Urticaria (Hives)

Symptoms

The main symptom of hives is an itchy rash. The rash can:

• be raised bumps or patches in many shapes and sizes

• appear anywhere on the body
• be on one area or spread across the body
• feel itchy, sting or burn
• look pink or red when affecting someone with white skin; the colour of the rash can be harder to see on brown and black skin
  

Treatment Options

A GP might prescribe menthol cream, antihistamines or steroid tablets. 

If hives does not go away with treatment, you may be referred to a skin specialist (dermatologist).

Prevention Tips

You cannot always prevent hives

You get hives when something causes high levels of histamine and other chemicals to be released in your skin. This is known as a trigger.

Triggers can include:

• eating certain foods
• contact with certain plants, animals, chemicals and latex
• cold, such as cold water or wind
• hot, sweaty skin from exercise, emotional stress or eating spicy food

• a reaction to a medicine, insect bite or sting
• scratching or pressing on your skin, such as wearing itchy or tight clothing
• an infection
• a problem with your immune system
• water or sunlight, but this is rare

Try to find out what triggers hives for you, so you can avoid those triggers, if possible. This may help prevent an episode of hives.

When To See A Doctor

See a GP urgently if:

• symptoms of hives do not improve after 2 days
• you're worried about your child's hives
• the rash is spreading
• hives keeps coming back (you may be allergic to something)
• you also have a high temperature and feel unwell

• you also have swelling under your skin (this might be angioedema)