Hives can be triggered by various factors. These include allergens such as medical drugs, to which a patient’s body responds by breaking out in hives (urticaria). Side effects of various drugs, as listed on drug information websites, include allergic responses such as hives.

Examples of antibiotic drugs that have been known to trigger allergic hives in some patients are Amoxicillin, a penicillin antibiotic drug, and Minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic drug. These drugs have the capacity to trigger more than just hives. Side effects that result from their use have included both hives and angioedema, which, in their most extreme form, can send patients into anaphylactic shock.

The symptoms associated with anaphylaxis include hives, itchiness, labored breathing, swelling of the face, lips and tongue, and a tight chest. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening condition. Hence, when patients experience it, they should seek emergency medical care, which will entail the administration of epinephrine.

The above paragraph describes the most appropriate way to address these extreme Minocycline side effects. Hives can be treated afterwards by changing the antibiotic prescription and applying a topical cream to the wheals. Of course, the same applies when one is dealing with Amoxicillin side effects: Hives left over after the anaphylaxis has been addressed can be treated with topical cream or other hives remedies.

The Side Effects of Hives Medication

If there is anything to be learnt from the foregoing paragraphs, it is that the medications so often taken to provide relief from ill health can result in adverse side effects like urticaria. Side effects of this kind can range from mildly uncomfortable conditions to life-threatening ones.

In the same way that antibiotics like Minocycline and Amoxicillin can trigger hives, the corticosteroids taken to relieve the inflammation of hives can provoke their own set of side effects. The side effects of hives medication, and more specifically of corticosteroids, are serious: These medications suppress the immune system, thus increasing one’s vulnerability to infection.

Ultimately, all medication comes with side effects. Some people just happen to respond better than others. Hence, as long as medication is necessary for the treatment of a given condition, it is not possible to eliminate all side effects.

However, there are steps that one can take to reduce the damage or suffering brought on by medication: It is important to use medication only when necessary and as prescribed by one’s doctor. Any problems that develop along the way should be shared with the doctor immediately. He or she will be best placed to make changes to the dosage or to prescribe an alternative form of treatment.

Hives (urticaria) in adults are triggered by some of the same factors that trigger hives in children and teenagers. Among these triggers or causes of hives in adults are allergic reactions. Adults may have allergies to such substances as medication, food, preservatives and pet dander. In allergic responses to these triggers (either from ingesting or touching the allergens), these adults develop hives on their skin within any amount of time between a few minutes and a few hours.

Allergic hives typically present as acute hives. As long as one is able to remove the allergen from his or her environment, the hives symptoms ultimately resolve and do not recur. If one should fail to identify the substance, then it is possible to be exposed to it again and again, resulting in hives episodes without relief. This could easily happen with a substance like food coloring or a food preservative. Most people are unaware that they ingest these substances when they eat processed foods. Hence, they are not likely to know which foods contain them or that they are repeatedly exposing themselves to allergens.

Autoimmune disease is another cause of hives in adults. Various autoimmune disorders, including lupus and thyroid disease, are associated with outbreaks of chronic hives. Some studies on the connection between hives and thyroid disease have shown greater prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies among patients with hives. Upon treatment for thyroid disease, these patients’ hives have cleared. The studies, therefore, indicate a definite connection between autoimmune disease and the development of hives, even though the mechanisms behind such a connection remain largely mysterious.

Stress and Infection as Triggers of Hives in Adults

Stress is yet another common trigger of hives in adults. This should not come as a surprise, given the high levels of stress endured by adults at their places of work and in other aspects of life. Younger age groups do experience stress. However, children tend to be shielded from the extremes of stress by the adults in their lives.

When urticaria in adults is associated with stress, it tends to present as a chronic condition. If the stress is not addressed, then the urticaria endures. In addition, chronic stress weakens the immune system, increasing patients’ vulnerability to infection and to psoriasis, an autoimmune disease which manifests as a skin condition.

Various infections, including viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections can also be considered reasons for hives in adults. These infections vary. They may include urinary tract infections, infections of the gastrointestinal tract, ENT infections, upper respiratory tract infections and infections of the dental area. When these infections are successfully treated, the associated hives vanish, indicating that there is a connection between infection and the prevalence of hives.

Acute urticaria, or hives, is the most common form of the skin condition. Chronic urticaria is much more bothersome and autoimmune urticaria is thought to be the culprit in over half of these cases. While acute urticaria is usually not a severe medical concern, chronic cases are. The symptoms are very interruptive for the patient and they sometimes become desperate for help. Autoimmune urticaria is thought to be the cause in about 56% of the chronic cases. Chronic autoimmune urticaria is often difficult to diagnose but it can be done with persistence.

