Reduce redness, swelling, and itchiness associated with hives with help from our caring doctors
Have red, itchy bumps spread all over your skin? You probably have hives. This is a relatively common skin condition that may be caused by allergies, infections, stress, sun exposure, or various illnesses. The hives may be the size of a pinhead or a dinner plate. In most cases hives will develop within minutes of exposure to a trigger, but delayed reactions of two hours or more are also possible. Hives usually go away on their own, but this may take days or weeks. There’s no reason to suffer this long! If your hives don’t fade in 24 hours, come get effective treatment from the skilled doctors at Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Medical Group.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing hives is a simple matter and requires nothing more than looking at the skin. However, identifying the underlying cause of the hives may be more complicated. At Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Medical Group, we can perform allergy tests to determine if the hives are the result of an allergic reaction. The tests are quite simple and can return useful results in as little as 15 minutes. Some of the allergic triggers commonly associated with hives include:
- Food (especially citrus fruits, nuts, and shellfish)
- Medicine
- Insect bites and stings
- Animals
- Pollen
- Latex
In cases where hives last for more than six weeks, the condition is considered chronic and may be caused by an underlying autoimmune disorder trigger. We can run a blood test to check for this possibility.
Treatment
There are a number of effective treatments for hives that are caused by allergies. Antihistamines may be used to relieve itching as well as to prevent the body from releasing the histamine that causes hives to form in the first place. We’ll work with you to determine the right combination and frequency of antihistamines to effectively treat your symptoms, adjusting your prescriptions over time as needed. For patients with chronic hives that do not respond to antihistamines, we can prescriber XOLAIR. This is a new immunomodulating agent recently approved by the FDA.
Do you need help battling acute or chronic hives? Please contact us today to set up an appointment at one of our conveniently located medical offices.
