When the search for the cause of hives, or urticaria begins, keep an open mind. What is the cause of urticaria in one person will not have any effect in another, and the cause for hives in the same person may change in different stages of life. There are a few areas that will likely hold the answer if it is to be found and those are the areas you should focus on when searching for your own cause of hives.

Can stress cause hives?

One cause of hives that is often overlooked is stress. While there are certainly foods that cause hives, stress can be a cause of hives more often than you may think. One easy way to begin your detective work is to start keeping a journal on a small pad you can carry with you. Record what you eat, record events that happen during the day. If the hives cause is food it should become apparent fairly soon. They will appear suddenly and quickly and you’ll be able to look at what you ate. A pattern will be apparent if the cause of hives is food.

Stress is a different matter. If you are going through a major life event like a job loss, or divorce, the recurrence of hives will not be triggered by any certain food and will come and go seemingly at random. But you may notice that an argument with a co-worker or spouse triggers a hives event. The cause of urticaria could be a certain stressful time of the day for you, such as before a daily meeting, or your dreaded commute home. The hives themselves will not appear any different regardless of cause, so your event journal may bring something you didn’t think of before. Stress has many physical manifestations and there is no reason to think that it could be the cause of hives in adults just as it affects other organs like the heart or lungs. Since the skin is the largest of all the organs, the effect of stress on the skin could be the cause of hives, rashes, acne, or other skin problems. Stress certainly makes us sweat, and sweat is one known cause for hives. A detailed journal will help you uncover your own stressors. Stress should really not be overlooked as the cause of urticaria, it is the case more often than most people think, especially in a single event or outbreak.

Diseases that cause hives

Autoimmune diseases like lupus are a known cause of hives and if you have one of these diseases, chronic hives may be one of the symptoms. Any autoimmune disease you may have would be a probable cause, since hives is an immune system response.

Thyroid disease is by far the most common disease that can be a cause of hives. But there are other illnesses that cause hives, some of which are listed below.

• Lymphoma
• Carcinomas
• Amyloidosis
• Mastocytosis
• Polycythemia Vera

And Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is often a cause of hives in children.

Allergies that cause hives

When most people think about what can cause hives, allergies come to mind. But the truth is that chronic hives are hardly ever caused by allergies. Pet allergies are the most common allergic cause of hives, but only in acute cases. Some of the more common allergies to be the cause of urticaria are:

• Medications (especially codeine and NSAID drugs)
• Fungus spores or pollens can be a cause of urticaria for those who otherwise suffer from seasonal allergies
• Latex
• Insect Bites or stings
• Dairy products
• Nuts (especially peanuts)
• Fish (shellfish are a notorious cause of urticaria)

Cause of urticaria can be hereditary

Finally, don’t forget to ask family members if they have a history of hives. This will not help you treat your own case but may hel you understand your own cause of hives and come to terms with the fact that you may never find the urticaria cause.

The most common causes of hives are allergic reactions that trigger an immune system response. The immune system acts as if there is something foreign in the body and signals the body to release histamine to fight it. Some of the more common causes of hives may be:

• Insect bites
• Food allergies
• Temperature extremes
• Infections (fungal or viral)
• Food additives
• Tight clothes rubbing skin or repeated stroking of skin causes hives

These are very broad but common skin hives causes, particularly when looking for what causes hives of the acute variety.

What causes hive rash

The causes of hives, or what causes skin hives are well known. It is the actual trigger or triggers that have patients and doctors perplexed. It is the release of histamine that causes the small blood vessels to leak fluid. This fluid accumulates in the skin and is actually what causes the hives and the associated rash and wheals. But the trigger is never found in half the cases and chronic hives causes are even more difficult to figure out. The symptoms are usually straightforward to treat, but the causes of hives being so difficult to detect means that what causes rashes and hives will remain a mystery for many.

What causes hives in adults?

