Hives are a skin condition that causes itching and swelling. Urticaria, the scientific name for hives, defines the condition as any type of sudden occurrence of plaques or reddish bumps on the body’s surface. The condition usually occurs after an allergic outbreak.
Basic Hive Information
Hives become noticeable after the body releases blood plasma and histamine through its many blood vessels on the epidermis. Most always, hives have some color and texture that differs greatly from the person’s natural skin surface, making them easy to spot. Though, spotting the cause of a hives outbreak will not always serve as an easily identifiable task.
General Causes of Hives
In most cases, people develop hives after small or adverse allergic reactions, bug bites and stings, ingesting certain medicines and vitamins, eating particular foods, as well as chemical or sun exposure.
Hives Variance
Multiple types of hives exist. Each type of hive acts as a different bodily reaction, lasting different amounts of time and causing different levels of discomfort and visual effects.
Acute urticaria will last less than six weeks and sometimes even less than six hours. This often stems from food allergies and insect bites. Angioedema, a type of hive that lasts longer than six weeks, sometimes occurs for unidentifiable reasons. This specific type of hives causes muscle pain and diarrhea. Some forms of hives, like dermatographism, occur after simple itching or scratching of the skin.
Medical professionals can help identify the causes and cures for hives in patients who seek care.
