Uticaria, otherwise known as hives, is a skin condition that afflicts millions of people around the world every day. Sufferers deal with welts, wheals or rashes on various parts of the body, generally starting on areas that are consistently covered. These skin aberrations are usually caused by an allergic reaction to something in your environment. However, it’s entirely possible that your particular trigger will be unknown.
Whenever the body encounters an allergen the body releases histamines, once released the capillaries under the skin leak fluid resulting in raised itchy patches of skin. Hives can last anywhere from minutes to several hours or longer. Since this condition is very uncomfortable, many sufferers try to find the best hives treatments to relieve or cure hives.
Possible Triggers
Insect bites
Contact with irritant (detergents, fabric softener, dust, dander, etc…)
Foods
Sunlight
Certain medications
Potential Hives Treatments
There are several different ways to address the problem of hives, as outlined in the methods of natural hives treatments from HTO . Many people will work on an elimination process, which prevents contact with allergens. This is fine if you are completely certain about what is triggering your hives. For example, if pet dander is your trigger, it’s relatively simple to keep your contact to a minimum. However, if your hives can be triggered by sunlight or water, avoidance is not a feasible alternative.
External Hives Treatments
When you want the itching to stop, it is only natural to seek out a topical treatment, something that will go directly on the source of your discomfort. The most common external treatment for hives is the use of over the counter anti-itch creams, which may include hydrocortisone, camphor, diphenhydramine or menthol. These can give temporary immediate relief, but the relief is usually short-lived.
Other external options include:
Cool compress
Temperate to cool oatmeal bath
Aloe Vera gel
Water and baking soda paste
Internal Hives Treatments
As you probably already know there is a wide variety of allergy medication available OTC at your local pharmacy and since hives are a type of allergic reaction it is only sensible to consider these alternatives.
Some of the most common include but are not limited to:
Benadryl
Claritin
Allegra
Chlor-Trimeton
If you prefer something a bit more natural, you might want to consider herbal teas or supplements such as:
Goldenseal
Milk of magnesia
Stinging Nettle (it may sound counterintuitive, but proponents swear it is effective)
Basil
Final Thoughts
In general, hives are considered an irritation. However, there is the potential for more serious complications, especially for those who suffer with acute uticaria. About 25% of people who suffer with acute hives will also deal with acute angioedema, which is a swelling of facial tissue, most commonly occurring in the soft tissue around the eyes, throat and mouth. This swelling can also affect the tongue and in severe cases hamper the breathing of the sufferer.
The good news is hives does not have to be a life long struggle; in fact, about half of acute sufferers will cease to see symptoms after 2-5 years. Of course, in the meantime it is good to understand the potential hives treatments.
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