There are many things that can cause hives, swollen lymph nodes to appear. When they happen at the same time an infection should be high on the suspect list. Lymph glands are there to help the body defend against infection. And when they are doing that job, it is normal for the lymph gland or nodes to increase in size. After doing so, they often remain swollen for a considerable length of time.

What Are Lymph Nodes Anyway?

Lymph nodes, or lymph glands, are an important part of the body’s defense system against infection. Infections sometimes result in hives. Swollen lymph nodes would be a normal part of fighting the infection that may be causing the hives. Swollen lymph nodes may be localized or generalized.

There are more than one lymph node areas. In fact, the following are areas where lymph node enlargement can occur.

• Cervical (neck) lymph node enlargement
• Axillary (arm pit) lymph node enlargement
• Epitrochlear lymph node enlargement
• Inguinal (groin) lymph node enlargement
• Femoral lymph node enlargement

It is common for the chest, arm, and neck areas to develop hives. Swollen lymph nodes can be found in those same areas and the causes for both can be the same. Common causes of lymph node enlargement are infections in the head, sinus, ears, eyes, and pharynx.

Could It Be Cancer?

Many people jump first to the conclusion that hives, swollen lymph nodes, and pain can mean cancer. Of all the lymph node area that may become swollen, only the supraclavicular lymph nodes on the left or right side of the clavicle, lateral to where it joins the sternum, could possibly be a symptom of cancer. Most of the time people experience hives, swollen lymph nodes are noticed in the ear and neck area. The hives are usually in the same general neck and ear or top of the chest area. The swelling of these lymph nodes are only enlarged as the result of infections, either local or in the ear canal. Your doctor can help you test any of these areas to alleviate your concern.

When someone is breaking out in hives, throwing up, and itching all over, the most common thought is that they are having an allergic reaction. While this could be the cause, the fact is that hives, especially when they are not a chronic problem, are more often caused by a virus or an infection. With viral hives, throwing up is actually quite common.

Remember that hives are an immune system response and the immune system does respond to hives. In toddlers and children especially, hives, throwing up, and a fever is a pretty good sign that the immune system is trying to fight off a virus. The immune system will release histamine in its attempt to fight off the virus, and that is the cause of the hives. The hives will be extremely itchy, and can remain after the vomiting has subsided. Try some antihistamine medication, either oral or in an ointment. If the fever gets high or the throat begins to swell, medical attention should be sought right away.

Infection Could Be The Culprit

The body’s immune system reacts to infections much the same as a virus. Hives, throwing up, and other symptoms appear in the same way, and are just as bothersome. But with infection induced hives, the symptoms usually appear after the body begins to clear the infection. Even something as common as a cold can cause these symptoms. The vomiting won’t last long in this case, but the hives may persist for a couple weeks. Again, an antihistamine will help alleviate the hives. Hives are difficult to live with for anyone, but to have them even for a couple of days can be difficult to bear. Try to get rid of them before further scratching make the hives worse.

An Allergic Reaction Can Cause Both Hives, Throwing Up To Appear Quickly

If the hives and vomiting seem to come out of nowhere there is a good possibility it is the result of an allergic reaction. In these cases, the symptoms appear quickly and can often disappear just as quickly. The hives can be dealt with the same way, with an antihistamine of some sort, but caution should be taken to be sure it is not a more serious reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency and needs immediate attention.

More than half the cases of hives go undiagnosed and can be very difficult to live with. If you never find the reason but the hives persist, you will need to find a treatment to help you get rid of the hives. It will need to be something more than antihistamines, which are not a long-term solution.

If you break out in hives, chest pain is often another symptom. This can be a frightening experience for anyone.  Hives is known medically as urticaria. Chest pain is not a normal symptom associated with most instances of hives, but it is not all that unusual either. In some cases of urticaria, chest pain can help your physician narrow down the possible cause and make a diagnosis. Reoccurring bouts with hives can be very difficult to live with for anyone. Hives and chest pain is even worse. And probably the worst part is that so many cases go undiagnosed. More than 50 percent of all urticaria is classified as idiopathic, meaning of unknown cause.

