but you can’t avoid the sun, can you? If weather or temperature changes give you urticaria, your doctor might prescribe an antihistamine which can ease or even eliminate symptoms altogether.
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Emotional instability
While foods are among the main allergens out there, experiencing very intense emotional responses (especially negative ones) can cause a hives outbreak. If you’ve recently gone through trauma, severe depression or anxiety, note that this might also be a cause for urticaria.
In fact, even children who experience several, extreme tantrums daily can get hives based on their high stress levels and hormonal imbalance.
Dr. Li explains that in most cases a specialist can recommend taking an antihistamine which can ease skin symptoms.
However, if you’re feeling emotionally unstable or cannot recover mentally from recent trauma, it might be best to ask for specialized help. Our post on 7 Signs Your Therapy Sessions Are Worth It offers valuable information to get you started on this journey.
