Hives : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

Hives are raised, often itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin. They are usually an allergic reaction to food or medicine. Allergic reactions cause your body to release chemicals that can make your skin swell up in hives. People who have other allergies are more likely to get hives than other people. Other causes include infections and stress.

Hives are very common. Hives usually cause itching, but may also burn or sting. They can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, lips, tongue, throat, or ears. Hives vary in size (from a pencil eraser to a dinner plate), and may join together to form larger areas known as plaques. They can last for hours, or up to one day before fading.

If hives or angioedema occur with any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor right away:

.Dizziness
.Wheezing
.Difficulty breathing
.Tightness in the chest
.Swelling of the tongue, lips, or face

While the condition is of no serious medical concern, it can be significantly uncomfortable and unsightly. Because of the fact that it is so common all over the world, a number of home remedies have been used over decades to fight off the condition.

. Parsley is known to inhibit the secretion of histamine that causes hives. Eat it raw or juice it up.

. If you tend to get hives on a regular basis, green tea can help. Drink 1 cup twice per day.

. Another very calming and soothing hives treatment is to apply lavender essential oil directly on the hives.

. By applying the cool compression it may help to provide some relief from the pain and itch.

. By applying calamine lotion it can grant you relief from the itchy feeling.

. Applying aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil to the affected area at least twice a day can benefit you a lot.

. Avoid food like eggs, strawberries, berries, peanuts, nuts, chocolates, cheese, tomatoes, soy products, shellfish and many more. Find out the food that is allergic to you and avoid having it.

. Consume vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc or cayenne pepper capsules for speeding up the healing process.

. Get 1/2 a tub filled with warm water, add 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda. Soaking yourself at least once a day can make a lot of difference.

. Make a paste by mixing 2 cups of oatmeal and 3 teaspoons of cornstarch to a little water and apply the resulting paste over the affected regions. Allow the paste to harden for about half an hour before you wash it off your body.

. Add some drops of sandalwood essential oil on cotton and then apply it on the infected areas every three hours. This oil helps in calming and cooling effects of hives.

. Add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract in a teaspoon of vegetable oil or olive oil. Apply this mixture over the affected area for lessening or eliminating hives.

. Swimming in chlorine water is also good for treating hives.

. Avoid wearing tight cloths as it can rub against the affected area and cause them to spread as well.

. Make a concoction of ginger with boiling water and add this to your bath. Soak yourself in this water for 30 minutes and you will feel better. You can also take ginger as supplements to get rid of hives.

. Apply diluted cider vinegar directly to hives to get rid of itching and restore the skin’s natural pH balance.

. Drink plenty of water and fluids to flush away the toxins from the body.

. There are a lot of cortisone creams available over the counter. Apply this cream directly on to the hives to get relief from itching and swelling of hives.

If these methods do not help, then you must be suffering from chronic hives and hence you will need to seek the advice of a doctor.



~source:webmd.com/hives-treatment.com~