A hives outbreak can happen to anyone at any time. Most of the time you don’t even know why they happen. So the usual course of treatment is to grab the antihistamine bottle and swallow a couple tablets and wait for your hives outbreak to go away or to ease up.

Sure, the Claritin, Zyrtec, Benadryl, and other over the counter antihistamines can provide relief.  But what about the side effects? Along with the hives outbreak that may come back when the medicine wears off, now you are drowsy, or agitated from epinephrine, or both. Antihistamines work by suppressing the release of histamine, thus suppressing the symptoms of the allergic reaction that caused the histamine release.

What About Some Natural Antihistamines?

Before these drugs existed, people used to eat foods that acted like antihistamines. This can even have the added benefit of preventing a hives outbreak from happening at all. Sudden outbreak of hives are less likely if you can incorporate some of these foods into your diet. High on the list of foods that act as antihistamines are those with a high content of vitamin C and vitamin A. Along with preventing a hives outbreak, they are healthy.

What Kinds Of Foods Can Be Natural Antihistamines?

Foods that are high in vitamin A and can be natural antihistamines are carrots, mangoes, spinach, tomatoes, and many of the other green vegetables. Some fruits high in vitamin C include Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits and limes.

Another way to build up natural antihistamines and help prevent a future hives outbreak is to keep your diet high in Omega-3, which also makes a good antihistamine.

Some foods are high in Quercetin and Pycnogenol. These agents can help block the release of histamine by cells. These foods include, among others,  broccoli, citrus fruits, berries, onions, garlic, and apples.

Bromelian is an enzyme found in high concentration in pineapples. This is considered by many natural alternative enthusiasts to be the best natural antihistamine. Pineapple is delicious in many dishes. This is a tasty way to prevent or treat a hives outbreak. So next time you are trying to think of a better way to live with chronic outbreaks of hives, head to the grocery store instead of the drug store.

Hives, known medically as urticaria, is experienced by about one in five of all people of all races and in all countries. But when dealing with one of the outbreak of hives, sex can become uncomfortable to say the least. For some with urticaria, sex is avoided because of embarrassment. For others with hives, sex seems to be the trigger. That is the worst scenario and there are some things you can plan to keep from breaking out in hives. Sex may not be as spontaneous, but at least can be more satisfying and enjoyable

How Can Hives, Sex Become Not So Strange Bedfellows?

The first thing you should do is talk with your partner ahead of tie about your condition. Let them know what triggers your urticaria. Sex can become more comfortable if you know that your partner at least knows the possibility exists that you may break out in hives or that the sexual activity itself may trigger an outbreak of hives. Sex can certainly be disrupted quickly if the wheals of hives appear and your partner is completely surprised.

• If there is a medication that you have found controls or prevents your hives, sex should be postponed (if possible) until you have given the medication time to be effective. Of course, the best idea for medication is to take it regularly so you won’t have to postpone anything. No sense ruining the feeling of the moment if you can help it.
• If you are in your own home, try cooling down the room prior to any activity. Cooler room temperatures will lessen the chances of aggravating your urticaria. Sex and sexual activity raises the body temperature so cooling the room a bit will lessen the chances of an outbreak
• Some people have a problem with sweating bringing on an outbreak of hives. Sex usually brings about at least a little sweating. Try to pace things a little bit to avoid excessive sweating. This is easier said than done but at least if you think about it ahead of time, you might control the pace a bit. Who knows, it may make the whole experience more pleasurable for the both of you as well.
• Turn on a ceiling or room fan to try to keep the sweating down, again to try to avoid the hives. Sex in a wind tunnel is no fun, but a little air circulation is more comfortable anyway.

Nobody knows better than you what aggravates your particular urticaria. Sex will be a lot more comfortable if you try to avoid any triggers ahead of time.  Just a little thought will lessen the impact your hives has on your sex lifr.

