Skin Hives Causes | Treatment | Remedies
Hives is basically a skin rash that occurs in response to some allergen or irritant. Most people have experienced hives at some point in their lives, and it is no doubt an unpleasant experience. The raised areas of inflamed skin are not only unpleasant to look at; they also often itch and hurt, and may ooze fluids. In rare, very severe cases, the inflammation may leave behind a bruise as it heals.
A common question, therefore, is: how does one get rid of hives? However, before answering this question, it is important to know the cause of hives. As with many other health problems, prevention is better than cure. With hives however, knowing the cause is particularly important because the reaction may not always have an external cause. Very often hives are caused by an allergic reaction, or by some irritating substance, or even as an accompaniment to some relatively harmless infection such as a common cold.
Whenever you do develop hives, the best treatment is to apply a cold compress on the affected areas. You can either rub an ice cube over the inflamed areas or press a soft cloth that has been soaked in cold water. In rare cases, people develop hives in response to cold temperatures, and if you have this problem, you should of course avoid this treatment completely. In such a case, your only option is calamine lotion. If you want, you can also try using over the counter anti histamines, but this of course will work only if the hives are an allergic response.
Causes Of Hives
A common question, therefore, is: how does one get rid of hives? However, before answering this question, it is important to know the cause of hives. As with many other health problems, prevention is better than cure. With hives however, knowing the cause is particularly important because the reaction may not always have an external cause. Very often hives are caused by an allergic reaction, or by some irritating substance, or even as an accompaniment to some relatively harmless infection such as a common cold.
- If you get hives in response to some substance, then identifying the substance and avoiding it should be quite easy, and is the obvious solution to the problem.
- If you develop hives when you develop a common cold or some other infection, there is not much you can do by way of prevention, but you can at least put your mind to rest with the knowledge that it will disappear within a few days.
- In some cases however, hives may be chronic, and this is when you need to get proper medical treatment.
- Some people develop hives on a regular basis, while others may develop hives that last for several weeks, instead of just a few days. In such cases, there is usually an autoimmune disorder at work, and it is necessary to identify this disorder in order to control the problem.
Natural Remedies For Hives
Whenever you do develop hives, the best treatment is to apply a cold compress on the affected areas. You can either rub an ice cube over the inflamed areas or press a soft cloth that has been soaked in cold water. In rare cases, people develop hives in response to cold temperatures, and if you have this problem, you should of course avoid this treatment completely. In such a case, your only option is calamine lotion. If you want, you can also try using over the counter anti histamines, but this of course will work only if the hives are an allergic response.