The causes of hives in adults, when they can be determined, are usually related to a drug the adult is taking or a reaction to food. Food allergies are where the difference in hives causes in adults differs most from children. In adults, the most common food causes of hives are shellfish, fish, peanuts, and other nuts.

This may be because are more likely to be on drugs or other medications and more likely to eat fish and shellfish than children. Painkillers are a common trigger and more adults use painkillers than children.

What are the causes of hives in children?

Viral infections are generally recognized as the most common causes for hives in children

When the causes of hives in children are narrowed down to food, the food causes in children tend to be mostly milk, eggs, soy, wheat, and peanuts or other nuts. Again, this may be anecdotal since children tend to eat more dairy products than adults, and by the time one becomes an adult, they will have likely already figured out that these dairy products are one of the causes of hives and are already avoiding them.

These are the main differences between what causes hives in children and adults. Most of the other identifiable causes are the same and treatment is usually the same for both adults and children. But you shouldn’t be surprised if the causes of hives is never identified, as the majority never are.

At least one in five adults has experienced hives. Many parents are alarmed to find their children with hives, but they really shouldn’t be too alarmed. In most cases they are acute hives, meaning they will likely go away almost as quickly as they appeared. And most likely, you will find children with hives are never able to be diagnosed as to the cause.

Most of us know the symptoms. Hives, otherwise referred to as urticaria, are those bothersome red, large, raised areas that appear on the skin in almost any part of the body and they are usually extremely itchy. They can sometimes be a bit frightening, especially the first time a person gets them.

And imagine children, with hives appearing for no reason and looking quite frightening. Young children with hives may come running to their parents crying and very scared that these large, scary splotches just came out of nowhere. The first thing you should do if this happens is to try to calm your child quickly. Anxiety and stress tend to aggravate hives and make the condition even worse, or appear in other areas. And you may need to calm yourself down as well.

What can make hives appear so quickly and without warning?

If you or your children have never had hives before, you ought to do a quick internet search for pictures of children with hives. You’ll see they can be quite intimidating in appearance. The other thing you should know that in more than half the cases, children with hives have a condition that is classified as idiopathic. This means that the cause is unknown and will never be known.  If this is the first time you have seen your children with hives, and they disappear and don’t come back, you should probably just forget about it. You will just cause unnecessary anxiety for yourself and perhaps you child.

But if the hives reappear, you should know that many things can cause urticaria and in the case of children with hives, the most common cause of them is a virus. The hives are just a symptom of the body’s immune system trying to fight off an attack, either real or perceived as real by the immune system. They are caused by the release of histamine, which happens quickly, from mast cells under the skin. This release causes leakage of fluid from blood vessels, albeit small leakage, that causes the red appearance, the raised area, and the itchiness that children with hives experience.

Allergic reactions to food or medications are another frequent cause of the hives, and if this is the case, the hives will appear shortly after exposure or ingestion of the offending medicine or food. Children with hives caused by an allergic reaction to antibiotics or other medicines may not get them the first time they use the medicine. This is because an allergic reaction is the way the body reacts to something for which it has built up proteins called antibodies. And sometimes it takes being exposed several times before there are enough of the antibodies to cause the response seen as hives.

Things in the environment of children with hives could be the culprit as well. So look for possibilities like pollen, pet dander, grass or tree pollen or anything else that may also be causing the child to sneeze.

Children with hives only need to see a doctor if the condition is persistent or becomes chronic

Children with hives that last longer than six weeks or hives that come and go repeatedly for six weeks or longer are suffering from chronic hives and you will want to see a doctor to see if you can discover the cause. Chronic hives are seldom an allergic reaction and you will want to try to get to the root of it. Antihistamines are a normal treatment but if you can find the cause and remove it, you will be doing better for your child. Antihistamines are not a good long-term solution for children with hives as they can become dependent on them. A natural approach or a more holistic approach that strengthens the immune system or removes the cause is a better approach. And if the hives do have a viral cause, you’ll want to get to the bottom of that as well.

