Hives

Hives occur in response to allergies and many other irritants, causing itchy bumps that may last a short time or become an ongoing, chronic condition. Julie Wendt, MD, and the team at Relieve Allergy, Asthma & Hives in Scottsdale, Arizona, specialize in finding the cause of your hives and providing treatments that relieve the itch and prevent future outbreaks. Call the office or click the online booking feature today to schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment and get relief from hives.

What are hives?

Hives (urticaria) often begin as an itchy patch of skin that turns into raised, red welts (bumps). They can appear anywhere on your body and be any size, ranging from a single, round welt to multiple welts that run together and cover a large area.

The welts temporarily turn white when you push them. Hives are mild to severely itchy but seldom painful. However, hives frequently occur together with angioedema. Angioedema causes swelling in the tissues under your skin and may be painful.

What causes hives?

Hives often appear as part of an allergic reaction. A few of the most common allergen triggers include:

• Certain foods (especially nuts, eggs, and shellfish)
• Pollen
• Poison ivy
• Insect venom
• Medications
• Latex

Your hives could also appear in response to health conditions and triggers that aren’t allergens. For example, many people develop hives due to:

• Viral infections
• Thyroid disease
• Chronic stress
• Mast cell activation syndrome
• Changes in body temperature
• Exposure to sunlight
• Contact and pressure (rubbing, itching, tight clothes)

Chronic hives may not have an identifiable cause.

How are hives diagnosed?

Your provider diagnoses hives through a visual exam. Identifying the trigger isn’t always as straightforward. In some cases, it’s easy to connect hives with triggers like eating a particular food, taking medication, or suffering an insect sting. 

Most of the time, your provider needs to explore your medical history, learn about your possible exposure to allergens and triggers, and run blood tests to find that trigger.

How are hives treated?

You may only need medication to relieve your itching while waiting for a mild case of hives to disappear. If testing confirms an allergy, your provider might recommend allergy shots.

Your provider also treats hives with two approaches:

Avoiding triggers

You can prevent future hive outbreaks by avoiding your triggers. This approach only works if you have identifiable, easy-to-avoid triggers.

Medications

Your provider may prescribe antihistamines, corticosteroids, or medications that suppress your immune system, depending on the severity of your hives. Chronic hives (hives that last six weeks or longer and recur over months or years) can be difficult to treat. 

As a result, your provider may recommend Xolair®, an advanced medication that inhibits the release of substances that cause hives.

Call Relieve Allergy, Asthma & Hives today or request an appointment online to get treatment for hives.