Sudden Urticaria, Chest Pain Could Be An Anaphylactic Reaction

Anaphylaxis is a serious situation that requires immediate attention. It often presents with hives, chest pain, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. If you find yourself or someone you’re with experiencing unexplained urticaria, chest pain, and having a hard time breathing, don’t take the time to try to figure out the cause, call 911 without delay.

Allergic Reaction Is A Possibility

Hives, chest pain, and other symptoms can be an allergic reaction to something just ingested or something that the skin has come in contact with. The hives will usually go away in fairly short order and can be relieved with an antihistamine like Benadryl. If you keep on having attacks of hives, or if they become chronic and are lasting longer than 6 weeks, allergies are not the likely culprit. Although not life threatening, there are few conditions more difficult to live with then hives. Chest pain and hives together can become unbearable for anyone and are probably caused by something other than an allergic reaction if they keep coming back.

Could Be A Viral/Bacteria Problem

Most people don’t know that viruses and infections are very often the cause of urticaria. Chest pain will accompany the hives condition in many cases. Tests can be done to verify it but one example of a bacteria that can cause hives is Helicobacter Pylori.

Helicobacter Pylori is a spiral shaped bacteria that was first found in the human stomach in the 1980’s. It has been connected to many gastrointestinal diseases like peptic ulcers, and has been shown to increase the risk of stomach cancer. It is associated with about 80% of all cases of gastric ulcers. The removal of this infection not only helps to heal the ulcers but also symptoms like hives, chest pain, stomach pain, and nausea. You can be tested for this infection and may be surprised that it is a cause of your urticaria. Chest pain and nausea will go away as well and treatment can be effective in 2 – 4 weeks.

Hives, chest pain, and many other symptoms are caused by infection. Don’t overlook this important possibility when trying to diagnose the cause of your hives. It is an immune system response after all, and the answer is usually found in dealing with the immune system for any long-term solution to a hives problem.

Having a hives attack can be miserable enough but the heat of summer makes the condition even worse, and in some cases even causes it. Urticaria (the medical term for hives) is experienced by about 20% of the population. Most urticaria attack causes are never figured out. But that doesn’t make the condition any easier to live with. A hives attack comes on suddenly as the result of the body’s immune system releasing histamine from the skin’s mast cells. The histamine release is a defense mechanism against an enemy; either real or one the immune system thinks is real. This release causes slight swelling and the splotchy, red and raised wheals on the skin. These wheals are the part of the hive attack that causes the misery. They itch, often terribly so. Scratching them makes them even worse. The heat of summer and sweat aggravates these areas even more.

In some cases, the heat is the cause of the urticaria attack. This is known as cholinergic urticaria.

Cholinergic Urticaria Attack – What Is It?

Cholinergic urticaria is a subcategory of physical urticaria. It is a hypersensitive response in the skin as the result of an increase in body temperature, or even the release of sweat. This type of hives attack is obviously more common in the summer months. Some people even refer to it as “heat rash” but a hives attack brought on by heat is more than just a rash.

It is thought that this type of urticaria attack is caused by the breakdown of the mast cells in the skin immediately prior to the release of sweat. This is thought to be caused by the body releasing a chemical called acetycholine.  This somehow triggers an allergic response in the skin. The urticaria attack only occurs upon exposure to heat stimuli of some sort. Usually, just prior to the actual hives attack, the person will feel a stinging or itchy sensation on a certain area of the body. If you know you are prone to this type of hives attack, it may be a good idea to carry an antihistamine medication with you during the summer months, or if you know you are going to be involved in an activity that is likely to result in raising your body temperature, like exercise.

If you do experience a cholinergic urticaria attack, avoid scratching it, as difficult as that may be. It will only make the wheals worse and aggravate the hives.

How To Treat A Heat Related Hives Attack

There is no cure for this type of hives. In fact, it is not even completely understood. The best idea is to avoid the triggers, like exercise, physical activity, hot rooms, or even spicy foods. But during the summer, it is almost impossible to avoid the heat and the resulting hives attack, so carrying around an antihistamine medication is a good idea.

Many times, this type of hives will eventually go away, never to come back. For those lucky enough to have this happen, it may be useful to know that the average length of time that one suffers from cholinergic hives attacks is seven years. But that is a long seven years to deal with the unending itching. Try to work with a doctor or other expert to find a regimen that lessens the frequency of these hives attacks. The answer may lie in a overall healthier immune system.