Urticaria in pregnancy is actually a fairly common skin condition. Urticaria is the medical term for hives, in pregnancy not as common as they are for those not pregnant. Hives are characterized by raised, splotchy, red, or pale colored areas that are sometimes severely itchy. These areas are called wheals and can appear anywhere on the body, can change shape, color, or location, and can disappear as fast as they appear. The main consideration may be the treatment of urticaria in pregnancy because you may want to avoid certain pharmaceutical remedies that you would otherwise think nothing of. You should always be cautious about using any drugs during pregnancy that may cause harm to your child.

Breaking out in hives during pregnancy

The first thing you should know about urticaria in pregnancy is that pregnancy hives, even hives in early pregnancy, is not harmful to the baby or the mother. But the mother usually has enough discomfort associated with being pregnant without the added itchiness hives in pregnancy brings. Only about one in a hundred women will develop urticaria in pregnancy and when they do, the wheals usually appear on the legs, arms, and back area. Only if the hives appear in the area of the genitals that a doctor should be consulted right away. The doctor will usually not prescribe steroids or other drugs for urticaria in pregnancy out of concern for the fetus but he or she may advise a lotion or cream to help relieve the itching and discomfort. Hives in pregnancy or without being pregnant cannot be cured with these lotions, but the itchiness can be relieved. Oral steroids should only be used as a last resort out of concern for the baby in the womb.

Other conditions that mimic urticaria in pregnancy

There is a condition that is similar to hives in pregnancy known as Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). This is another benign dermatitis that usually shows up late in the pregnancy. It is as harmless as hives in pregnancy but is more like a rash than the splotchy wheals seen in hives. PUPPP typically starts on the stomach and spreads to the legs, feet, chest, arms, and neck. It seems to affect women carrying boys more than girls but still only affects about one in two hundred and disappears without treatment within a week after delivery.

Causes of hives in pregnancy

The actual cause of urticaria in pregnancy is really unknown. Certainly pregnancy brings with it hormonal changes and fluctuations in progesterone and estrogen levels. Sometimes this change affects the skin and the constant itching itself will bring on the hives in pregnancy. But for the most part it is idiopathic, which is to say in medical terms that the cause is not known.

Another theory as to the cause of hives in pregnancy is that the hormonal imbalance in the blood stream sets off the production of IgE antibodies by the auto-immune system of the mother. These IgE antibodies then bind with the skin’s mast cells, producing histamines. These histamines produce the allergic reaction in the body that present as hives.

If they really become bothersome, you should seek a natural alternative to treat them and chances are they will not be a problem after delivery.

What is hives disease situation that you need to concern yourself with? You should only be concerned if your hives become chronic – meaning they last for longer than six weeks. Most cases of hives disease go unidentifiable as to the cause but there are many possibilities. The more relevant question is what is hives disease caused by, and could my hives and autoimmune disease be a factor.

Hives autoimmune disease commonalities

What is hives disease test you can have to narrow things down? You should ask for an autologous serum skin test (ASST). This is a painless test where blood is drawn, spun in a centrifuge to separate the serum, and the serum is re-injected to see if you develop the wheals that identify hives. A positive result will not only answer your questions like what is hives and is it autoimmune disease and hives together, but a negative result will allow you to rule out autoimmune disease hives and pursue other alternatives.

Chances are that chronic hives skin disease is autoimmune and acute hives is not

What autoimmune disease causes hives? Some possibilities are listed here:

• Autoimmune angioedema
• Autoimmune thyroid disease
• Chrohn’s disease
• Graves disease
• Thyroid disease
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ulcerative colitis

This is only a partial list of conditions that might indicate autoimmune disease and hives.

What is hives disease if I have Thyroid disease as well?