As bothersome and full of symptoms that will drive you crazy as hives is, common cases of hives and bruising are a telltale sign that something besides one of the common types of urticaria is not your problem. You probably know that the medical name for hives is urticaria, and bruising is not one of the common symptoms. Chances are your hives with bruising is caused by a condition known as urticarial vasculitus.

What Is Urticarial Vasculitus?

It is a variant of cutaneous Vasculitus. Cutaneous is a term for inflammation of blood vessels that are in the skin. Most commonly, there will be the familiar slightly swollen and reddish wheals on the skin that looks very much like common urticaria, and bruising or inflamed blood vessels are found upon close examination. Sometimes microscopic examination is needed to see the inflammation. It is classified as either normocomplementaemic or hypocomplementaemic. The latter form form of the condition has also been connected to systemic conditions like angioedema. Hives and bruising has also been seen in cases of angioedema but the swelling goes deeper under the skin than with hives.

What Are The Causes Of Urticarial Vasculitus?

The causes of urticarial vasculitus are not really known but the following conditions have been associated with it.

• Inflammatory connective disorders
• Hepatitis B, C and mononucleosis
• Leukemia and other internal cancers
• Immunoglobulin disorders

Like common hives, the cause usually remains undiagnosed. But just because cancers are among the possible causes, nobody should jump to the conclusion that the presence of hives and bruising means some form of cancer.

What Are The Signs Or Symptoms Of Urticarial Vasculitus?

The first symptom of urticarial vasculitus is a hives eruption that is painful and burning. Itching is common. The lesions are usually red patches with a white center. And along with the hives, bruising and bleeding under the skin are common first symptoms. These lesions will usually go away after a day and tend to stay in the same spot. Itching results from the eruption of urticaria and bruises in the form of patches show up. This bruising is called ecchymoses. A darkening of the skin can occur as the healing process takes hold. A skin biopsy is usually required to confirm the diagnosis.

How Is Urticarial Vasculitus Treated?

Antihistamines usually provide relief from the urticaria, and the bruising will go away on its own.

The only type of ordinary urticaria that sometimes causes markings is the type caused by excessive scratching in the same place. This is known as dermographism. If the area is scratched long enough, bleeding can even occur. The scratching further aggravates the hives, and bruising, and bruising after hives is usually the case when this happens.

Hives is a common skin disorder that bother about a fifth of the population at some point in their lives. Hives are caused by the release of histamine under the skin, causing a fluid leak that results in the itchy, unsightly, burning hives to appear anywhere on the body. They can be chronic – lasting for more than six weeks, or they can be a one-time occurrence – acute hives. Most often, the cause of the hives isn’t figured out. But that doesn’t make them any easier to live with. The itching is intense, the appearance can make you very self-conscience, and burning hives can also be a little painful. But intensely burning hives are not normal and can indicate a slightly different problem.

Angioedema Can Cause Burning Hives.

Angioedema is similar to hives in many ways. But the most significant difference is that the swelling of angioedema is beneath the skin as opposed to at the surface as in common hives. It causes more painful, burning hives rashes and is more commonly found around the eyes and lips. It can also commonly be found in the hands, feet, and throat. The burning hives rash may form a line and spread out in some cases, also unlike common hives. If irritated by excessive scratching, or other physical factors, the swelling will get deeper and the pain more intense.

Urticarial Vasculitus Can Also Cause Burning Hives

The causes of urticarial vasculitus are not known but the initial symptoms are very similar to many of the physical urticaria types. In fact, the first symptom is typically a hives attack that is both painful and burning. Hives like lesions appear but with a more white center. With urticarial vasculitus, the blood vessels under the skin will swell and bleed as well, but the bleeding is minimal and presents more like bruising. Sometimes the skin will darken in color after the lesions start to heal.

Solar Urticaria Can Sometimes Produce Burning Hives.

Solar urticaria is a photodermatosis that causes hives, burning, erythema, and itching after exposure to natural sunlight. The exposure can be only brief and still cause the condition. It is rare and usually disappears within hours at most after getting out of the sun.

Slightly burning hives are normal, but painful burning warrants further investigation to see if a possible cause can be found.

