If you have a red, itchy rash on your skin, you may think you encountered poison ivy or something like it. However, you may have a case of hives instead. Fortunately, they are merely uncomfortable and not dangerous. more »
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If you have a red, itchy rash on your skin, you may think you encountered poison ivy or something like it. However, you may have a case of hives instead. Fortunately, they are merely uncomfortable and not dangerous. more »
Hives are a type of skin rash. They appear as red bumps that are raised and itchy. The bumps typically have centers that are paler than the surrounding areas. They can appear on any part of the body, even showing up on the inside of the mouth. more »
The simplest way to tell whether someone has hives is through an allergy test. This test may be administered in a controlled environment, such as a doctor's office, or may accidentally occur if an individual eats or comes into contact with something they're allergic to. During an allergy test, a doctor will poke the skin on a person's... more »
Hives constitute a common skin allergy that is characterized by a sudden onset of itchy red, raised patches that appear anywhere on the body. Approximately 15 percent of all people will develop hives at some point in their lives. Hives can last anywhere from a few hours to a full day. Hives are typically a harmless allergic reaction... more »
Hives often show up on a person's body because of an allergic reaction to something. The hives pop out as red bumps anywhere on the body. These hives may itch like crazy. However, there is something you can do to treat hives and get rid of them; treat hives with Benadryl. Benadryl contains the histamine-blocker diphenhydramine. more »
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Hives are swollen areas on the skin where blood plasma has leaked between the layers to form itchy spots. Most are attributed to allergic... more »
Food, plants and household cleaning products are just a few of the things that can cause hives, also called urticaria, in some people. Usually,... more »
Hives are a group of red patches or bumps that flare up on a person's skin. Hives are usually caused by an allergic reaction and can make the... more »
Hives are annoying itchy welts that pop up, drive you crazy and then disappear. Some lucky folks know what causes their hives while others are... more »
The term "hives" was coined within the medical community to refer to the wheals that appear on a person's skin as a result of a condition known as... more »
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| OMIM
| MedlinePlus 000845
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| eMedicineTopic Urticaria
| MeshID D014581
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Urticaria (from the Latin urtica, nettle (whence It. ortica, Sp. ortiga, Pg. urtiga) urere, to burn"urticaria" The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 2 May 2009) (or hives) are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions; however, there are many non-allergic causes. For example, most cases of hives lasting less than six weeks (acute urticaria) are the result of an allergic trigger. Chronic urticaria (hives lasting longer than six weeks) are rarely due to an allergy. The majority of patients with chronic hives have an unknown (idiopathic) cause. Perhaps as many as 30-40% of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria will, in fact, have an autoimmune cause. Acute viral infection is another common cause of acute urticaria (viral exanthem). Less common causes of hives include friction, pressure, temperature extremes, exercise, and sunlight. It may be true that hives are more common in those with fair skin.
Wheals (raised areas surrounded by a red base) from urticaria can appear anywhere on the surface of the skin. Whether the trigger is allergic or non-allergic, there is a complex release of inflammatory mediators, including histamine from cutaneous mast cells, resulting in fluid leakage from superficial blood vessels. Wheals may be pinpoint in size, or several inches in diameter. Angioedema is a related condition (also from allergic and non-allergic causes), though fluid leakage is from much deeper blood vessels. Individual hives that are painful, last >24 hours, or leave a bruise as they heal are more likely to be a more serious condition called urticaria pigmentosa. Hives caused by stroking the skin (often linear in appearance) are due to a benig read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urticaria
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