What Do You Get Hives From

Causes Of Widespread Hives

• Viral Infection. The most common cause of hives all over the body is viral infections. Research has confirmed this. Other symptoms such as a fever, cough or diarrhea are also present. The hives may last 3 days. This is not an allergy.
• Bacterial Infection. Some bacterial infections can also cause hives. A common example is Strep. Hives are also seen with bladder infections.
• Drug Reaction. An example is a penicillin rash. Most rashes that start while taking an antibiotic are viral rashes. Allergy tests are normal 90% of the time. Only 10% turn out to be a drug allergy.
• Food Reaction. May be an allergy or a coincidence. If the food is a high risk one , consult an allergist. Hives from foods usually resolve in 6 hours. Hives from infections last for days. Only 3% of hives are due to a food.
• Bee Sting. Widespread hives after a sting may be part of a serious allergic reaction. Need to consult an allergist.
• Anaphylactic Reaction . The sudden onset of hives with trouble breathing or swallowing. This is a severe allergic reaction to an allergic food or drug. Most often begins within 30 minutes of swallowing the substance. Always within 2 hours of exposure.
• Unknown. Over 30% of the time, the cause of hives is not found.

What Are The Different Kinds Of Hives

Hives fall into two categories on the basis of the time they have been present:

• acute urticaria and
• chronic idiopathic urticaria .

Since hives are so common and acute urticaria, by definition, resolves spontaneously, physicians do not generally expend much time or expense to evaluate the cause of hives of less than eight weeks’ duration.

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Have you ever had red, raised, itchy bumps that came out of nowhere? If the answer is yes, then you likely have already experienced hives at some point in your life. Hives can really startle you when they suddenly appear on your skin. Most often they are due to some type of allergic reaction. Thankfully, theyre typically not long lasting and relatively harmless. But, sometimes hives can indicate a life-threatening allergic reaction, or they can become chronic.

How do you get hives? Hives are not something you can catch from anyone. Rather, they are your bodys response to something it ingests or experiences. The cause of hives can be a certain food, drug, infection or stress. You might be surprised to learn that stress is one of the most common causes of acute hives, along with allergies and infectious causes. Hives can literally occur at any age and appear anywhere on the body. It is estimated that one in every five people will be affected by a hives outbreak at some point in his or her life.

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What To Do When You Catch Monkeypox

Monkeypox is not so fatal, but it is rare and thus not following what the experts are suggesting can complicate the symptoms. Here is what one should do after contracting the virus:

Causes Of Localized Hives

• Irritants. Hives just in one spot are usually due to skin contact with an irritant. They are not an allergy.
• Plants. Many plants cause skin reactions. Sap from evergreens can cause local hives.
• Pollen. Playing in the grass can cause hives on exposed skin.
• Pet Saliva. Some people get hives where a dog or cat has licked them.
• Food. Some children get hives if a food is rubbed on the skin. An example could be a fresh fruit. Some babies get hives around their mouth from drooling a new food.
• Insect Bite. Local hives are a reaction to the insect’s saliva. Can be very large without being an allergy.
• Bee Sting. This is a reaction to the bee’s venom. Can be very large without being an allergy.
• Localized hives are not caused by drugs, infections or swallowed foods. These get into the bloodstream and cause widespread hives.

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How Does The Symptoms Start

To differentiate between monkeypox virus infection and smallpox, one may check the timeline of the infection that a person may experience after getting infected with the monkeypox virus. According to the experts, after a few days of contracting the virus and developing the above-mentioned symptoms, skin rashes develop. These rashes start as flat, red bumps, which can be painful. Those bumps turn into blisters, which fill with pus. Eventually, the blisters crust over and fall off the whole process can last two to four weeks. You can also get sores in your mouth, vagina or anus.

Is It Hives Or Angioedema

Angioedema swelling of tissue beneath the surface of the skin can be mistaken for, or associated with hives. It can be caused by allergic reactions, medications or a hereditary deficiency of some enzymes. The following symptoms may indicate angioedema:

• Swelling in the eyes or mouth
• Swelling of the hands, feet or throat
• Difficulty breathing, stomach cramps or swelling of the lining of the eyes

The best way to identify your symptoms is to talk to an allergist who can diagnose and treat both hives and angioedema.

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What Happens When You Catch Monkeypox

The monkeypox virus infection is a rare disease, which was mostly found in isolated areas of Africa. However, the virus is currently present in over 80 countries, causing severe symptoms among infected patients. The monkeypox virus is a member of the family called orthopoxvirus. Below are some of the most asked questions:

What Are Hives Or Urticaria

Hives or urticaria are a type of rash consisting of itchy, swollen, red welts. The itching may be mild or severe. Foods, medications, infections, exercise, scratching, alcoholic beverages, emotional stress and many other factors may worsen hives. The condition affects an estimated 20 percent of the population at one time or another in their lives.