If the hives and vomiting seem to come out of nowhere the likely cause allergic reaction. In normal cases of hives, vomiting is not also present. An anaphylactic reaction, however can present urticaria, vomiting, and other symptoms all at once. In these cases, the symptoms come on quickly and then disappear just as quickly. Shortness of breath or any difficulty breathing can indicate a more serious reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention.

Chronic Hives and Vomiting

When you are breaking out in hives, vomiting, and itching all over, the most common thought is that you are having an allergic reaction. While this could be the case, in reality chronic hives are more often caused by a virus or an infection. And with viral hives, vomiting is actually quite common.

Don’t forget that hives are an immune system response and the immune system does respond to hives. Especially in toddlers and children hives, vomiting, and a fever is an indication that the immune system is trying to get rid of a virus or other infection. The immune system releases histamine in an attempt to fight the virus, and that is the cause of the urticaria. Vomiting is a common symptom of many viral infections, and will usually subside after a day or two. The hives are extremely itchy, and often remain after the vomiting has stopped. 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 can Cause Symptoms of Urticaria, Vomiting and Fever

The immune system responds to infections the same way it does to a virus.  Hives, vomiting, and other symptoms appear identically in both cases, and are equally bothersome. But with infection induced hives, the symptoms usually appear after the body begins to clear the infection. Even a common cold can cause these symptoms. The vomiting won’t last long in this case, but the hives may last for a couple weeks, and in some cases become chronic. Again, an antihistamine will help alleviate the hives. But a more natural approach is better for chronic cases of urticaria. Vomiting does not become chronic; therefore almost anyone can deal with it for a few days, with dehydration being the main concern. But chronic hives can last for years, and being on steroids or antihistamines for that length of time isn’t good for anyone.

When you break out in hives, signs are obvious visually and there is seldom any doubt about what is happening. With an acute attack of hives, known medically as urticaria, signs of raised red splotches on the skin that itch intensely and appear suddenly are often frightening if never experienced before. These welts can appear as a single splotch, or may appear in a cluster. The cluster or grouping is why the plural of the word is used – hives. Signs also include slight swelling at the surface of the skin.

What Is Urticaria?

The condition is an immune system response to something the body sees as an enemy. Histamine is released by the mast cells of the skin, which dilate the blood vessels, increasing the flow of blood to that area. This is what causes the first urticaria signs of swelling and red spots. Additional hives signs of itching and scratchy feelings are from the release of this histamine chemical. Many acute, or short term, attacks of hives are triggered by an allergy. Most chronic, or long term cases of hives are a result of a viral or infectious agent that the immune system is trying to defend against. Some of the triggers that bring on the dreaded hives signs of swelling and itching are:

• Allergies to something in the environment or something the skin has come in direct contact with
• An autoimmune disease like lupus can cause urticaria signs to occur repeatedly over time, becoming chronic
• Sweating
• Extreme temperatures (hot or cold)
• Exposure to the sun
• Vibration can cause hives signs, but they are usually short-lived and appear in the extremities
• Pressure to a certain skin area brings on the hives signs after the pressure is relieved

The Signs and Symptoms of Hives Usually Classified As Idiopathic

While hives signs and symptoms are fairly easy to see and classify, the cause remains a mystery in most cases. Doctors call this idiopathic urticaria.  It just means they have no idea as to the cause. Signs of hives come and go, tests are ordered, medications are tried, and yet the cause is never found in about 6 out of 10 cases.

Urticaria signs and symptoms are difficult to live with, especially if chronic. Keep in mind that there are natural and alternative ways to treat hives, and that it isn’t a good idea to remain on strong medications for extended periods. The urticaria signs and symptoms are bad enough that many people stay on steroids or antihistamines for years, but this isn’t good for anyone and it is best to find an alternative that works for you. Strengthening the immune system and eating foods that have antihistamine properties may be a good place to start.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the development of hives, they can manifest as anything from a mild condition to a severe one. Coping with hives in its severe manifestations is a grueling experience.