Hives disease is often seen in patients with thyroid disease. It is not the hives disease that causes the thyroid problems but it is interesting that patients that suffer with chronic hives (or urticaria) often cannot get an explanation for the hives outbreaks but respond well when given thyroid treatment. This is true for almost all the autoimmune treatments. Chrohn’s disease hives and Hashimoto’s disease and hives have a similar relationship. A patient will have chronic unexplained hives for years and will respond well when treated in conventional ways for these diseases. This is true even if they do not have a current diagnosis of these autoimmune diseases.

Perhaps even more curious is that they will often be diagnose up to ten years later for the same autoimmune disease who’s treatment rid them of the hives. This may suggest that hives is somewhat of a precursor to these autoimmune diseases, although it is impossible currently to establish that relationship at the time the hives are remedied. It may be a long time, if ever before a concrete relationship is established, but there is no doubt some relation in some cases of hives and certain autoimmune diseases.

It’s not surprising that a list of hives book names may include over 500 titles. With 20 percent or better of the population suffering from hives, there have been plenty of books written on the topic. If you were to decide to spend your money, what is it that you want to learn from the hives book?

The expensive hives book option

Unless you are a physician or a dermatology student, chances are you don’t need to spend close to $200 on a textbook covering the urticaria condition. But they do exist and they will set you back a good bit of money. One hives book of this type sells for about $295 titled Urticaria and Angioedema. It is a hardcover hives book edited by Allen Kaplan and Malcom W. Graves. Published in hardcover and in its second edition, there is over 400 pages of information and is probably the most comprehensive book on the subject. This is way more than the average hives sufferer needs to learn or could even get through. But if you want a hives book that covers urticaria from every angle and aspect, this is a book for you. While not meaning to diminish the value of the information contained in this hives book, it’s doubtful you would ever get through it.

The cheap hives book option

While not necessarily a hives book, there is certainly lots of free nformation, some of it in PDF book form that you can get for free. Some of this information is very good and much of it thorough. But the problem with the free information is that it tends to be very general and repetitive. A free hives book online is probably worth what you pay for it. You’ll get the basics, but not much more. If you are looking for specific treatment recommendations or diagnosis, it’s doubtful that a free hives book will provide that.

A reasonably priced e-book is probably best choice

With the proliferation of information on the internet, your best alternative is probably a well-written and researched e-book. Hives books that address the area of hives you want to focus on can be found at reasonable prices.

A hives book that provides treatment methods not commonly found are well worth the modest price and will be able to give you ways to end the suffering. A hives book that outlines a treatment plan that will rid you of the problem is money well-spent. There are a few good ones out there written by doctors that have actually treated hives patients with success and are willing to share their work with you for a reasonable price.

A hives book offering a treatment that works is better than an office visit to confirm you have hives and then sends you home with an antihistamine. The price of the book should be about the same or less than an office visit but is worth it because you will have reference information to read again if needed and rid you of your suffering. Do a little research and look for a hives book that offers you something that works other than the same information you can easily find with a simple internet search.

The relationship between hives and virus is sometimes confusing. Hives is medically referred to as urticaria and virus can be one cause of urticaria, but by no means the only one. Hives are the raised red areas that appear in splotches called wheals on the skin in any area of the body. They usually appear suddenly and are sometimes frightening when experienced for the first time. It is not unusual to experience hives and virus at the same time and hives after a virus infection is not uncommon but there is no such thing as a hives virus. But since the urticaria and virus relationship is common it might be helpful to list some of the virus that cause hives.

List of possible virus causing hives

The relationship between hives and virus in children is the most prevalent. It is estimated that greater than 80% of hives in children are caused due to their reaction to a viral infection.

The appearance of urticaria and virus that cause them are partially listed below:

• Common cold
• Human Immunodeficiency virus
• Mononucleosis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C

Usually, the hives will appear as the body tries to clear the infection. But unless the hives and virus are accompanied by fever, swelling in the mouth or tongue, or difficulty in breathing, a visit to the doctor is not usually needed. You need to use your own judgment on this matter, especially in young children, as you know what is normal with your child and what may be cause for alarm.

