Hives is a skin reaction that can occur anywhere on the body, including areas like the lips, tongue, or throat. When the condition develops, the skin appears red and swollen with bumps or blotches, which can vary in size from a small pencil eraser to the size of a dinner plate or even larger. While most cases of hives go away within 24 hours, chronic cases can last several months or even years.
Thankfully, eliminating hives is not a particularly difficult task. Here is a look at some potential treatments, depending on the severity of the breakout.
Treating Mild Hives
In mild cases of hives, people do not necessarily need treatment because they will normally go away on their own—sometimes within a few hours. However, for faster relief of swelling and itchiness, home treatments like the application of an antihistamine cream can help.
Treating Moderate Hives
For those with a more substantial case of hives, doctors will generally recommend antihistamine pills, some of which may cause drowsiness. Alternatively, doctors may prescribe corticosteroid drugs or anti-inflammation medication that will help reduce swelling, redness and itching to an even greater degree. However, corticosteroids should be used with caution, since long-term use may increase the risk of infections in some patients. In cases where all these medications are ineffective, autoimmune drugs may be necessary to help calm a patient's overactive immune system response to the irritant causing the hives.
Treating Severe Hives
In cases of severe hives in which the throat swells and patients have trouble breathing or swallowing, it's important to seek immediate medical attention. While severe hives can be easily reversed using epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), they can turn fatal quickly. Those with chronic hive breakouts may be prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, known as an EpiPen, to keep on hand at all times. However, even with an EpiPen, patients should still head for the emergency room as soon as possible after a breakout.
Preventing Hives
Avoiding known allergic triggers is the best way to prevent hives from developing in the first place. Some of the more common ones include:
- Certain foods (such as peanuts, eggs, nuts, and shellfish)
- Medications (such as penicillin, sulfa, aspirin, and ibuprofen)
- Insect stings or bites
- Pressure from tight clothing
- Changes in temperature from low to high
- A rise in body temperature due to exercise
- Exposure to latex, pet dander, or pollen
- Contact with plants like poison oak and poison ivy
