Hives Urticaria - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

The causes of Hives (urticaria):

The Major cause of the hives is the body's reaction to an external or internal irritant. The internal irritant is usually the chemical agents present in the food that we consume and the external irritants can be certain chemicals that comes in contact with the skin.

In response to that irritant the skin releases different chemicals like histamine which causes inflammation and itching. Irritants includes different foods such as eggs, milk, nuts, fish and shellfish, berries, chocolate and tomatoes other irritants may include cosmetics, medications, insect stings, products, infections, chemicals, medical problems, and even exposure of cold and heat. Most the hives patient claim and get rashes due to eating foods like dairy products, berries chocolate, or may stung by insects or due to intake of medications. The other rare causes of urticaria are alcohol, tobacco and coffee. Sometimes even continuous exposure to sunlight and certain types of water can also cause this disease.

Hives (Urticaria) Symptoms:

The affected area of the skin becomes swollen, causing itchiness and pain. The symptoms of urticaria/hives are itching, red welts on the skin and itchy bumps on skin. Urticaria eczema is an erroneous terminology used for eczema, which is a form of dermatitis or inflammation of the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis). Many People confuse Eczema and Urticaria, Eczema is a totally different skin disease, More about Eczema)

Natural and Alternative Medicine for Hives:

If the patient drinks nettle tea, it may relieve his throat. This tea can be made by stirring 2 teaspoons of powdered nettles into a cup of hot water and adding honey. Fresh lemon juice can be used if honey is not available. Patients can also apply calamine lotion on the affected area for soothing relief. Aloe vera gel and vitamin E oil have also been used to counter the effects of urticaria. Another way to relieve the itch is by bathing or dipping the affected area in warm water containing 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda.

Learn more about hives and natural methods to cure hives (urticaria)