Understanding Hives Causes and What Natural Hives Treatment Can Do For You

For people who just can’t pinpoint what causes their hives or more importantly how to cure them we’ve come across a natural hives treatment solution that has helped thousands of people just like you.

Natural health researcher and author, Kate Andrews, suffered with chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives) and angiodema for over 25 years before finally reclaiming her life back in 2008.

You can now read how she did it in her tell-all report, called Natural Urticaria Relief.

Not a Miracle Cure…

Are you scouring the internet looking for a miracle cure for your hives? If so, you should probably keep looking because this isn’t it! Kate’s report makes no bogus claims of overnight success.

Stop living in pain…

Follow the proven natural hives treatment program laid out for you in Natural Urticaria Relief and you will see improvement within weeks – sometimes days.

You will learn how to achieve permanent relief without any drugs whatsoever (not even supplements).

==> Click here to learn more about Natural Urticaria Relief <==

Speaking of Drugs…

Did you know that for many people the drugs recommended by mainstream medicine actually compound the problem and can make your hives worse? Yes the antihistamines, the cortisone shots and the steroids do mask the symptoms but most doctors will tell you they really don’t know how to treat hives.

The truth is all of those drugs can have a toxic effect on your body over time and do nothing to deal with the underlying hives causes.

Hives is NOT an Allergy…

So why do you have urticaria attacks? Well, the simple answer is that you have an overactive immune system. Your immune system “freaks out” when it meets specific allergens. But you’re still NOT allergic!

Our bodies are being exposed to an increasingly toxic environment. For some people, those prone to hives, these levels of toxicity can cause hypersensitivity to just about anything.

In a Nutshell…

Natural Urticaria Relief lays out a unique method of deactivating hypersensitivity by removing numerous toxins and addressing gastrointestinal tract problems such as bacterial and fungal which diminish the body’s allergen tolerance and immune system.

How long have you suffered with hives?

Are you depressed from living in pain everyday?

You’re not alone!

Did you know depression is one of the most common side-effects of hives?

What if you could:

easily rid your body of all its harmful toxins & pollutants…
naturally treat bacterial and fungal problems associated with the gastrointestinal tract…
re-build and strengthen your immune system the natural way…
restore your digestive system to its normal healthy state…
get rid of excess free radicals from your body…
remove heavy metals deposits trapped in your body…
deal with your depression.

Your hives are almost guaranteed to improve if you follow the advice in Natural Urticaria Relief.

Has modern medicine failed you?

Are you frustrated by doctors who can’t seem to help?

If traditional treatments have not dealt with your underlying hives causes, why not take a few minutes to learn more about this natural hives treatment program?

==> Stop Living in Pain – Try Natural Urticaria Relief today <==

Specific Causes Of Hives And Traditional Treatments

This post will take a closer look at some specific causes of hives and outline the more commonly recommended treatments.

What Causes Hives

In general the causes of hives can be any external irritant that is ingested or comes into contact with the skin. Although, as mentioned in the prior post for the majority of acute hives cases a cause is never determined. The name given to these cases is idiopathic.

Those for whom an allergic link can be found develop hives for one of several different reasons:

Food

The most common culprits are eggs, milk, nuts, fish and shellfish, berries, chocolate and tomatoes. In some chronic cases coffee, alcohol and tobacco have also been found to make symptoms worse.

Medications

The list here would be very lengthy but some of the most common causes of hives from medicine include ASA, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, ACE inhibitors such as Ramipril, Lisinopril and Enalapril and antibiotics such as Penicillins and Sulfonamides. A few others are iodide, anaesthetics like Lidocaine, as well as Morphine, Codeine and other narcotic painkillers.

It is worth noting that it is not always the primary ingredient that may cause your hives. This applies to both food and medicine. Sometimes it could be something as seemingly benign as a colouring agent.

Infections

There are many different infections that are known to cause hives. Throat, stomach, genital or urinary tract infections as well as mononucleosis, hepatitis, and some fungal infections. Sometimes in children the common cold can even cause hives. Actually, in all these cases it is not the infectious organism directly causing the hives but rather the body’s own defences.

Miscellaneous

Some other possible causes of hives include insect bites, cosmetics, soaps, perfumes, lotions, latex in gloves or condoms and nickel found in some jewellery.

There are also several types of physical urticaria (induced by friction, sunlight, cold, exercise, etc) which were discussed in the previous post. Strictly speaking these are not classified as allergic urticaria but the underlying process is basically the same.

Popular Treatments For Hives

The general approach mainstream medicine takes to dealing with hives is to try to treat the symptoms and hope that the condition goes away by itself. The three most common treatments for hives are as follows:

Antihistamines

Antihistamines help to counteract the body’s release of histamine into the skin – the physiological cause of hives. They are the most commonly used oral treatment for hives and generally only have one main side effect which is drowsiness.

