The Simple Facts and the Cures
What is Hives: The skin becomes covered with pinkish or
red bumps or swollen areas of skin. Sometimes they itch
real bad, and at other times they don't. You can get hives
over most of your body, or sometimes just on your stomach,
or arms. The medical name for hives is urticaria.
What causes Hives: Hives are usually caused by being allergic
to something. But they can occur when a person is exposed
to anything that causes his body to release histamine.
Releasing histamine causes liquid to leak from blood vessels
under the skin. When this fluid collects or 'pools' together
it creates the bumps that are called 'hives'.
My daughter and I both have had hives, and we both got
them from the same reasons, we were allergic to medications
given for other illnesses. I got hives from taking penicillin,
even though I took penicillin most of my life with no side
effects, I now find myself very allergic to it. My daughter
got hives from taking 'Ceclore', a prescription antibiotic,
for an ear infection. You can also get hives from insect
bites and stings and from allergic reactions to eating
fish, shellfish, nuts, and eggs. Strangely, you can eat
a food item all your life, then suddenly develop an allergy
to it, like I did to the medication Penicillian.
Treatment for Hives: When my daughter and I both developed
hives from medicine allergies, we were given Benadryl,
and stopped taking the medicines that caused the hives
to first appear, in a day or two they were gone. They are
usually treated with an antihistamine or the prescription
medicine Atarax.