Autoimmune urticaria symptoms

The symptoms of autoimmune urticaria are the same as for acute urticaria. The itchy wheals appearing suddenly are the most common of symptoms and most apparent. It is thought that chronic urticaria autoimmune disease is not caused by the same triggers, however. Autoimmune urticaria usually starts as an autoimmune response where the mast cells of the skin release histamine under the skin, resulting in the swelling and the wheals. It’s not really understood why this happens. In fact, when a doctor diagnoses autoimmune chronic idiopathic urticaria, it is a medical terminology meant to say the cause is unknown.

Autoimmune urticaria diagnosis

If the hives persist beyond six weeks, they are classified as chronic. Chronic cases are not typically the result of any external symptoms, so allergy tests are probably a waste of time. The doctor will want to rule out anemia and parasites and may have some interest in the patient’s intake of caffeine, drugs, alcohol, as well as any mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

An erythrocyte sedimentation rate test, known more commonly as an ESR can help to identify immune system problems, which is the likely cause. Thyroid function and liver function tests are generally helpful because autoimmune chronic urticaria is often a reaction to one of these organ’s problems.

Chronic autoimmune urticaria can go on for years

The most compelling reason to try to treat idiopathic chronic urticaria is that these cases can go on for years. Around half of patients will show improvement after three to five years. But that is a long time to deal with the severe und uncomfortable symptoms. A full 25% of patients will have symptoms that continue for 10 years or longer. This causes many to fall into depression, and understandably so.

A whole body or homeopathic approach to strengthening the immune system seems to make sense to treat autoimmune urticaria. Since the causes are generally unknown and often never discovered, many patients find that treating the entire immune system in a holistic manner makes the symptoms disappear or at least go away to the point where life becomes normal again.

First of all, you should know that urticaria in kids is not unusual. Urticaria is the medical term for what most people know as hives. Hives in kids is a fairly common occurrence and if it only appears once or twice and doesn’t last, you probably don’t need to worry about it. This would be referred to as acute urticaria in kids. Urticaria in kids is a skin condition that shows up as red, swollen, and itchy areas on the skin. They can appear very suddenly on any area of the body or all over the body. Acute means that there is only a couple of episodes and they do not reappear for more than 6 weeks.

Hives in kids that reappear for longer than six weeks are classified as chronic, and usually more a cause for concern, if only for the discomfort and inconvenience.

What causes hives in kids?

Hives in kids can be brought on by certain foods. Some of the more common foods that can trigger an episode of urticaria in kids are eggs, milk, nuts, and shellfish.

Medicines can also cause urticaria in kids. Although it could be almost any medicine for each individual, some medicines are more commonly used by children and those that are known to be a cause of hives in kids are Phenobarbital, penicillin, aspirin, anticonvulsants, and sulfa.

Some other causes of hives in kids

Although sometimes you may never discover the true cause, some other known causes of urticaria in kids include:

• Exposure to cold water or cold air
• Exposure to sunlight or sometimes even prolonged exposure to light from a bulb
• Excessive scratching of the skin in the same spot or rubbing of the skin from clothes that are too tight or rub in a certain area repeatedly.

If a diagnosis can be made, it will need to be in person and will be based on personal history as well as a physical exam.

What is the usual treatment for hives in kids?

If you can identify the cause, the best treatment is to avoid the cause or source of the hives. If the hives are acute and have already disappeared, you may be given no treatment at all. But for chronic hives in kids, your child’s overall general health, and health history will be taken into account as will how much discomfort the hives are causing. Don’t be afraid to voice your own opinion or ask questions. Just because you went to the doctor doesn’t mean you have to walk out with a prescription. Urticaria in kids has often been successfully treated with natural or alternative methods and therapies, as well as diet change.

When medicines are prescribed for hives in kids, the typical antihistamines like Benadryl® or Atarax®. Keep in mind these medications will make your child sleepy. Some of the antihistamines that don’t cause drowsiness are Claritan® or Zyrtec®.

Hives in kids is usually only serious if there is trouble breathing or the swelling is severe.

A lot of patients will ask their doctor “What is urticaria disease?” Someone may have told them they have it and honestly the name is rather scary sounding. Most people are surprised to learn that the skin disease urticaria is just the medical term for the more common name – hives.

About 1 in 5 people will experience hives at least once so it is one of the more common of the skin disorders.

What does urticaria skin disease look like?

