Do you suffer from those itchy red welts and wonder what they are all about? Hives are actually symptoms of a dermatological condition known as urticaria. In this post I want to answer several questions that people have about hives that come and go. Herein is a comprehensive account on all you need to know about chronic hives.
What are hives?
Hives manifest as swollen, pale and bumpy welts or patches on your skin.
They often appear suddenly in many people. Hives can appear anywhere on your body including your face, tongue, lips, ears, torso and throat.
If you suffer from this condition you may experience itching, stinging or a burning sensation on the affected areas. (1)
What are the causes of hives?
In order for you to properly understand the causes of hives that come and go in adults and babies, you must know about the several types of this condition; Acute urticaria, Chronic urticaria, physical urticaria and dermatographism.
Acute urticaria refers to hives that last less than 6 weeks.
The most common causes of these types of hives are certain foods, certain medication, latex, insect bites or stings and several infections. The common drugs that are known to cause hives include aspirin, NSAIDs, high blood pressure drugs and opioid drugs like codeine.
Chronic urticaria refers to the hives that last for more than 6 weeks. The exact causes of these kinds of hives are more difficult to pinpoint.
Sometimes the causes may be similar to those of acute urticaria. In other instances, they may include auto-immune diseases, chronic infections, malignancy and hormonal disorders. These are the types of hives that come and go. (2)
Physical urticaria is hives that are formed when your skin is directly stimulated. Stimulation of your skin may include heat or cold application, excessive exposure to the sun, prolonged vibration, sweating, exercise and pressure. These types of hives often appear on the specific spots where your skin is stimulated and will rarely manifest anywhere else.
Dermatographism refers to hives that appear after you scratch or stroke your skin firmly. These forms of hives commonly appear alongside the other types of hives.
Do hives go away on their own?
The effects of hives can last anywhere from a few hours to several months.
But according to Dr. Deborah Wiancek in the interview How to Treat Hives with Naturopathy?, hives that come and go don’t go away without proper treatment:
Hives generally do not go away on their own. Hives are due to a problem with your immune system and left untreated can cause autoimmune type problems.”
In some cases, the hives will go away naturally without treatment. The symptoms may resolve spontaneously after several weeks but there is always the likelihood that they may recur. Over 50% of urticaria patients will undergo remission within one year.
In order to heal hives that come and go, you need to find the underlying cause!
The importance of investigating the causes of hives
As I mentioned earlier, hives are not conditions on their own but rather symptoms of an underlying condition. In almost all the cases, the underlying factor is usually an allergic reaction.
This reaction occurs after your body releases histamine; a naturally occurring substance that causes the swelling and itching.
Some of you may have been born with allergies while others develop them at certain points in their lives. Your immediate environment and substances you ingest may be causing harm to your health. However, the single most important reason why you should investigate the causes of hives is the possibility of developing anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a very severe allergic reaction. This life-threatening condition causes swelling on your throat leading to breathing problems and possible suffocation. Although it is quite rare, determining the causes of your hives and eliminating the possible allergens greatly reduces your chances of developing it. (3)
It is better to be safe than a statistic. Additionally, in some sufferers, each subsequent attack of hives may become more severe. Such patients must identify and avoids triggers as much as possible.
What are the most common food allergens?
The first step in the treatment of hives is a change in diet. You should avoid or eliminate all possible triggers from your food list. The common foods patients should avoid are eggs, milk, peanuts, shellfish, certain berries and additives.
Histamine, the chemical responsible for allergic reactions is also present in certain foods. According to chronichives.com, this is due to the activity of microbial enzymes on the amino acid histidine. (4)
It is therefore advisable to exclude foods high in histamine including chocolate, cheese, wheat, buttermilk, processed meats, eggnog and soy beans.
Essential fatty acids particularly omega-3 fatty acids are effective in treating hives. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. The foods rich in these fatty acids include walnuts, flaxseeds, cod, salmon and halibut.
In terms of supplements, you may take evening primrose oil in capsules
What to do with hives that come and go in babies, toddlers & children?
If your child has chronic hives, you should consult your doctor. Keeping a daily record of activities and what your child eats will help to find out the possible triggers of hives.
If the hives feel itchy, the doctor may recommend an antihistamine medicine to block the release of histamine.
Several essential oils can also help with the inflammation and itchiness. They include chamomile, tea tree, peppermint and lavender essential oils. (5)
The essential oils that are the most appropriate for children are lavender, Roman chamomile, tea tree and peppermint.
You can mix a few drops of essential oils with coconut oil, and apply it on skin as explained on this page. It is very important to use caution when beginning to use essential oils with a baby. Essential oils are very potent; add only one or two drops to coconut oil for massage. Also, do not place undiluted essential oil close to baby’s face.
According to Valerie Ann Worwood in The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, lavender and chamomile are safe for babies. However, always perform a patch test on your baby’s skin and never used undiluted essential oil directly on baby’s skin. It can burn and cause irritation.
Hives are usually unpleasant but relatively harmless to the majority of sufferers. You can alleviate some of the symptoms by wearing loose clothing and bathing in luke-warm water. (6)
Finally, watch the video below and follow these tips from dermatologists for hives that come and go in children:
Feel free to share any information on other natural remedies for chronic hives you might know of in the comments section!
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