The urticaria (hives) skin condition is relatively common. For this reason, it is not difficult to find information about it on the internet.

Hives typically present as wheals: smooth, flat-topped, reddish bumps on the skin. They may be accompanied by itchiness, stinging, tingling or a burning sensation. Hives often stay in one location for a short while before vanishing and then ultimately appearing elsewhere. They do not usually leave scars behind.

In addition, they do not have the capacity to become life-threatening unless they are complicated by angioedema and result in anaphylaxis, a deadly medical condition. Hives and anaphylaxis make for a frightening experience. If the anaphylaxis is not addressed immediately, it can lead to severe injury or death.

The nature of hives varies according to the circumstances. To give an example, hives can be triggered by an autoimmune disease, in which case, they might be thought of as a symptom of this medical condition. Hives can, conversely, be thought of as constituting a distinct autoimmune condition. In this latter situation, hives are more than just a skin condition: hives are, rather, a disease that is characterized by the dysfunction of the immune system.

Hives can also be triggered by various bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. The hives condition of a patient suffering from one of these infections can typically be resolved with the infection’s successful treatment. These infections often affect the digestive system, the upper respiratory system, the dental area and the ENT area. Thus, a patient suffering from one of them experiences additional discomfort to the urticaria skin condition.

The Presentation and Treatment of the Urticaria Skin Condition

The hives skin condition can present in different ways. In some cases, the hives appear solely at the site of contact between the skin and the factor that triggers them. This form of hives is referred to as contact urticaria. When it develops in response to a latex glove, it is the patient’s hand that gets covered in wheals. When it is makeup that triggers the hives, it is the patient’s face that develops the localized hives.

Hives can also present as a generalized skin condition. Hives of this kind can appear anywhere on the body, especially on parts of the body that have not been exposed to the triggering factor. One might develop this form of hives in response to an allergen like ingested food.

Various medications can be taken to manage the symptoms of hives. They include topical creams for the itching skin, antihistamines to prevent the action of the skin’s mast cells, and steroids for the inflammation.