Hives Symptoms - Conditions For Urticaria And Hives Home Remedies

How To Treat Hives Symptoms

Technically known as urticaria, hives refer to a skin reaction caused by contact with an allergen called histamine. The skin breaks into small circular blotches which are pale red in color and slightly swollen. These rashes appear in small groups in certain parts of the body for a short while and then fade away on their own, only to reappear in another part of the body. Sometimes itchy lesions may also appear with the red patches and cause irritation. In more severe cases, the patient may even suffer from difficulty in swallowing and breathing, dizziness and increase in the pulse rate.

There are a few preventive measures that you may follow in order to avoid hives. Stay away from foods like nuts, figs, berries, sea fish, soy products, chocolate and eggs. Keep a safe distance from pets, since contact with their hair may also trigger hives. As far as possible, stay away from extremely hot or cold environments, and avoid moving between extremes of temperature in quick succession in order to avoid hives. Once you have identified the exact cause or factor that triggers hives, it becomes easier to prevent hives. However, there are a few simple home remedies that you may find useful in case you do get hives. A popular remedy is to dab the affected area with the milk of magnesia at regular intervals. This soothes inflamed skin and treats the itchy lesions. Calamine lotion is also known to have similar effects if applied periodically. If the rashes are itchy as well as painful, you should try cold compresses to relieve the symptoms. Simply using a few ice cubes wrapped in a soft towel over the rashes is greatly helpful. If the rashes appear all over the body, the best way to get instant relief is to mix half a cup each of cornstarch and baking soda into a tub of warm bathwater and soak your body in this solution for at least 15 minutes. You should then pat your body dry with a soft towel and put on loose garments made of a natural fabric. Applying vitamin E oil all over the body just after bathing is also helpful in treating hives. Local application of aloe vera juice or gel is also known to lessen the burning and itching. In addition, make a herbal tea by boiling two teaspoons of powdered stinging nettles in a cup of water and drink this thrice a day to treat hives.