Treatment For Hives

Do you feel an itchy and burning sensation and have you recently spotted some red spots on your skin? If yes, these symptoms might be the cause of a skin disorder known as hives. A breakout of hives is a very discomforting condition with the itchy skin bumps causing a lot of discomfort and nuisance. This skin condition can be caused due to a number of reasons. It might be a result of food allergies, or your body’s reaction to certain environmental conditions. The immune system detects the presence of a foreign body when your body comes in contact with environmental allergens. This will lead to the release of histamines into the blood stream causing this skin disorder. There are many possible remedies both natural and medical to deal with this skin disorder. Read further to learn more on hives and its treatment and medication as suggested by medical experts.

Hives Treatment And Medication

• Since hives are caused due to histamines produced by the mast cells, the most commonly used medication to treat this skin malady are antihistamines like ‘diphenhydramine’. Few other calming antihistamines used to deal with hives are ‘hydroxyzine’ and ‘cyproheptadine’.
• Oral steroids can also help calm down the effects of hives to a large extent. However, steroids are short term options as they are useless if hives persist for a long time.
• In order to deal with extreme cases of hives, patients are recommended to take ‘epinephrine’ which is a powerful histamine blocker. However, the problem with this drug is the fact that it cannot deal with long lasting hives.
• Apart from medications, doctors also suggest few other measures to be taken for instant relief from the burning and itchy sensation. Research has proven the fact that cooling down your body temperature will help the blood vessels to shrink which in turn will reduce the amount of histamines that reach your body. Therefore, people having hives should take cool showers or apply cool compresses on the affected areas.
• Another simple measure that you can take in order to deal with hives is to avoid heat or hot temperature. If the blood vessels are exposed to heat, it will distend the blood vessels, which will in turn increase the release of histamines reaching your skin. For that reason, you should avoid hot showers and direct exposure of your skin to sunlight.
• One of the traditional ways of dealing with hives is to apply milk of magnesia on the affected area. This traditional alkaline remedy can prove to be very effective and soothing against hives. Take a cotton ball and pour milk of magnesia and apply it to your skin several times in a day in order to get instant relief.
• Mull over the things you might have eaten or drank, because hives can get transmitted due to several reasons and from different things. Figuring out the root of the problem will make it easier for you to get a solution.
• You can use oatmeal and cornstarch to heal the irritation caused due to hives. Make a paste out of 2 cups of oatmeal and 3 tbsp of cornstarch and little water and then apply the paste over the affected area for about 15-25 min. This mixture will cause the hives to dry within a couple of hours.
• In order to deal with hives in children, you can apply ‘menthol cream’, ‘hydrocortisone cream’ or ‘calamine lotion’ which will cool down the body temperature, thus curbing the flow of histamines to your skin.
• Wrapping some ice cubes in a clean towel and applying it over the affected area will also help provide you some relief. You should avoid scratching the affected area or else the condition will worsen. Make sure to put on loose clothing if you are suffering from hives.
• Drinking herbal tea is another natural remedy for hives. Herbal tea is a natural antihistamine making it suitable to be used against hives. You can also brew the tea from ‘chamomile’ and use the chamomile bags to soothe the affected skin area.
• Stress could also be one of the causes of hives forming on the skin. If stress is the potential enemy, then it is advisable to consult a therapist for some relaxation treatments. 

Note: Don't take medication on your own and consult a doctor before taking any medication