Urticaria, or hives, appears suddenly on the skin in splotchy areas called wheals. They are red, raised areas with sometimes pale centers that are elevated slightly but smooth, itchy, and irregularly shaped. They can range in size from a few millimeters to a few inches and can show up in any body area.

What is urticaria disease when it moves around?

When the urticaria moves around from one body area to another, it is still hives. In fact, one of the common symptoms of hives is that they do tend to move around suddenly from one area of the body to another. They can be on your stomach at the start, disappear in a couple hours, and reappear somewhere else just as suddenly. In most cases of hives that are not chronic, any one area of urticaria seldom stays in the same place for longer than 24 hours. It may be surprisingly large, even frightening, in the morning in one area and then disappear completely by lunchtime, only to reappear in another area just as intensely by dinner and be gone by the time you go to bed.

What is urticaria disease caused by?

It is known that hives are caused by the release of histamine from cells called mast cells, which are normal cells found in the skin. The histamine makes fluid leak from the blood cells in the area of the release, which leads to the slight swelling and the red color. And while urticaria is common, it is also idiopathic, which is a medical term used when there is no known cause. You and your doctor can take an educated guess as to the cause but you will usually not figure it out. It may be helpful to take a photo of your outbreak if you plan to try to figure it out because by the time you get to the doctor’s office, the outbreak may have disappeared.

What is urticaria disease described as ordinary?

Ordinary urticaria is the term used to describe sudden flare ups that happen for no apparent reason and disappear for no apparent reason. If this happens on and off for less than six weeks, the urticaria is described as ordinary.

What is urticaria disease described as chronic?

Chronic idiopathic (there’s that word again!) urticaria disease, or CIU, is hives that reappear for longer than six weeks or last for longer than six weeks. This is the type of hives most people seek treatment for. It is bothersome, and there may be an urticaria autoimmune disease component associated with it. There are many treatments for CIU that are natural and provide great relief. If you have CIU, you should investigate these possible treatments. Help is out there and CIU is not something you want to just live with.

Most cases of acute hives in toddlers are nothing more than an allergic reaction of the skin. Medically known as urticaria, in toddlers the condition is not much reason for concern if it goes away within a few hours and is not accompanied by other, more serious complications. As is the case with adults, acute urticaria in toddlers is really a symptom of the toddlers immune system’s reacting to something in the immediate environment or something in the toddler’s body itself.

Causes of Hives in Toddlers Not Always Apparent If the Hives are Acute.

When dealing with urticaria in toddlers, you must differentiate if the outbreak is acute or chronic. Generally speaking, chronic urticaria in toddlers is unusual. If the condition lasts for more than six weeks, or appears more than twice weekly for more than six weeks, the condition could be considered chronic.

The first area of inquiry should be any food or medicine the toddler just ate or ingested. Many parents tend to think that something touching the skin is the cause of hives in toddlers. But this is usually not the case. If a rash appears as a result of contact with something, the toddler is more likely experiencing an allergic reaction and the rash will stay in that area of contact. Acute hives will come and go rapidly.

Pictures of hives in toddlers can be easily found online and can be compared to what your toddler is experiencing. If your toddler is experiencing a rash, the pictures will clearly show the difference. Additionally, rashes will usually respond to topical treatments, whereas hives in toddlers will hardly ever respond favorably to any type of cream or lotion.

How to Treat Hives in Toddlers

One episode of acute hives that comes and goes in a couple hours and doesn’t reoccur generally doesn’t require treatment. It will usually be gone before you can get back from the drugstore. If the hives reappear, you should begin a journal of foods and medicines your child ingests. If a medicine is suspected, your doctor will probably discontinue the medicine. If an over-the counter medicine you are giving on your own is suspected, you should discontinue immediately.

Some foods that commonly cause urticaria in toddlers are nuts, shellfish, dairy, and soy. Your journal should show the culprit of acute hives pretty quickly. If they reappear, the treatment of choice is antihistamines, since hives in toddlers is, after all, caused by the release of histamine. There are many OTC and Rx antihistamines that will provide almost immediate relief. And if they don’t perhaps you are dealing with a chronic case of urticaria or something else completely.

It is only when the hives are accompanied by other more worrisome symptoms that you should seek medical attention without delay. Severe swelling, high temperature, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, or trouble swallowing would all call for medical attention.

Chronic Hives in Toddlers

A final note is that this entire article has been discussing acute urticaria in toddlers. Chronic urticaria in toddlers is another matter entirely and it is important in the chronic cases that the cause be found and adequate treatment started. Living with hives is not pleasant whether you are a child or an adult. There are many traditional and alternative treatments that will effectively treat chronic hives in toddlers. So if the condition goes on for longer than a day, or reappears repeatedly for weeks, please seek medical attention.