The symptoms of hives cause discomfort in their mildest form, and, in their most severe, complicated form, they can result in death. Coping with hives in these different manifestations would entail seeking relief from them and their complications. This could be as simple as using a topical cream for the itching or as complex as getting a tracheotomy after developing upper airway obstruction.

The Prophylactic Approach to Coping with Hives

Perhaps the most productive approach to coping with hives is prophylaxis. Prophylaxis involves preventing the development of hives in the first place rather than responding to them only after the characteristic symptoms manifest. One way to do this is to first determine what the trigger is.

Hives can be triggered by a variety of factors, including bacterial and viral infections, allergens, physical stimuli and stress. If the hives are triggered by an allergen, then avoiding the allergen is a critical part of preventing their development in the future. If the hives are triggered by physical stimuli as unavoidable as sunlight or sweat, then preventing them is more of a challenge, perhaps even impossible.

Faced with this kind of challenge, one can opt to think outside the box. Hives are a reflection of an individual’s overall well-being. Thus, attention to the commonsense factors that contribute to health and well-being could help alleviate the worst symptoms of hives. Such factors include getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water on a regular basis, and eating balanced meals that include fresh fruits and vegetables. If a patient has demonstrated nutritional deficiencies, the appropriate nutritional supplements taken under medical supervision can make a significant difference.

Dealing with emotional stress is part and parcel of this strategy. Chronic stress results in the elevated secretion of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which can ultimately trigger mast cells to release histamine and provoke the appearance of the wheals associated with hives. Alleviating the stress would necessitate the adoption of stress management practices like meditation, breathing exercises and yoga.

If the stress comes from deep-seated psychological issues, then counseling can help to relieve it too. Interestingly enough, even in instances where hives is triggered by factors other than stress, adopting one or more of these stress management techniques is useful for coping with hives’ worst symptoms and the inconveniences they can cause.

Hives affects all age groups, but hives in teenagers are of special interest. This is because teenagers are at a stage of great emotional vulnerability and any condition that sets them apart from their peers can cause them much anxiety.

Of course anybody suffering from hives is bound to feel self-conscious. That is not a reaction unique to teenagers. However, teenagers, above other age groups, have a special need to fit in among their peers and to feel physically attractive. The sudden appearance of red wheals on their bodies or, sometimes, on their faces, puts paid to this dream. The longer the hives last, the more pronounced the anxiety they are likely to feel.

Hives in teenagers are caused by a variety of factors, essentially the same factors that trigger hives in other age-groups. Teenagers are susceptible to seasonal allergies and to autoimmune conditions. They also get bacterial and viral infections and react negatively to certain medications, foods and food additives.

It is also worth pointing out that teenagers experience fluctuating hormonal levels as they go through the rapid physical and emotional changes that characterize adolescence. The other population groups that experience fluctuating hormonal levels due to milestone changes are pregnant women and menopausal women. These two groups of women happen to have increased vulnerability to hives. It therefore shouldn’t come as a surprise that hormonal fluctuations coincide with hives in teenagers.

Cholinergic Hives in Teenagers

Cholinergic urticaria is one form of hives that affects teenagers. It is triggered by temperature rises or by sweating. When one suffers from this condition, activities that increase body temperature, such as exercise, can provoke the development of hives. Sitting in a heated room, which is comparatively passive, can also provoke cholinergic urticaria, as can extreme emotions.

While cholinergic urticaria affects all age groups, most of those who develop it first do so in their late teens or early twenties. Is there something about belonging to this age group that increases vulnerability to cholinergic hives?

Vulnerability to cholinergic urticaria has been linked to stress in different age groups. So it is possible that high stress levels contribute to the development of cholinergic hives in teenagers. If this is the case, then counseling could make a difference as could various relaxation and coping strategies.

Cholinergic urticaria is often a cyclical condition. Those who develop it can have attacks followed by periods of remission, at the end of which they succumb to fresh attacks. This state of affairs can continue for years or even decades before finally resolving.

