Hives information is relatively easy to get hold of on the internet. In addition, one can readily find other sources of urticaria information offline. Thus, there is no shortage of resources for sufferers of hives who want to learn more about their condition.
When searching for information on hives, it is important to determine the credibility of the different sources at one’s disposal. The most credible sources tend to be those authored or at least reviewed by medical professionals. Thus, medical textbooks are ideal, as are peer-reviewed medical journals. On the internet, sites authored or reviewed by medical professionals are also of good quality.
A good number of hives resources approach urticaria from the standpoint of alternative medicine. It would be problematic to dismiss these simply because they were based on a different medical philosophy from conventional Western medicine. One would be better off trying to determine their credibility by seeing how they were rated by hives patients and by practitioners of alternative medicine. Information about hives is not the preserve of Western science. Keeping an open mind and considering what other medical traditions had to offer would likely expose one to a wealth of hives information.
Understanding Hives: Information Is Power
There is no guarantee that all urticaria information encountered in credible sources online and offline will lead to a cure. This is because hives is a complex condition whose progression can vary considerably from person to person.
The triggers of hives can be drastically different in two people. Hives’ triggers can include food items like milk, shellfish, berries, and chocolate, as well as food additives and preservatives. They can also include medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opiates and ACE inhibitors and physical stimuli like water, sweat, heat, exercise, sunlight, pressure and cold.
The durations of hives episodes also vary considerably from person to person. For instance, hives can be a short-lived condition that is quickly resolved without the need for medical intervention. Alternatively, it can be a chronic condition that persists for years with little relief.
All of the above possibilities make it clear just how complex a condition hives is, even when one has access to volumes of medical information. Hives sufferers are advised to learn as much as they can about the condition as doing so empowers them to be more involved in their own treatment. They feel less intimidated in interactions with their doctors and are able to make medical decisions from informed positions.
