8 Things That May Be Causing Your Hives

If you have ever had raised red bumps or splotches on your skin, you’ve experienced a specific type of rash known as hives. However, hives can occur for a variety of reasons and can even become a chronic problem.

Our Advanced Allergy & Asthma team specializes in acute and chronic allergies, asthma, and related conditions. Many people we see end up at our offices in Ogden, Utah, because of challenging skin issues such as hives.

Do you have hives? This blog explains this common skin symptom and eight common causes.

Hive basics

Most people know that hives typically develop because of an allergic reaction. 

Your immune system overreacts to a substance others find harmless. Instead of doing nothing, it releases a surge of histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream, triggering allergy symptoms — including hives.

Common signs of hives include:

• Itching, burning, or stinging
• Red or skin-colored welts on the skin with clearly defined edges (wheals)
• Wheals that spread, grow, or join together, forming larger, raised areas
• Welts that disappear, reappear, and change shape within minutes or hours

In most cases, hives typically fade within 24 hours, but they can be noticeable for days and longer.

However, these are not the only kinds of hives a person can get. You can also have chronic hives that develop at least twice a week over a minimum of six weeks.

Unlike acute hives associated with allergic reactions, chronic hives have additional causes.

Eight things that could be causing your hives

As you might suspect, many allergens can trigger a bout of hives. Common culprits include foods, medications, insects, pollen, plants, pet dander, latex, and even blood transfusions.

However, chronic hives usually don’t develop because of allergies. Instead, they have an underlying cause, such as:

• Pressure on the skin
• Exposure to sun, heat, or extreme cold
• Stress
• Exercise
• Blood transfusions
• Fungal and bacterial infections, including UTIs and strep throat 
• Certain illnesses, like the common cold, COVID-19, mononucleosis, hepatitis, and lupus

Finally, it’s also important to note that a person can develop hives without a known reason.

Finding help for hives

Approximately 20% of people experience hives at some point during their lifetime. Most of the time, they go away on their own. 

However, it’s essential to get medical help if you have severe symptoms — which can indicate a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. Our team can also help if you’re plagued with chronic hives.

Hive management typically involves:

• Allergy testing to identify triggers
• Medications to reduce symptoms or histamines
• Allergy shots or immunotherapy to block allergic reactions

We can also help create a management plan with lifestyle changes to help minimize your exposure to potential triggers. 

This often includes eliminating certain foods from your diet, reducing exposure to environmental irritants, wearing loose, lightweight clothing, and adopting stress management techniques.

Do you have hives? Our team can help you find answers. Contact Advanced Allergy & Asthma in Ogden, Utah, to book a visit today.