Definition
Hives are raised, often itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin, often on the limbs and trunk. They are usually an allergic reaction to food or medicine. Hives often appear suddenly and last only for a short while, but can be recurring in some cases. The cause of hives is still unknown.
Causes
When you have an allergic reaction to a substance, your body releases histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream. This causes itching, swelling, and other symptoms.
Common causes are allergies to:
• insect bites or stings (e.g. bee stings)
• certain medicines (e.g. aspirin, penicillin)
• certain food (e.g. shellfish)
• pollen.
Symptoms
• Itching
• Swelling of the surface of the skin into red- or skin-colored welts (called wheals) with clearly defined edges
The welts may get bigger, spread, and join together to form larger areas of flat, raised skin. They can also change shape, disappear, and reappear within minutes or hours.
Exams and Tests
Your doctor can tell if you have hives by looking at your skin.Occasionally, skin or blood tests are done to confirm that you had an allergic reaction and to test for the substance that caused the allergic response.
What you can do
• Wait for the condition to go away. Hives normally clears up on their own in 1–2 days.
• Apply a cool compress to ease the itch.
• Take a cool shower.
• Apply calamine lotion.
• Take anti-histamines (an anti-allergy medicine) as directed by the doctor. Do not drive or operate machines when taking anti-histamines as this medicine causes drowsiness.
• Determine the substances that caused you to have hives and avoid them.
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hmm, problem is... i don't even have ANY clue as to what i am allergic to lor =( so for now, i have really got to watch what i am eating... argghh... aniwae, doc gave me some medicines (prednisolone and hydroxyzin), hopefully it's good enough, hahaha...
Hives, hives, go away
Never again another day
Little missy wants to play
Itching, swelling, all away
5 comments:
wat happened to u???
any possible clue as to what triggered it?
i have cold urticaria basically hives when i feel cold. same symptoms and i normally just wait it out. for prevention, it's got be anti-histamines.
hopefully it's a one time thing.
anyway, left hp at home and i feel so crippled. =/
My sympathies. It'd be good if u can recall what u ate or did before u got the hives. I've had it once when I returned from a colder country (Korea). Not sure if that's hives, but same itchiness and raised welts.
Pls take care and hope u dun ever get it again!
no real clue really... thought i suspect it may be salmon sashimi, hahaha...
whatever.. now can only eat rice, pork and vegs... next week will try to experiment with more food and see which one is causing the hives, hahaha...
I thought I saw the word hiv at first, got a scare. Have u recovered from the hives? Could it be an allergy to some kind of alcohol?
Hope u're better now.
what? HIV? errrhhh, you need to get a new pair of contact lens... hahaha
nah, dont think it's allergy to alcohol.. i still think it's the salmon fish, hahaha..
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