When you suffer with hives, fatigue can sometimes be another symptom that can help you figure out what is really wrong with you. Known medically as urticaria, hives goes undiagnosed in more than half of all cases. But anyone dealing with hives for more than an hour knows the itching is almost unbearable. People will do anything to stop the itching of urticaria. Fatigue is most often a result of using antihistamines to treat the urticaria. Fatigue may also be another symptom to consider along with the hives to help with diagnosis. So how do you tell the difference?

Stop Hives Fatigue By Changing The Treatment

If you are taking an antihistamine to try to relieve the itching, try something else. Antihistamines are not a good long-term answer anyway for treating urticaria. Fatigue or drowsiness will be listed on the antihistamine label in many cases. Take a look at the label of the medication you are using.  If drowsiness is listed, try a different medication or try an ointment instead. Better yet would be a non-antihistamine natural treatment to stop the itching of hives. Fatigue won’t be a problem if you take a cool bath, for example. Don’t use hot water, as this may aggravate the hives and make the itching worse. Some people find temporary relief by applying apple cider vinegar. There are many homeopathic remedies effective for temporary relief of acute hives. Chronic hives will require something a little more permanent. It is difficult enough to live with undiagnosed, or idiopathic, hives. Fatigue is just another factor to make life more difficult.

Chronic Urticaria May Respond To Other Medications

Chronic idiopathic hives can go on for years. Some of the newer antihistamines like Zyrtec and Claritin help stop the itch of hives without drowsiness. For others with hives, fatigue is avoided by using oral steroids like prednisone or medrol. But they are not without their own side effects so be sure you are using them under the supervision of your doctor.

For some cases of chronic idiopathic hives, fatigue is avoided by using doxepin, which is an antidepressant. The drowsiness side effect of this drug goes away after several weeks, but can be substantial when first started. It blocks histamine release, which is what causes the wheals of hives. Fatigue from this drug as a side effect will diminish after no more than six weeks for most people and can be used long term if it helps.

Epinephrine is used for severe cases of hives. Fatigue is not a side effect of epinephrine, but it must be taken every 4 – 6 hours.

If you experiment enough, you may find a combination of medications, or changes in diet that will relieve the itching of urticaria. Fatigue does not have to be something you live with, but it may take some time before you find the regimen that works for you.

Viral hives are a kind of hives brought on by a viral infection. Commonly, along with the hives, headaches, fever, and nausea will be the main symptoms. There is usually not a lot of swelling around viral hives, which often causes them to be misdiagnosed as angioedema. The swelling in angioedema is primarily under the skin.

Viral hives affect children more than adults but with this type of hives, headaches are common. The hives will generally be gone within about four weeks or less. Usually only a small portion of the body is covered by hives, headaches can be treated with over the counter medications like acetaminophen or aspirin.

What Else Could Cause Hives, Headaches To Appear At The Same Time?

In adults, the list of possible causes for hives is almost endless. In fact most cases go undiagnosed.  This is referred to as idiopathic hives. Sudden, one-time attacks of hives are usually a little easier to diagnose. Medications can often be the cause of hives. Headaches treated with codeine are an example of when the cause and symptom can get confused. Codeine is a prescription medication notorious for causing hives. Headaches treated with codeine often result in an outbreak of hives. The patient thinks the hives are causing the headache or even that the headache is causing the hives. Headaches seldom cause hives by themselves, although occasionally the stress of a migraine headache will bring on an outbreak of hives. Headaches should be treated with another medication that doesn’t contain codeine if the allergic reaction to codeine is a problem. Your doctor will be able to recommend an alternative treatment.

Food additives can be another cause of hives, headaches, and other allergic reactions. In particular, some people have an allergic reaction to certain food colorings. With a sudden outbreak of hives, headaches can be a tell-tale sign that food additives are a problem. If it happens again, you should consider starting a food journal to see what common food or foods are triggering the hives. If the trigger food id found and it is a prepared food, read the ingredient label and pay particular attention to any food colorings used. Write it down. Do the same for any other foods that cause similar reactions and you might be able to narrow down the additive causing the problem. Good and persistent detective work will pay off!

