Do hives get worse in hot shower

Cholinergic Urticaria: Can Heat Cause Hives?

Hives are a skin reaction of itchy bumps that may burn or sting. They can develop not only from an immune response to an allergen but also to heat.

While you may think of hives or urticaria as resulting from an allergic reaction, they can also be caused by heat. These are called heat hives or cholinergic urticaria.

In some people, a rise in temperature can produce the chemical histamine, similar to what happens when your immune system fights allergies. Histamine dilates blood vessels and results in swelling.

There is limited research on cholinergic urticaria. The few available studies estimate a wide prevalence range of 0.6-11.2%.

If you notice hives tend to break out when your body temperature rises, it may be a sign that heat triggers your hives. Any exposure to heat could potentially trigger heat hives. This can include:

• bathing in warm or hot water
• being near a heat source like a stove
• being outdoors in the sun
• eating hot food

According to research from 2022, physical factors that can contribute to the development of heat hives include:

• being allergic to sweat
• clogged sweat ducts, lack of sweating
• medications or substances that affect the neurotransmitter acetylcholine

Although being allergic to sweat is rare, research shows that 66% of patients who get heat hives also have a histamine response against antigens in their sweat.

In rare cases, heat hives can sometimes be related to exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Seek immediate medical attention if this is the case. If you have an epinephrine injector (EpiPen), administer your medication while you wait for help to arrive.

Get step-by-step instructions on how to use an EpiPen.

Heat rash vs. hives

Heat hives share similar causes and symptoms with many forms of heat rash, also known as miliaria.

Heat rash can also be triggered by things like perspiration trapped under your skin by blocked pores. Causes also include humid weather, physical activity, or other factors that lead to a rise in the temperature of your body.

While heat rash tends to fade on its own, consider visiting your doctor for more severe or persistent cases. Your doctor can provide a proper diagnosis and help you determine whether youre experiencing hives or heat rash.

The symptoms of heat hives are similar to hives caused by other triggers such as insect bites, allergies, or medications.

Hives can appear as red, itchy welts ranging in size from less than half an inch up to several inches in diameter. Hives on darker skin tones may appear closer to the color of the skin.

Most cases of hives caused by heat appear within a few minutes after exposure and will subside within 1-2 hours. However, heat hives can also be accompanied by angioedema, which is swelling beneath the affected skin caused by leaking blood vessels.

In some cases, you can also experience other symptoms along with heat hives. These include:

• fatigue or weakness.
• faintness
• nausea
• diarrhea
• headache

You may be experiencing exercise-induced anaphylaxis if you also have the following symptoms:

• difficulty breathing
• wheezing
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• headache

Call 911 if you experience these symptoms. If you have an EpiPen, you should administer the medication while you wait for help to arrive.

If your symptoms arent severe but interfere with your lifestyle, see your doctor. A simple evaluation and conversation about your symptoms may be enough for them to diagnose heat hives.

Sometimes, your doctor may want to conduct tests to gather more information about the condition. These may include:

• A passive warming test: This will raise your body temperature with warm water or an increased room temperature. Your doctor can observe your bodys reaction when exposed to increased heat.
• A methacholine skin challenge test: Your doctor may inject a medication called methacholine into your body and observe for a reaction. However, not everyone with heat hives gets a positive result, so the doctor may use this test in combination with others.
• An exercise challenge test: Your doctor will have you exercise and watch for symptoms of CU. You may also be measured with other medical instruments during the test.

You should see a doctor immediately if you suspect you have exercise-induced anaphylaxis, which must be attended to as soon as symptoms occur.

Many cases of heat hives fade on their own in a few hours, but certain home remedies, prescription medications, and prevention techniques can ease symptoms and alleviate flare-ups.

Natural remedies

Home remedies you can try include aloe vera, which has known anti-itching properties, or a colloidal oatmeal bath, which can help reduce inflammation.

But prior to topical applications of this sort, remember to check the ingredients to ensure that you arent allergic to any of them.

You can also take a few precautions to help prevent heat hives:

• Try to keep cool while exercising.
• Prevent exposure to areas of high humidity.
• Avoid prolonged periods of direct sunlight exposure.

