Hives: Discovering The Cause And How To Make Them Disappear

If you’ve ever broken out in hives, you know just how uncomfortable it is. This form of rash, medically known as urticaria, can be unsettling at first, especially if you don’t know what caused it to come on.

You can break out into hives at any time when high levels of histamine are released into your skin. This causes the blood vessels in the areas affected by it to leak which swells and itches. A number of things can set off a breakout of hives.

Common Causes Of Hives

When you break out in hives, you might want to think about recent events that could have contributed. Among the most common reasons you could wind up with hives are:

• Allergic reactions to animals, insect bites, certain types of plants, or foods
• Temperature changes
• Exposure to the sun
• A cold or the flu
• Certain types of medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, ACE inhibitors, and codeine
• Additives or preservatives in foods

Interestingly, some things can make the unrelenting itchiness of a hives outbreak worse. Alcohol, stress, caffeine, and overheating tend to bring out the irritation of hives more. If you have broken out in hives, it’s best to avoid these things until you soothe them away.

Getting Rid Of Hives

Luckily, most people can get rid of hives on their own. You can soak in oatmeal to soothe and relieve your skin. A cold compress also helps quell inflammation and itchiness. Another all-natural solution? Aloe Vera! However, you should test it on a small patch of skin first to make sure it helps before slathering it all over.

If you have an outbreak of hives, it’s best to discontinue use of fragranced soaps and moisturizers, avoid perfumes, and keep out of the sun. Soft, loose clothing is ideal to prevent irritating the outbreak further.

If none of those home remedies work and your hives continue to stick around, you might need to grab an OTC antihistamine, steroid tablet, or Benadryl. Calamine lotion can also relieve the itchiness.

For a rare few, none of these methods will work. If your symptoms endure for more than a few days, they get worse, it becomes painful or bruises, you feel dizzy, can’t breathe, or experience swelling of the throat, you should seek medical attention immediately to find out what’s going on. Your doctor can help you with severe cases of hives and get to the root of what brought them on so you can avoid triggering another outbreak in the future.

Whatever the outcome, it should be a relief to know that there is relief from hives. If breaking out in hives happens to you often, make sure you’re tested for any underlying conditions so you can prevent future outbreaks from disrupting your life.

Looking for 100% chemical-free, all-natural nourishing face and body oils? Check out Earth & Elm Nourishing Face Oil and Earth & Elm Nourishing Body Oil. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Jennifer Raskin is a freelance writer, wife and mom that loves cold weather despite her location in Florida, cooking, reading, watching ‘80s movies, weight-lifting, and wine tasting.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

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