Of all the different types of urticaria, probably the rarest type is identified as vibratory angioedema. First of all it should be noted that the word urticaria is nothing more than the medical word for the condition most of refer to as hives. Vibratory angioedema is the rarest form of hives. The cause of it is coming into contact for some prolonged time with a vibratory stimulus. This would normally be a physical vibration such as a vibration that might be put off by a hand tool. Auditory vibration would not be the cause of any of the different types of urticaria.

The vibration could, however, come from something like prolonged rubbing with a towel used to dry off, or from the constant repetitious vibration that may come from running or use of exercise equipment. Of all the types of urticaria categorized as acute, this is usually the most painful. The hives will usually form in a matter of minutes, so the source is pretty easy to identify. Unlike some of the other different types of urticaria, this type will usually disappear in less than an hour.

Solar urticaria types are also rare

Of the many different types of urticaria, solar urticaria is also relatively rare. The parts of the body exposed daily to the sun, like the face or hands, will not develop this type of urticaria. But if you are the type of person who seldom exposes your back or stomach area to the sun, it is possible that you could develop hives in these areas when they are exposed to the sun for any length of time.

This is one of the strangest of the different types of urticaria, in that it will present almost immediately after exposure of the part of the body to the sun. Unlike sunburn, which takes some time, the splotchy areas will appear right away and are caused by a particular solar wavelength. Believe it or not, there are tests that a physician can perform to determine which of the solar wavelengths the culprit is. Once that determination is made, the correct treatment can be determined. It will typically be a sunscreen or antihistamine, but it may be recommended that you gradually increase exposure of the part of the body to the sun to try to build up immunity or tolerance to the sun. Occasionally, it will be recommended that you avoid completely exposing that body area to the sun. Sometimes that is not particularly practical.

So while there are many different types of urticaria, or hives, the vibratory and solar urticaria types are the most unusual and the rarest forms.

At some point in your life, chances are you will you experience urticaria, kind of like getting the flu. Over 25% of the population will experience urticaria, more commonly known as hives, at least once in their life, and usually more often than that. And like an otherwise healthy person who comes down with the flu, a healthy person who experiences any urticaria kind other than the chronic type really has nothing much to worry about. Acute urticaria usually goes away almost as fast as it appears, but it can be very uncomfortable and even frightening if not understood.

What is urticaria?

Urticaria, or hives, is a very common problem. Occasionally it is an allergic reaction to some food, drug, animal, or insect bite. But contrary to popular belief, hives is most often not an allergic reaction. And if you only get it one time, you don’t need to get tested for allergies, which can be a very tedious, expensive, and lengthy process.

The most common urticaria kind, ordinary urticaria, can best be described as a swollen itchy area, of different sizes, on the skin.  It is usually red and splotchy, and can appear anywhere. Ordinary urticaria doesn’t mean you are sick, but it can be frightening because of the sudden nature of the outbreak. There is no lasting damage, no subsequent peeling or scaling of the skin, and only involves the top layers of tissue. A condition that mimics the ordinary urticaria kind, referred to as angioedema, is a little more serious, and involves deeper tissues. If you experience peeling or scaling of the skin after the itchy red areas disappears, you probably have angioedema and should seek medical advice.

The ordinary urticaria kind usually requires no treatment

Ordinary urticaria appears in a sudden and usually intense attack of randomly shaped, slightly swollen splotches on the skin. They can go away in a matter of minutes or hours and appear somewhere else on the body just as quickly. In most instances, there is not an apparent reason for the attack and it will be gone before you get a chance to figure out what the cause was.

The hives are the result of the release of histamine from the mast cells of the skin. This brings about a leak of fluid from the blood vessels just under the skin. This small amount of fluid release is what causes the slight swelling under the skin, as well as the discoloration. The swelling in turn causes itching and irritation. Usually they will go away very quickly in a matter of hours and you will be left as if it never happened at all. This urticaria kind is really nothing to worry about and if it lasts longer than a couple of hours, an over-the-counter antihistamine will usually clear it up. Only if the hives persist longer than a day or become chronic will you want to consider any kind of treatment or become concerned.

When people are bothered with hives, they usually feel the need to define the urticaria classification. In many ways, the whole exercise is generally unnecessary. If the hives are bothering you enough that you feel the need to find the urticaria classification, it is safe to conclude you have chronic urticaria. In the broadest sense, urticaria classification is either acute or chronic.

