Treatment For Hives

Hives are an irritating, sometimes painful, and often embarrassing condition that can affect anyone. The swollen, red eruptions that appear on the skin may be reactions to different negative stimuli, like allergies, physical irritation, emotional and mental stresses, or imbalances in the body’s immune system. The appearance of these wheals, as the eruptions are called, varies from person to person. They may be circular or irregular, and their size too may vary from dot-sized to much larger. One thing is for certain, they’re very itchy! Unfortunately, that’s the one thing you’re not supposed to do to the wheals – scratch!

Hives are caused when cells release histamine, which makes your blood vessels leak fluid into your skin. This results in red welts, which may disappear in a few minutes, few hours, or few days. Their color may vary from colored skin to red. Scratching these eruptions can cause the swelling to increase, and make the welts slower to heal. It may also cause more wheals to appears, or cause the skin to break, allowing infections to take place. Sometimes, Angioedema may occur around the lips and eyes. This is a swelling under the skin which has a burning sensation, and may be dangerous. If this happens, it’s best to consult a doctor immediately.

Treatment: Hives will usually run their own course, and there isn’t much to be done other than relieve the pain and discomfort caused by the wheals. The first thing to do is to avoid scratching, especially at night when the wheals may be at their worst. If you can’t help yourself, it may be a good idea to wrap up the affected area with an elastic bandage. If it’s cool enough, you could also wear gloves or mittens to bed. Many types of anti-histamine are available over the counter, and these can help. There are also some natural alternatives that you can use:

• You can try drinking herbal teas to put you at ease. Peppermint or passion flower teas will help relax you. Chamomile and valerian also have calming effects on the mind and body. Since hives are often caused by stress, calming down the body and mind may make them go away. Many such teas are available in herbal remedy or aromatherapy stores.

• A common herbal remedy for hives is a poultice of crushed chickweed leaves. This will relieve the itchy feeling, and help the hives to heal faster.

• The bark and leaves of the Red Alder plant, brewed into a tea, or made into a paste, can be applied to the affected area. You’ll feel a cooling effect, and it will help the hives heal faster. Similarly, you could apply wet black-tea bags to the affected area. Both these substances contain tannin, which is an astringent, and will ease the discomfort caused by the hives.

• Dip a cloth in cool milk, and use it as a compress on the affected area. Apply it for ten to fifteen minutes, two or three times a day.

• Apply a moisturizer or calamine lotion to the skin. These may not help much with healing, but will provide some comfort.

Try to identify the cause of the hives, and then avoid it. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many people don’t know what causes the hives. If it’s an allergic reaction, it appears around half an hour after you consume the offending substance.