Hives with virus could be from medication

The other relationship that often goes unnoticed between urticaria and virus is that it may not be that the hives are caused by a virus but rather medication taken for the virus. Aspirin can cause hives and many of the antibiotics prescribed for an illness can also cause hives. Penicillin and cephalosporin are notorious for causing an outbreak of hives. The hives might appear right after the first dose – in which case the diagnosis is an easy one – or may start days into the treatment, making the connection not so obvious. Even more confusing is that hives don’t always appear the first time the medication is taken. Sometimes they appear after the medication has been taken several times in the past.

The connection between hives and virus is a tricky and sometimes confusing one. You may need a doctor to help you sort it out. But remember there is no hives virus, only hives caused by virus.

Urticaria in babies sounds a lot more frightening than it really is. What your pediatrician is really telling you is you are one of thousands of parents experiencing hives in babies. We all know that hives is fairly common in adults but most people are not aware that hives in babies is just about as common. Urticaria in babies presents the same as they do in adults. They are different shapes and sizes but normally have well-defined areas with pale raised central areas surrounded by a red border.

What Causes Hives in Babies?

Urticaria in babies is caused by the same release of the chemical histamine that is responsible for the condition in adults. The biggest problem with hives in babies is that they cannot communicate with you so pinning down the cause of the histamine result can be more difficult. One word of caution is that some parents confuse urticaria in babies with diaper rash. If the area of concern is in an area that would be prone to diaper rash, you may want to look at some pictures of hives in babies and compare them to your child. The difference should be clear to you. Another condition that often confuses parents is urticaria pigmentosa in babies. This is a different condition usually presenting as brown patches. These are due to an abnormal collection of mast cells, is not serious, and goes away by the teenage years without treatment

Once you have rules out diaper or other rashes and conditions, you need to narrow down the cause.

Viral Hives in Babies is Most Common Cause.

Unlike in adults, the most common cause of hives in babies is a viral infection like the flu or a cold. If your baby has just gotten over or is still suffering from a viral infection like this, you have identified the cause. But more commonly, urticaria in babies has another cause. Some of the more common are:

• Insect bites or stings – your child could be allergic to, say, bee or ant bites and stings, causing hives
• Foods – hives in babies is often a reaction to a food just digested. Dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, soybeans, or some additives may cause an outbreak of hives. Breastfeeding is the best way to avoid this. But if that is not practical or possible for you, a process of elimination will usually narrow down the culprit.
• Temperature extremes – especially cold temperatures can cause hives in babies
• Drugs – if your baby is on a medication, prescription or not, it may be the cause of the hives

When Should You Call a Doctor?

If you think it is a result of contacting something causing an allergic type reaction like pollen or pet hair, urticaria in babies responds well to a bath. And a cool bath, not cold, will almost always sooth hives in babies, stopping the discomfort and the crying and fussing. This can be as relieving to the parents as the baby! Your doctor may allow you to use an oral antihistamine to reduce the discomfort.

But if the hives are accompanied by breathing problems, a swollen tongue, or unconsciousness, medical help should be sought immediately. And any time urticaria in babies lasts for longer than a week or so, you should seek medical advice. Hives in babies shouldn’t be treated with drugs on your own without a doctor’s supervision. The cool bath and other natural remedies should be tried first before going with steroids or antihistamines.

In general, there are two different types of hives categories recognized by the dermatologists. Assuming you are not interested in the different types of bee hives, the dermatologist will need to determine which of the two types of hives you are experiencing before beginning treatment, if treatment is even required.

The medical term for hives is urticaria. Dermatologists distinguish between the hives types by categorizing them as either Ordinary Urticaria or Chronic Urticaria. In the most general description, ordinary hives are those that last from a few hours to less than 8 weeks. Chronic hives continue on past the six to eight weeks and may even last for years.