Popular over-the-counter antihistamines include Benadryl, Chlor-Trimetron, Claritin, Atarax and Vistaril. Among these Claritin is the least likely to cause drowsiness.

Popular prescription antihistamines are Claritin, Allegra and Xyzal. Sometimes these are prescribed in combination with another type of antihistamine called H2 blockers. Examples of H2 blockers are Zantac and Tagamet.

Steroids

For short periods of time oral steroids such as Medrol can help alleviate serious hives symptoms but the problem is that they cannot safely be administered for prolonged cases.

Other

A variety of other treatments are available but evidence supporting their efficacy is sparse. Examples are Singulair (also used to prevent Asthma attacks), antifungal antibiotics, ultraviolet radiation, tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil, Pamelor and Adapin and other agents that suppress the immune system.

Topical Therapies

There are some creams and lotions containing camphor, menthol or diphenhydramine that can help to numb nerve endings and alleviate itching however these are generally ineffective. For more detailed information feel free to check-out WebMD or MedicineNet.

Alternatives To Mainstream Medicine

Unfortunately many people end-up suffering from hives for many years with no relief. If you are one of these people then you may be interested in learning more about natural treatment options for your hives. Be sure to bookmark this site as the next post will discuss an exciting new take on exactly what causes hives and what can be done to treat them.

For a sneak preview feel free to check out

==> The official Natural Urticaria Relief website <==

Basic Information About Hives

Before getting into causes of hives and possible treatment options this post will try to give a general overview on this very common medical condition.

What is Urticaria

This is the general medical term for the skin condition commonly know as hives. There are many different types of urticaria. For ease of understanding this website will attempt to present information in non-medical terms wherever possible, for example rather than referring to Cholinergic Urticaria we will say something like exercise-induced hives. The next post will get into more detail on specific causes of hives but some of the major types of hives will be discussed shortly.

General Hives Information

Hives is very common affecting approximately 20% of the population at some point in their lives. It affects men and women of all ages and races. The medical term for a hive is a wheal however people rarely only develop one wheal hence the terms hives. Hives are circular, red spongy lesions that can range in size all the way from only a few millimetres to huge ones that can cover an entire extremity. Any skin surface is fair game for hives however as a general rule the palms and soles of the feet are spared.

Hives are the result of a complex series of events that leads to the release of a chemical called histamine into the skin. Injecting histamine into the skin causes a triple response of redness, leaking of fluid producing a hive, and the flare or redness around the hive. When the body is able to reabsorb this fluid the hives go away. You can distinguish a hive from a bruise by pressing on it; the skin will blanch if it is indeed a hive.

When fluid leaks deeper into the skin this is a condition known as angioedema. This usually results in swelling of the lips, larynx (producing hoarseness or shortness of breath), or the lining of the stomach and intestines (causing abdominal pain).

Of course no discussion of hives would be complete without addressing the itching. Basically when the swelling occurs in the outer layer of skin, or epidermis, the large number of nerve endings causes the itching sensation. However, the angioedema condition mentioned above does not itch since it involves swelling in deeper structures where there are fewer nerve endings.

Acute Hives vs. Chronic Hives

These are the two most basic categories of hives where the duration of the episode or symptoms is the criteria. Acute hives last for less than 6 weeks, and chronic hives last for longer than 6 weeks. The designation of 6 weeks as the divider is arbitrary.

What Causes Acute Hives

In about 70% of the cases what causes acute, or ordinary, hives is never known but they generally resolve on their own or with the help of antihistamines, which block the release of histamine. It is important to remember that antihistamines have no effect once the body releases histamine so the drugs must be taken regularly to work.

What Causes Chronic Hives

Chronic hives on the other hand do not resolve quickly. In fact roughly half of all people with chronic hives have symptoms for more than 5 years. Various steps are taken to properly diagnose chronic hives including detailed medical history, tracking of diet, tracking of symptoms and skin testing.

Chronic hives is further divided into several types with one of the more well known being physical urticaria. This accounts for approximately 16% of all chronic cases. Physical hives causes include stimuli such as rubbing or stroking of the skin, pressure applied to the skin, exercise, cold or exposure to the sun. There are more rare causes of hives such as heat, vibration and even water. AAD and MedLine Plus are two good resources we recommend for additional information on hives.

The next post will look at some more specific causes of hives and what treatment options mainstream medicine turns to.

Welcome to What Causes Hives Dot Org

This blog features information on what causes hives and possible treatment options.

What Causes Hives?