Medications

If such home remedies dont work, your doctor may recommend beginning taking an antihistamine such as:

• H1 antihistamines such as citirizine (Zyrtec, Aller-Tec, and Alleroff) or loratadine (Claritin)
• H2 antihistamines (H2 blockers or antagonists) such as famotidine (Pepcid, Pepcid AC) or cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB)

If these medications dont relieve the symptoms sufficiently, your doctor may prescribe other drugs to reduce outbreaks. These include:

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a medication off-label. One example of such medication is dupilumab (Dupixent), which is another biologic medication that has shown promising results in the treatment of heat hives.

Most instances of heat hives can be treated at home and eventually fade on their own. However, you should seek immediate medical attention if swelling occurs in your throat that makes it difficult to breathe. This can be a sign of a serious allergic reaction and anaphylaxis.

You and your doctor can work to identify the specific triggers of your heat hives and develop a prevention plan with ways to ease symptoms if flare-ups do occur.

Why Does A Hot Shower Make My Hives Worse?

— -- Question: Why does a hot shower make my hives worse?

Answer: In some patients with chronic hives, they notice that there are certain situations that may make their hives seem worse. Raising body temperature such as what occurs when one enters the shower is one situation where when the body's temperature is raised, and then one exits the shower and towels off, this can be a trigger to the cells of the skin that carry the itch chemical histamine.

It's also known that when one warms the skin, such as when you go out in the sun or when you exercise and sweat, you increase the blood flow to the skin of the body. That can be another reason why you see more hives shortly after the body has its temperature raised.

It is also an interesting phenomena that some people also get hives when they're nervous. This can also be related to the body's nervous system connecting to the skin and showing some release of the same itch chemical that can trigger hives.

Next: Can Hives Be Cured?

Previous: Why Do I Have To Carry An Epi-Pen If I Suffer From Hives?

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9 Ways to Ease the Itch of Chronic Hives

They're itchy, red, and raised and often appear at the worst possible times. About 20 percent of the population will get them at least once in their lives, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. They're hives. And hives that last more than six weeks are considered chronic (persistent or recurring). For some people, these hives are a result of allergies, but for others there's no discernible cause. Chronic hives with no known cause are called chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives).

The itching associated with these hives, which stems from the release of natural chemicals called histamines by your bodys immune system, can dramatically affect your quality of life. This is among the main findings of a study published in August 2015 in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Still, there's a lot you can do to ease the itch of chronic hives.

Hives (Urticaria)

What are hives?

Hives, or urticaria, are flat red welts that can appear anywhere on the skin and usually itch. Hives often occur as an allergic reaction to something eaten or something that has contacted the skin. Foods, medicines, and plants are common causes, but sun exposure, stress, infections, and autoimmune diseases have also been known to cause hives.

Symptoms include an itchy, stinging pink rash of slightly swollen skin. The rash may wax and wane in severity. Acute hives typically resolve within six weeks, but chronic hives (urticaria) can persist for months or years.

Hives often resolve on their own, especially in children. Otherwise, treatment for acute hives involves oral antihistamine medications to help relieve the itching and stinging. Chronic hives that do not improve with antihistamines may be treated additionally with corticosteroids, antibiotics, and other stronger medicines. A study found that 35% of people with chronic hives, are symptom free within one year, with another 29% having some reduction of symptoms.

You can safely treat this condition on your own as long as you does not develop trouble breathing. Any antihistamine (like Zyrtec, Clarinex, etc) works.

Cold Showers vs. Hot Showers: Which One Is Better?

Both cold and hot showers have pros and cons for your health. Cold showers may help prevent dry skin while hot showers can help your muscles feel relaxed.

If a hot shower is what your body craves in the morning, youre not alone. The majority of people crank the handle all the way up in order to feel the warm water all over their body.

But did you know that cold showers should also have a place in your daily routine?

Thats right cold showers. The ones you dread to take when youre the last person to get up in the morning. But if you give them a fair chance, you might find that you actually like how you feel after taking one.

Regardless of how you feel about either type of shower, research shows that both hot and cold showers have health benefits you should be aware of.

Benefits of taking a cold shower include:

• calming itchy skin
• waking you up
• increasing circulation
• reducing muscle soreness post-workout
• potentially boosting weight loss
• glowing hair and skin

Cold showers calm itchy skin

Adam Friedman, MD, says if you have itchy skin or skin conditions that cause you to itch, cold showers can help you overcome the sensation to scratch.

Cold showers help you wake up in the morning

When that cold spray hits your body, theres a bit of shock. This shock increases:

• oxygen intake
• heart rate
• alertness

Cold showers increase your circulation

Increased circulation is one of the top reasons experts recommend cold showers.