Ordinary hives

Of the different types of hives, this is by far the most common. It is estimated that at least 20% of the general population will come up with one of the different types of hives and most of them will be of the ordinary variety. They usually appear quite suddenly and often for no obvious reason. Many times you will never know the reason because this acute condition can often go away just as fast as it appears.

In general, they will present as slightly raised welts appearing in groups fairly close together in one area of the body. Often times the disappearance in one area will be followed by reappearance in another area.

Chronic Hives

The other main category of the different types of hives is Chronic Urticaria. The distinction is that the condition lasts for longer than 6 to 8 weeks. There is no definite time period to separate the different types of hives, but if the condition goes on longer than a couple of months, you most likely have the chronic urticaria variety. It is at this point that you should begin considering investing the time and expense to find out the cause of the hives. This can be very time consuming and is usually a “shotgun approach” type of diagnosis procedure. The range of causes is so wide that you will likely have to rule out various diseases, drug allergies, food allergies, infections, hormonal disorders and other conditions that mimic the symptoms of hives.

Other types of hives

Chronic urticaria can be further broken down into different types of hives that fall under the chronic broad category.

• Physical urticaria is caused by direct skin stimulation and usually manifests at the site of the stimulation. Types of physical stimulation that can cause hives include temperature extremes, sun, sweating, pressure, vibration, and even exercise.
• Dermatographism are one of the different types of hives that is caused by excessive scratching or stroking of the same area. This sometimes is the result of acute hives causing itching that turns into a habit that feeds on itself. It often occurs with other forms of urticaria.
• Hereditary angiodema is a painful type of hives characterized by swelling and is passed on down through generations of families.

Before effectively treating any of the different types of hives, the root cause has to be determined. If you have a type of hives that comes and goes rapidly, it may be helpful to take pictures of different types of hives attacks that you get before they disappear so you can show them to your doctor to aid in the diagnosis process.

What is hives rash? Hives rash is often referred to as urticaria, or just hives. Hives are typically dark red patches of raised skin that are very itchy and often have a stinging and burning sensation as well. They are known to be triggered by allergic or non-allergic factors.

Basically, there are two types of urticaria, acute and chronic. By definition, acute urticaria is any case of hives that lasts less than six weeks; chronic urticaria is any case that lasts more than six weeks, or is very frequent.  According to Hives.org, urticaria are curable in 95% of cases with the right hives rash treatment.

Hives or Rash?

When symptoms occur, sometimes it is hard to tell if the symptoms are of a rash or hives. Health.msn.com explains the difference, stating “‘Rash’ is a catch-all layman’s term, defined broadly as any inflammation of the skin.” The article continues on saying “Hives (urticaria) result from a build-up of fluid underneath the top layer of skin.” In other words, hives are always a rash, but a skin rash may not necessarily be hives.

If you are wonder about a certain rash you should see a dermatologist for a complete diagnosis. However, if you are not sure if it is hives or just rash symptoms you are having you can find hives and rash pictures at Dermatology.about.com and Web.md.com. You can find more hives and rash information on these websites as well. This should help you determine if it is just a skin rash or hives.

Hives Skin Rash

Skin rash and hives symptoms may vary from person to person depending on the causes. Many people think that the allergen that triggered the reaction is the cause. This is not true. Most of the time hives, or urticaria, cases are found to be idiopathic. This means the cause is unknown.

Hives usually have another medical condition as an underlying cause. They are namely, lupus, hepatitis, a thyroid dysfunction just to name a few. Most are linked to autoimmune system problems or over-active immunity conditions. It is, however, the triggers (not the cause) of these outbreaks that define the type that you have. Here are some basic types of urticaria:

• Dermatographism Hives
• Physical Hives
• Chronic Hives
• Acute Hives
• Hereditary Hives

For more information about each of these types and other basic information on urticaria, you should visit Hives.org.