The combination of hives and nausea probably means some sort of allergic reaction. Hives are a common condition, one that is experienced by about one in five of the general population. The condition can affect any race or sex, and is not more prevalent in any one region of the world.

Hives are reddish, splotchy areas that are slightly raised and itch intensely. They are caused from a reaction that activates immune cells in the skin – the mast cells. When these cells are activated, histamine is released, causing the intense itching known as hives. Nausea is not a normal symptom associated with hives and when both hives and nausea are present, you must rule out anaphylaxis.

Hives And Nausea Could Be A Symptom Of Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is serious. If not treated, it can be life threatening. It is a whole-body allergic reaction to something that the body perceives as an allergen. The reaction happens quickly and is severe. Symptoms include confusion, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, palpitations, slurred speech, difficulty breathing, wheezing, hives, and nausea.

It is an emergency and needs to be treated immediately.  911 should be called without delay. The patient may lose consciousness.

Hives And Nausea Could Also Be Experienced Together With Some Other Allergic Reactions

Most people think of allergic reaction as the main cause of acute hives but that is really not the case. When it can be diagnosed, it is more often associated with an infection or virus or both. But an allergic reaction to some medications could result in hives and nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Codeine in particular causes both hives and nausea. If the reaction happens within an hour of taking a medication of some sort, stop taking it until you can consult a physician.

Exercise Induced Hives Could Also Cause Hives And Nausea

There are many hives conditions known as physical hives. Most of these, however, will not cause nausea. Hives and nausea could, in some cases, occur together in exercise induced hives. These occur when physical exertion during exercise provokes an immune system response, sometimes to the sweat produced during exercise. It often happens only when a certain food is eaten prior to exercise. Most people that have this condition don’t want to stop exercising completely and with the help of their doctor can come up with certain exercise routines to avoid the associated hives and nausea. It could be not eating certain foods prior to exercise or may involve taking an antihistamine medication just prior to exercise. These cases are very individualized and beyond being able to explain in an article.

Urticaria is the medical term for the condition commonly known as hives. Chronic hives, those cases lasting longer than six weeks, are normally found to be one of the physical types of hives. Hives that bruise fall into this physical classification.  Some of the chronic hives are more painful than they are itchy. After they go away, these are usually the types of hives that bruise

What is Physical Urticaria?

In a broad sense, Physical hives just means that the hives are caused by one or more “physical” causes. Believe it or not, the most often seen chronic physical urticaria type is known as dermographism. These are the type of hives that show up within minutes of scratching repeatedly along the same skin area. It will usually be in a series of straight, linear red marks, following the direction of the scratching. These can be the type of hives that bruise, even bleed. As hard as it may be, the scratching must be stopped if there is any chance of them going away.

Other common types of physical hives are described below. Not all of them will result in hives that bruise, and in fact only a few types of hives bruise potentially.

• Pressure hives occur a few hours after pressure is applied to the same portion of the body for an extended period.  It may be a too-tight belt, a mattress pressing up against a sensitive area for hours while sleeping, clothes that are too tight, or some type of work orr safety type clothing that is extra heavy applying pressure in a spot that is not normal. It is sometimes hard to diagnose this type of hives, because they show up hours after the pressure has been relieved and the person may not be able to recall the pressure point. Unless the pressure was extreme, this is not normally the type of hives that bruise.
• Cholinergic hives appear either during or shortly after a period of exercise. This is a common physical hives type, but not a type that would cause hives that bruise
• Cold urticaria is a type of physical hives that come on with a very quick drop in temperature. It could even be from exposure to very cold water or ice.  This is another common type of physical hives, but also another that is unlikely to produce hives that bruise.
• Heat urticaria is a physical hives type  that occurs after exposure to warm or hot temperature. It can even be from a hot bath.  Unlike the cold urticaria mentioned above, this is not common, and is unlikely to cause hives that bruise.
• Solar urticaria occurs within minutes after exposure to sunlight.
• Vibratory Angioedema happens when the skin is exposed to vibration over some time. This often happens with hand tools and in work situations. It is a rare form of physical urticaria, but could cause hives that bruise.
• Aquagenic urticaria is hives that are produced after exposure of the skin to water. Fortunately this is a rare condition. It is difficult to avoid contact with water if you want to stay clean. But this would not result in hives that bruise.