If your episode of hives, medically known as urticaria, is severe enough or returns frequently enough that it starts to interfere with your daily activities, your urticaria classification would be chronic and you should put your efforts into finding a way to remedy the condition or find the cause of the outbreaks.

Almost one fourth of the population experiences urticaria at least once

The first thing you should know that regardless of your urticaria classification, you are likely not in any kind of a life-threatening situation, although the suddenness of the symptoms can be a little frightening. The raised splotchy areas are called wheals. They are caused be very small and transient leakage of plasma from small blood vessels into the connecting tissue surrounding those vessels. This usually causes

superficial swelling of the skin that is sometimes itchy as well. Most of the time, these wheals will go away in less than 24 hours and sometimes as fast as 15 minutes without any trace they were even there. This would fit with the more common urticaria classification of acute urticaria. And if it does disappear in a few hours without reappearing in the same place or somewhere else, chances are you will never know the cause and don’t need to concern yourself with it.

Chronic urticaria classification

As opposed to the acute urticaria, the more bothersome chronic urticaria is typically defined as recurring episodes that come on at least twice weekly for 6 weeks or more. Some cases go on for years. If your urticaria episodes occur less frequently than this but over a longer period, it is more correctly defined as episodic urticaria and usually has an environmental trigger that you will be able to identify and eliminate. It is usually a process of elimination and will require you to identify an environmental factor that occurred very shortly before the wheals appeared.

Implicitly, all chronic urticaria goes through a period where it would be defined as acute (before the six week time period elapses). But after you or your doctor determine your urticaria classification as chronic, further investigation should be done on your part so you can get on with your life. There are many natural and alternative ways to rid yourself of chronic urticaria. Below is a clinical urticaria classification table to help you determine which avenue to pursue if you are suffering from chronic urticaria.

Chronic Urticaria

• Chronic idiopathic urticaria (spontaneous)
• Chronic autoimmune urticaria (caused by action of antibodies)

Physical Urticaria (defined by the triggering stimulus)

• Adrenergic urticaria (physiological effects similar to epinephrine)
• Aquagenic urticaria
• Cholinergic urticaria (caused by sweat-inducing stimuli)
• Cold urticaria
• Delayed pressure urticaria
• Dermographism
• Exercise-induced anaphylaxis
• Localized heat urticaria
• Solar urticaria
• Vibratory urticaria

Contact Urticaria (induced by biologic or chemical skin contact)

Urticarial Vasculitis (defined by vasculitis shown on skin biopsy)

• Can last up to 3 years
• Usually associated with another disease
• May leave residual discoloration

What is chronic urticaria? Urticaria is the medical term used for hives.  Chronic urticaria is any case of hives that lasts more that six weeks, or reoccurs frequently. Chronic hives (urticaria) are uncommon, only about 1 in 1,000 people develop this condition, and it is twice as common in women as it is men (patient.co.uk).

Most conventional chronic urticaria treatment treats the symptoms of the disease with antihistamines, and in more severe cases corticosteroids. These of course are very helpful for treatment of chronic urticaria, but sometimes they do not take away all of the burning, itching, and other symptoms. It is wise to find home remedies and natural treatments to use at home as well; just make sure and tell your doctor about any extra treatment for urticaria that you take on.

Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria

What is chronic idiopathic urticaria? Chronic urticaria, or hives in general rather, are idiopathic in most cases. This means that in many cases the overall cause is unknown. Idiopathic chronic urtircaria is harder to treat because they cannot be prevented if you don’t know what could trigger another outbreak. In addition, many times it ends up being an underlying condition, such as lupus or hepatitis, which just hasn’t been recognized yet.

One thing that people do to narrow down their chronic urticaria causes is to keep a daily journal of potential things that could be triggering their chronic urticaria. Some of the common causes of chronic urticaria outbreaks are food, extreme temperatures, over-exercising, medications, and exposure to soaps and other such items.

Chronic Autoimmune Urticaria

Chronic urticaria is not due to allergy, though sometimes it may be triggered by allergins. It has been connected to several different underlying causes. It is widely believed that chronic hives are really a type of autoimmune disorder or caused by an overactive immune system. Chronic hives have been linked to autoimmune diseases such as lupus. These are some times referred to as autoimmune chronic urticaria. You can read more about chronic urticaria autoimmune disorders within the studies found on Medscape.com.

In chronic urticaria, thyroid conditions have also been linked as an underlying cause and so have diseases like hepatitis. In addition, chronic urticaria and angioedema are very closely connected, though one is not the cause of the other. Chronic urticaria angioedema is a very serious condition, in which the swelling occurs underneath the skin. This is an emergency condition because swelling can occur in the throat and block the airways.