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Causes And Risk Factors

What causes hives? Hives are typically caused by an allergic reaction. The allergy can be to a food or medication. When your body is allergic to something, it can release chemicals that make your skin develop hives. An infection or emotional stress can also cause hives.

When hives are caused by an allergic reaction, your skin can break out within minutes of exposure to the allergen. Some common allergens that can cause hives include:

• Certain foods, especially food allergies to shellfish, tree nuts, milk, and some fruit
• Medications, especially antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen.
• Allergy shots
• Pollen
• Insect bites and stings

When hives occur due to an allergy, high levels of histamine and other chemical messengers are released into the skin. These substances cause your blood vessels to open up. This often results in pinkness or redness, as well as extra fluid in the tissues, which causes swelling and itching.

Sometimes someone may have allergy hives and other times a hives breakout has nothing to do with allergies. Hives can also result from one of the following:

• Stress or anxiety
• Vibration
• Pressure on the skin

Who Is At Risk

People who are known to have allergies are more likely to get hives. You may also be at risk to develop hives if you are on medication or if you are unknowingly exposed to things you may be allergic to, such as food or pollen. If you are already ill with an infection or a health condition, you may be more vulnerable to developing hives.

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Hives are itchy pink welts that could appear anywhere on the skin. Hives vary in size, and they sometimes merge together to cover large patches of your skin. Individual hives usually go away in less than 24 hours, but new ones can appear. So, you might battle a case of hives for up to six weeks, according to the American Academy of Dermatology .

They tend to come on suddenly and they are incredibly itchy. People are miserable with them. They might only last a few hours then theyre gone. Or they might come back later in a different spot, said Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Purpuric Or Vasculitic Rashes

Purpura is a term used to describe the purplish discoloration of the skin caused by bleeding into the skin. So “purpuric” is the adjective used to describe this type of rash. “Vasculitic” has to do with blood vessels. These rashes show as multiple deep red or purplish spots and can cause bruise-like patches. According to the BAD, “these spots and patches are caused by damage in the superficial tiny blood vessels with bleeding into the skin.”

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Can Stress Cause Hives

Hives can also develop as a result of sun or cold exposure, infections, excessive perspiration, and emotional stress. The reason why stress seems to precipitate an outbreak of hives in many people is not completely understood but is likely related to the known effects of stress on the immune system. In many cases, the cause of hives in a given individual cannot be identified.

How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Hives

A dermatologist can often diagnose hives by looking at your skin.

To find out why you have hives, your dermatologist will ask questions. Knowing why you have hives may help you avoid the cause, which can prevent new hives.

Hives have many causes, so it can be a challenge to find the cause. You can help your dermatologist by taking time to answer these questions before your appointment:

• How often do you get hives?

• How long do the hives last?

• Do the hives itch or feel painful?

• When you get hives, do you have other symptoms like feeling lightheaded or nauseous?

It can also be helpful to think about what you were doing a few hours before you developed hives. For example, can you answer the following questions?

• What did you eat?

• Did you take a medication, including one that you can buy without a prescription, such as ibuprofen?

• Have you been feeling stressed?

• Did a bug bite or sting you?

• Were you out in sunlight, cold, or heat?

• Did you sweat a lot?

• Were you wearing tight clothes or carrying a purse or backpack?

Tell your dermatologist if you develop hives hours after eating red meat , gelatin, or dairy products

Hives can be a sign of alpha-gal syndrome, a food allergy that can develop after being bite by the lone star tick. This tick is found in many U.S. states.

During your appointment, your dermatologist will also ask about your medical history. Be sure to mention any recent medical treatments, including radiation therapy or a blood transfusion.

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Types Of Physical Urticaria

• Dermographism triggered by skin friction such as rubbing, scratching, or pressure. This is the most common form of CIndU.
• Delayed-pressure urticaria triggered by sustained pressure to the skin. Symptoms appear 4-6 hours after contact.
• Exercise-induced urticaria triggered by exercise.
• Cold urticaria triggered by skin exposure to cold or cold water. Hives are usually limited to exposed skin.
• Heat urticaria triggered by exposure to heat.
• Solar urticaria triggered by sun exposure to UV rays.
• Vibratory urticaria triggered by exposure to vibration.

Hives Tend To Look The Same No Matter What Triggers Them

No matter whats happening inside your body, hives look the same. Theyre usually red or skin-colored bumps that can turn white when you press on their center. They can change shapes and move around, and may break out all over your body, Friedman says.