So there are only a few of the physical urticaria types that will cause hives that bruise but the list above should help you narrow down any condition that applies to you. Finally, it should be noted that although hives that bruise are not all that common, hives that scar can occur with any of the hives types if excessive itching produces bleeding and gouging of the skin. If you do cause bleeding or gouging from scratching too much, consider using something like Benadryl ointment to relieve the itching and then apply an antibiotic cream to help the skin heal. Any hives that bruise will just need to be left alone until the bruising goes away on its own.

First of all, it should be understood that getting hives on fingers or hands is not much different than getting hives anywhere else. They can appear on any part of the body. But hives on fingers, or hives between fingers can be a little more bothersome and usually itch more.

Contact Urticaria a Likely Suspect

Common sense dictates that contact urticaria be looked at as a first possibility for the cause of hives on fingers and hands. Some allergic reactions happen suddenly just from skin contact with the allergen. Think about how many things your fingers and hands come in contact with daily and it becomes obvious why this is the most likely cause. A reaction to latex is common. So wearing latex gloves, even briefly, will cause hives on fingers. This is just one example but any time you develop hives on fingers, hands, or even the wrist area, think back to the last substance your hand came in contact with. It might be as simple as that.

Vibratory Hives on Fingers Also Common

Vibratory hives is experienced by many and if you are a person who uses hand tools or kitchen appliances, this may be causing your hives on fingers or hands. Again, this is kind of common sense but often overlooked. If this is a result of something you do for a living, you may need to find a long term solution of a natural type, or consider steroid treatments. Antihistamines don’t seem to provide much relief for vibratory hives.

Why Do Hives on Fingers Look Different than Hives Elsewhere on the Body?

Some people call hives on fingers “nettle rash” or “strawberry rash” or some other name. The fact is, they are still hives. Fingers and hands don’t have as much loose skin as other parts of the body. Because the skin is so tight, hives on fingers usually appears as little pimples of small rash-like areas. This is because the swelling just doesn’t have the opportunity in terms of skin area to present as large wheals or welts. But those small pimples will be every bit as itchy, even more so. Just use a little common sense and think of your hives on fingers and hands as any other case of hives. The location on the hands and fngers actually should make the cause a little easier to figure out.

It should be understood that hives caused by anything can show up on any part of the body at any time, so having hives on knees and elbows is not necessarily any more or less common than having them appear somewhere else. But there is anecdotal evidence that points strongly to hives on knees and elbows being caused by an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions, contrary to popular belief, are not the most common cause of hives. Of those cases that are diagnosed, most of them are found to be caused by a virus or some other infection.

But for some reason hives behind knees, or hives on knees and elbows are most commonly the result of an allergic reaction. So if this applies to you, the obvious job for you is to see if something you ate or something you have come in contact with is causing these hives. Some people find that keeping a journal or diary of your food intake and activities will help you narrow it down if the allergen is not readily apparent. But there are some other conditions that either mimic hives, or resemble hives and cause hives on knees and elbows. Some of these are explored below.

Angioedema Most Closely Resembles Hives

Angioedema is swelling that that affects the deeper layers of the skin but closely resembles hives. And in the most common of the acute cases triggered by allergens, angioedema starts in many times with hives on knees and elbows. The hives of angioedema is usually not as itchy as common hives, but the swelling and pain can be worse with these hives. Knees and other joints can become more painful. Food and drugs are common triggers.

Contact Dermatitis Can Mimic Hives As Well

Contact dermatitis happens when certain substances come into contact with the skin and cause a rash. This rash can look very similar to hives. And the reaction can look like hives on knees and elbows in particular. Because the contact causes the rash, it occurs often on the knees and elbows because we naturally kneel or lean and rest with our elbows, which become the first area of contact. Poison ivy is an example of this type reaction. The best treatment is to wash the area thoroughly as soon as possible to avoid spreading further.

A cold soak or cold compress will relieve the itching, as will some lotions and ointments.

Similar to contact dermatitis is eczema, which is also triggered by allergens. The rash is a little more scaly and red but can look similar to hives on knees and elbows. Do not scratch eczema and treat it the same way as contact dermatitis.