Allergies can manifest in a variety of ways. Their symptoms can include hives, sickness in the form of queasiness, red eyes and asthma. Hives are of particular interest because of their appearance. They present as reddish bumps on the skin that eventually disappear before resurfacing on a different part of the body.

Hives can be triggered by factors other than allergies. So they constitute a complex condition for which any generalizations have to be qualified. It is, however, safe to say that, when hives are triggered by an allergy, they tend to manifest shortly after exposure to the allergen, and then to eventually resolve. If one is not subsequently exposed to the allergen again, there is no reason for the symptoms to recur. Thus, avoiding the factors that one is allergic to is often an effective way to prevent recurrent bouts of allergic hives.

It sometimes takes medical tests to link hives to an allergy and to identify the precise substance to which one is allergic. A simple principle lies behind the more basic tests employed in the diagnosis of allergies like hives: Sickness symptoms that develop shortly after exposure to a substance often indicate that one is allergic to that substance.

Tests for Hives Sickness

The first step taken by allergists in diagnosing hives often involves asking their patients to keep a diary of their activities, diet and medication, beginning with the period just before their hives appeared. If a patient recently started using a new body lotion and immediately thereafter developed hives, then this would be made evident by the diary. The diary would also show how the patient reacted if he was re-exposed to the allergen or if he wasn’t exposed to it again. Simple tests would be able to confirm whether the lotion was responsible for triggering the hives. A doctor would use allergy skin testing to confirm the diagnosis of allergic hives. Sickness such as suspected urticarial vasculitis, a more serious hives-like condition, would be approached differently: instead of allergy skin testing, a doctor would opt for a skin biopsy.

When it seems likely that a patient has an allergy to a food item, then the doctor can have her take tests designed to diagnose food allergies. One of them requires the patient’s avoidance of the problem food for some time. If there are no allergy symptoms until the patient next eats the food, then an allergy diagnosis is confirmed. Another one involves trying out different foods under the doctor’s observation and seeing if they trigger hives. Sickness that develops in response to this test can be considered to confirm a food allergy.

Urticaria is a common complaint. In many cases it lasts briefly and the person can soon go back to life as usual. Knowing hives’ stages can help a person figure out whether the condition is a minor annoyance that can be resolved quickly, or a serious condition for which medical help will be necessary.

The Progression of Hives’ Stages

In the experience of many people, there are no obvious warning signs that indicate that hives is on the way. The condition just appears out of the blue. It starts out as itchy skin and, afterward, wheals start to appear on the skin. This, the first of hives’ stages can be mildly alarming. Wheals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes they stand alone, but other times they merge. On a light-complexioned person, they may be reddish, pinkish or milky white in color.

In the next of hives’ stages, the individual wheals disappear, only to reappear elsewhere. Depending on the particular variety of hives, they may be concentrated on certain body parts like the trunk and limbs or just on the body part that was directly exposed to an allergen. The wheals continue to disappear and reappear on the body and, with them, the itching and discomfort persist. In most cases, when they disappear they do so without leaving any scars.

Hives’ stages can vary considerably from person to person. In some people, the condition is mild. Itching, discomfort and some wheals are all that characterize it and then, in a matter of hours, it is over. In other people, hives come with fatigue, nausea and vomiting, fever, stomachache and diarrhea. The complications can progress to pain in the chest and throat, and breathing difficulty. If this form of complicated hives is allowed to proceed without intervention, it could end in suffocation and, ultimately, brain damage or death.

Hives can also be classified in two forms: acute hives and chronic hives. The acute form tends to last a few hours to six weeks while the chronic form lasts more than six weeks. A three month-long case of hives falls under the rubric of chronic hives, as does a two decade-long case.

The length of hives’ stages will obviously vary with its forms. Acute cases end in a few hours, days or weeks. Their stages do not stretch out indefinitely, without any relief in sight. Chronic hives can be the exact opposite, negatively affecting a patient’s quality of life indefinitely.