Fortunately, although hives can be extremely itchy, theyre not contagious, and an individual hive usually disappears within 24 hours, Elmariah says. For some people, hives can be so chronic in nature that they can be an issue for months.

Hives can even be so problematic that they interrupt healthy sleep, work, and school and isolate people socially, affecting mental as well as physical health, Elmariah says.

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Foods That Trigger Hives

Hives from food are usually related to food allergies, especially fish, shellfish, and peanuts. You may even have hives as a result of a pseudoallergic reaction, a reaction to a food or chemical that mimics the symptoms of an allergic reaction, but without IgE antibodies being produced against the offending item.

Pseudoallergic reaction triggers can include artificial food dyes, tomatoes, preservatives, sweeteners, herbs, wine, high dietary fats, alcohol, salicyclic acid, orange oil, strawberries, and yellow and red food dyes.

What Happens To Your Body After Catching The Monkeypox Virus And How Long Does It Take For The Symptoms To Fade Away All Your Queries Answered

Written by Satata Karmakar | Updated : August 4, 2022 11:51 AM IST

Monkeypox virus infection, which is now spreading rapidly across the globe, has left people worried. In the last few months, several countries have reported the emergence of this infection, including the USA, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and many more. What we know about this virus so far is that it resembles the same symptoms that one gets after catching smallpox. However, this is not it, monkeypox is a totally different virus infection, which can affect the body in many ways.

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How Does Monkeypox Affect Your Body

The monkeypox virus infection is rare, but it can be fatal if proper care is not being taken. Some of the symptoms that you may experience after catching this virus infection include – fever accompanied by chills, headache, skin rashes, lesions on the skin, muscle ache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and blisters .

How Are Hives Treated

The best treatment for hives is to find and remove the trigger, but this is not an easy task. Antihistamines are usually prescribed by your doctor to provide relief from symptoms. Antihistamines work best if taken on a regular schedule to prevent hives from forming in the first place.

Chronic hives may be treated with antihistamines or a combination of medications. When antihistamines don’t provide relief, oral steroids may be prescribed. A biologic drug, omalizumab , is also approved to treat chronic hives in people at least 12 years old.

For severe hives, you might need an injection of epinephrine or a cortisone medication.

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Health experts also stated the illness can be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with varicella zoster virus.

Typically, symptoms start within three weeks of exposure to the virus, health officials said, with most infections lasting between two and four weeks long.

“Anyone with a new or unexplained rash or a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk with their healthcare provider, even if they dont think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox,” DuPage County health officials said in a statement. “Avoid close contact with others until a healthcare provider examines you.”

Illinois has reported more than 530 cases in the state so far and on Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared monkeypox a public health emergency, classifying the state as a “disaster area” in regards to the disease.

“Chicago is very much the epicenter of the outbreak in the Midwest,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday.

According to the CDC, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.

So how does the virus spread and how can someone contract it?

She noted that it “generally takes prolonged contact.”

Experts have cautioned that there is no current evidence to suggest the virus is airborne.

Most People With Hives Do Not Need Tests

Tests are sometimes done when hives go on for long periods, or when unusual symptoms are occurring around the same time. This is to exclude other diseases, which may appear as hives first, and other conditions later. If hives are associated with high fever, bruising, bleeding into the skin, purple lumps that last for several days, or sore joints, a doctors appointment should be arranged promptly.

Allergy testing is performed when the history suggests an allergic cause.

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The 5 Most Common Sources Of Hives

• Allergies

An allergic reaction is the single most common cause for an outbreak of hives. It can happen to anyone at any time. Some children with allergies seemingly outgrow them, and adults can develop them almost out of nowhere. Food allergies will cause hives. Other foods that can cause hives include milk, eggs, shellfish and peanuts . An allergy to medications will also result in hives, so your doctor will ask if you have started taking any new drugs or assess whether your hives may be the result of an ongoing medicinal treatment.

Bites and stings by insects like bees, mosquitoes, or wasps can cause hives. This reaction is called papular urticaria and can result from the bites and stings of almost any insect, including fleas and bedbugs. These hives may last longer than other types of hives. Contact with animals, most commonly domestic ones like cats or dogs, can cause an allergic reaction and hives. However, the exposure to the dander, saliva, or urine of many animals can trigger a reaction.

Pollen is another common allergy, and unsurprisingly a reaction to a pollen allergy can manifest as hives. Physical exposure to or touching allergens like latex can cause hives as well. Even allergy shots can cause hives, since these shots expose you to allergens in order to strengthen your immunity.

• Stress

• Infections & Illnesses

• Exercise

• Exposure to the Elements