Did you know hives affects about 20% of people at some point during their life?
Hives is a common symptom of allergies and it is a condition we treat very often at the clinic. In this article, we want to empower you with more knowledge about this skin condition: the symptoms, causes and how you can treat it naturally.
What are hives?
Hives, also known as urticaria, are an outbreak of red, swollen, itchy welts that form on the skin. They can appear anywhere on the body, although they are typically found on the face, torso, arms and legs. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, hives can vary in size and also join together as larger welts. Hives may also cause severe itching in some cases.
Outbreaks typically only last a few hours, but for some people hives may last for months or, if they do go away, they recur frequently. When a case of hives lasts longer than 6 weeks, it is known as chronic urticaria.
What are the common causes?
The World Allergy Organization states, “when an allergen enters your bloodstream, it creates a series of reactions in the body’s immune system. These reactions lead to the release of histamine and other chemicals into the blood and can result in hives or other allergic symptoms.”
Hives occur when the histamine and chemicals are released from under the skin’s surface, causing the tissues to swell.
Common triggers for hives:
- Food or food additives
- Alcohol
- Stimuli (such as heat, cold, sunlight)
- Stress
- Exercise
- Insect bites
- Bacterial or viral infection
- Medications
- Pet dander
- Pollen or plants (such as poison oak and poison ivy)
It is important to remember that these are common triggers for hives. According to most mainstream medical information, the deep underlying causes of hives still remain unknown.
But at Advanced Allergy Solutions, we believe one of the main underlying causes to be stress, which triggers over-activity of the immune system. The “triggers” listed above may push the immune system into the acute state that is chronic hives, but those individual triggers are not the underlying cause of immune stress.
How to treat hives naturally
At Advanced Allergy Solutions we help our patients find relief through natural treatments. If you suffer from hives, we recommend you come in for an Initial Allergy Appointment. We can identify which allergens are causing negative reactions in your body. Through our non-invasive treatment, we will retrain your immune system to have a positive association to a substance.
We will also help you boost your immune system and lower your histamine levels by recommending all-natural supplements, such as isoquercitrin, quercetin, nettles and Vitamin C.
One of the most important factors in treating hives is stress relief and calming the nervous system. According to Harvard Medical School, “relaxation techniques have been used along with conventional medical care in treating acne, eczema, hives and psoriasis.”
Different stress reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, hiking or other exercise can be highly effective. We also talk about one of our favorite stress relief techniques here.
Our treatment, along supplement and stress-relief recommendations, have brought many of our patients long-lasting relief from hives.
If you are interested in making an appointment or would like to learn more about how we treat hives and other skin conditions, visit us here.
We look forward to helping you find relief!