As cold water hits your body and external limbs, it constricts circulation on the surface of your body. This causes blood in your deeper tissues to circulate at faster rates to maintain ideal body temperature.

In that sense, a cold shower has the opposite effect of a hot shower for someone with hypertension or cardiovascular disease, since exposure to cold temperatures triggers the circulatory system to reduce inflammation and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Cold showers help reduce muscle soreness after intense workouts

Since cold water has regenerative properties, your muscles will relax and repair after a tough workout.

Cold showers may help boost weight loss

Some fat cells, such as brown fat, can generate heat by burning fat. They do this when your body is exposed to cold conditions like in a shower.

Gerrit Keferstein, MD, says these cells are mostly situated around the neck and shoulder area. So, perfect for showers!

Cold showers give your skin and hair a healthy glow

Though scientific research is limited regarding the effect cold water has on your skin and hair, anecdotal evidence points to positive effects.

Wellness expert Dr. Jacqueline Schaffer, MD, says that cold water tightens and constricts the blood flow which gives your skin a healthier glow.

According to an article published on the website NaturallyCurly.com, cold water closes and strengthens your hair cuticles.

Also, cold water, unlike hot water, doesnt dry out the sebum layer, a naturally lubricated barrier that provides protection for your skin and hair.

As a result of the effects of cold water, your hair may be more likely to become stronger and healthier over time.

If youre convinced a cold shower is totally out of the question, you might want to rethink your philosophy. Unlike the long list of benefits that come with taking a cold shower, the list of cons is surprisingly quite short.

The cons of cold showers:

• Cold showers might not be a good idea if youre already cold, since the cooler temperature isnt going to help warm you up by any means. It could actually make you even colder and increase the amount of time it will take for your body to warm back up.
• They may not be a good idea if youre sick, either. Initially, the cold temperature might be too hard on your immune system, so its best to ease into the cooler temperatures.

If you have trouble relaxing or falling asleep at night, you might be tempted to take a hot shower to ease the stress of the day.

This is a common practice for muscle relaxation before going to sleep because hot showers activate the parasympathetic nervous system which makes us tired, says Keferstein.

Other benefits of hot showers include:

• providing relief from respiratory symptoms
• helping with blemishes
• helping with muscle relaxation

Hot showers provide relief from cold or respiratory symptoms

Standing in a hot shower with the steam surrounding you has long been used as a natural remedy to reduce cold and cough symptoms. The heat from the water and the steam can help to:

• open airways
• loosen up phlegm
• clear out your nasal passages

Hot showers help with blemishes

Hot showers can help open up the pores of the skin, which allows you to clean out the trapped dirt and oil.

Hot showers are good for muscle relaxation

Being in hot water effectively helps relieve body tension and can help soothe muscle fatigue.

But, yes, beloved a hot shower does have some downsides.

However, the good news is, you dont have to give them up completely. You just need to turn down the temperature a bit and take care of your skin afterward.

The cons of hot showers include:

• Hot showers can dry out and irritate your skin. Schaffer says the hot water causes damage to the keratin cells that are located on the most outer layer of our skin the epidermis. By disrupting these cells, it creates dry skin and prevents the cells from locking in moisture.
• They can also make certain skin conditions worse. Higher temperatures make it easier for the skin to dry out and worsen conditions like eczema.
• Hot showers can cause you to itch. Friedman says the heat can cause mast cells (which contain histamine) to release their contents in the skin and cause itching.
• They can increase your blood pressure, too. If you have problems with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, taking a shower thats too hot can make these conditions worse.

There are obvious benefits to both hot and cold showers, so what should you do?

Well, in an ideal world, Friedman says you should take a lukewarm shower so its tolerable and apply a moisturizer to damp skin after bathing.

Another approach to try is what Keferstein describes as a contrast shower, which is an age-old technique Dr. Sebastian Kneipp developed.

Basically, you get the water as cold as possible and stand in it for one minute. When the minute is up, you then change the water to as hot as you can handle for an additional minute.

Alternate between one minute each of cold and hot for three to five cycles.

He said the health benefits come from the cold water constricting the blood vessels. This means all the blood will go to the middle of the body.

The hot water will open the blood vessels and all the blood comes rushing out again. This can pump the blood completely through the muscles and organs and is great for helping with regeneration and detoxification.