Signs and Symptoms of Hives

What are some common signs and symptoms of hives?

At first, it might be difficult to tell what hives are. That's because even though some might start out as giant welts, others might begin as small bumps or isolated raised patches that don't resemble the hives that you might have seen in illustrations or on television.

Hives are basically a harmless kind of skin rash that is usually caused by an allergic reaction to something. The rash itself might be isolated in only one part of the skin, or pop up in batches all over the entire body. Some of the hives might be small bumps, while others could be large, raised welts that are tender to the touch.

In learning to look out for the signs and symptoms of hives, it would be useful to know that hives are most commonly found on the trunk, throat, legs, and arms. If they appear on the throat, then it is very important to ensure that the throat doesn't swell, too, which can cause breathing complications.

If the hives last for more than 6 weeks, they are referred to as "chronic urticaria." For these types of hives, it is usually more difficult to figure out what has caused them. In fact, in the majority of cases, the cause is never known, which can be very frustrating to the person with the ailment.

Sometimes, the onset of hives is sudden and you might notice large welts appearing all over the body. Other times, the hives might start out slowly and then, over the course of a couple of hours, the welts might get bigger and bigger. If you are unable to see the hives, like if they are located on your back, then you might notice the itching first.

The signs and symptoms of hives are caused by the histamine release from the mast cells that are located inside of the skin. For that reason, antihistamines are usually used to treat the hives.

Some common signs and symptoms of hives include itching, the appearance of large welts that come and go frequently, tenderness in the raised areas, and swelling of the tongue, lips, and face. The welts themselves might only stay in one location for an hour or even for a few minutes. Then, they might disappear, only to pop up someplace else a few moments later. Unlike bug bites, the welts tend to move around and don't stay dormant for long.

If an individual hive stays around for longer than 24 hours, then it might not be a hive at all - it could be a different kind of rash altogether. On the other hand, don't be too alarmed if some of the welts come together and form one large hive that covers a big area. Hives have been known to converge and cover an area the size of a child's stomach or back. This is only a concern if the welt starts oozing any liquid or does not go away within a day.

Cholinergic urticaria is a type of hives that shows up as small itchy red bumps. There literally might be hundreds of them at a time. These symptoms of hives can develop within minutes of a hot bath or after physical exertion and don't usually stay around for very long. They are temporary hives and appear most often in the very young.

If the signs and symptoms of hives are accompanied by any other symptoms such as fever, runny nose, sore throat, or aches and pains, then they might be a sign of a viral infection or another type of infection. In that case, then using natural remedies that act as antibiotics might be able to help clear up the infection which, then, can in turn help clear up the hives.

In the meantime, the focus is usually put on trying to curb the symptoms of hives - the itching and uncomfortable feeling that hives can bring.

To learn more about this condition, read the other related hives articles and pages on this website.

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