Hives 101: What’s Causing Your Skin to Break Out and How to Find Relief

Hives, medically known as urticaria, are itchy welts that appear on your skin when your body releases histamine, typically as part of an allergic reaction. The reaction can stem from something that’s touched your skin or from something you’ve ingested. 

Multiple things can trigger hives, but sometimes the underlying cause isn’t always clear, which can make it difficult to treat and frustrating to deal with, especially if your hives are chronic.

At Allergy and Asthma Institute of Southeast Michigan in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Chad W. Mayer, DO, FAAAAI, FAAP, has 20 years of experience in managing allergies and leads our team in diagnosing and treating allergy-related conditions, such as hives. Dr. Mayer has suffered from chronic hives for over 25 years. 

In this month’s blog, we discuss what you need to know about hives, including what could be causing them and how to treat them for much-needed itch relief.

Possible causes of hives

Sometimes the cause of hives is obvious. For example, if you eat shellfish and are almost immediately covered in hives, you probably have a shellfish allergy. 

However, if you deal with hives breakouts constantly, and you’re not sure why, common hives triggers that could also be causing yours include:

Environmental triggers

If you have sensitive skin, it’s common for external factors in your environment to trigger a hives breakout. Some environmental triggers include:

• Extreme temperatures
• Wool or other irritating fabrics
• Chemicals, such as dyes and fragrances
• Pressure from wearing tight clothing
• Sweat
• Latex

While these triggers are commonly reported, anything that irritates your skin may be causing your hives.

Allergies

In some cases, some type of allergy is at the root of hives, except if they’re chronic. Food and environmental allergies are common causes of hives, including allergies to peanuts, eggs, shellfish, pet dander, and insect venom.

Exercise 

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that raise the production of a chemical called acetylcholine. This chemical can irritate your skin or raise the production of histamine, both of which can lead to hives. 

Underlying illnesses

If you have chronic hives that last for more than six weeks, there could be something else at play. Oftentimes, chronic illnesses, such as lupus or hepatitis, can lead to hives. Many viral infections, such as COVID-19, can also lead to hives. 

How to get relief from your hives

To get true itch relief, it’s important to find the underlying cause. Avoiding hives triggers, undergoing allergy testing and treatment, and addressing any other contributing illnesses is going to be the best long-term solution. 

However, even with the best treatment, you may not be able to avoid hives breakouts altogether. If you do find yourself with itchy welts, you can find some relief through some of these effective remedies:

• Wear loose-fitting clothing
• Use cold compresses
• Take a cool bath
• Take an oral antihistamines

If these methods aren’t effective, our team can provide some higher-strength options, such as steroids.

If your hives are caused by an allergy, and it doesn’t seem like your allergy management plan is effective enough, our team can make any necessary adjustments. 

Ready to say goodbye to hives? Schedule an appointment for hives diagnosis and treatment by calling our office or using our online booking feature today.