What cream to put on hives

15 Ways to Get Rid of Hives

You may be able to relieve hives with home remedies, including aloe vera or an oatmeal bath, and over-the-counter products. But a doctor may need to treat severe or chronic hives.

Hives (urticaria) are a rash on your body. Identifying what triggered your hives is crucial to preventing them from happening again. If you can identify the trigger, you can avoid contact with it.

Although hives are often associated with allergic reactions, they can also occur due to:

Hives generally fade within 24 hours and dont require treatment.

However, you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following:

• dizziness
• swelling in your throat or face
• difficulty breathing

These may indicate a severe allergic reaction and require emergency care.

If your hives are milder, continue reading to learn how to ease any discomfort and speed up the healing process.

Some remedies and other products may cause a skin reaction. Its best to do a skin patch test before applying.

In most cases, home remedies can help you find relief. Here are a few ways to soothe itchy skin:

Use a cold compress

Applying something cool to your skin can help relieve irritation and swelling. To do this, grab a bag of frozen veggies or wrap a handful of ice in a towel and apply it to the affected area for up to 10 minutes. Repeat as needed throughout the day.

Take a bath with an anti-itch solution

There are several products you can add to a bath to relieve itching. These include colloidal oatmeal or one or two handfuls of baking soda.

Learn more: How to make an oatmeal bath

Avoid products that may irritate the skin

Certain soaps may dry your skin and cause more itching when you have hives. Make sure to use a mild soap thats marketed for sensitive skin. These typically omit fragrance and irritating chemicals.

You should also avoid using irritating moisturizers or lotions. When in doubt, opt for a formula that targets sensitive skin, such as these options. Applying immediately after bathing may also help soothe the itch.

Keep things cool

Heat can make itchiness worse. Wear lightweight clothing and keep the temperature in your house cool and comfortable. Avoid sitting in direct sunlight.

If home remedies arent relieving your symptoms but you arent ready to head to the pharmacy you may want to give a few natural solutions a try.

Natural remedies arent regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so use them with caution.

Witch hazel

The natural tannins found in the herb witch hazel can help relieve irritation. Despite this, it may cause contact dermatitis. Its best to test it on a small patch of skin before applying it all over.

You can apply witch hazel to your skin like a mask a few times each day. Let it sit on the affected areas for about 20 minutes, and then rinse it off.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a natural anti-inflammatory. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, applying it to the skin can help people with acne, herpes simplex, psoriasis, and other conditions affecting the skin. It is typically well-tolerated.

But, as with any new product, its important to do a skin patch test before application, especially if you have sensitive skin. Some aloe products may also have added fragrance or other chemicals, so be sure to read the label.

You can apply topical aloe vera to your hives as needed, likely a few times a day. Be sure to follow any instructions on the package.

If the above remedies arent enough to help your hives, over-the-counter (OTC) treatments may help relieve your symptoms. Not only can OTC options relieve itching and irritation, but they can also target your bodys histamine response, which is what causes hives.

Calamine lotion

Products containing calamine can help relieve itching by cooling your skin. You can apply calamine lotion directly to your skin:

1. Make sure you mix the lotion before using it by shaking the container.
2. Put some calamine lotion on a cotton pad or cloth.
3. Apply the pad or cloth directly to the hives and let dry.

You can treat the hives with calamine lotion as necessary.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

This oral antihistamine can reduce rash and other allergy symptoms like itching by working from the inside out.

Be sure to follow the dosage instructions on the package. Benadryl usually kicks in within an hour and should start to relieve your symptoms the same day.

Benadryl may cause drowsiness.

Fexofenadine (Allegra), loratadine (Claritin), and cetirizine (Zyrtec)

These antihistamines typically come in 12- or 24-hour formulas to provide extended relief. Theyre also less likely to cause drowsiness than diphenhydramine.

You may need to adjust the dosage to effectively treat hives, so talk with a doctor or pharmacist. They can advise you on how much to take and how often.

If youre experiencing severe or chronic hives, you may need prescription medication. Talk with a doctor about your symptoms and how you can best find relief.

Common prescription options include:

Prednisone (Deltasone)

This corticosteroid is taken orally. You should only use it for a short period of time as directed by a doctor. Corticosteroids can have side effects, especially if taken for extended periods of time. Side effects can include:

• elevated blood pressure
• elevated eye pressure (glaucoma)
• swelling
• weight gain
• immunosuppression, which means you may get infections more easily

To reduce side effects, take oral corticosteroids at a lower dose and transition to corticosteroid creams with your doctors supervision.

Omalizumab (Xolair)

This medication must be injected under the skin. This option is only available if your hives are chronic and dont respond to antihistamines. Common side effects include:

• headache
• dizziness
• inner ear pain
• cold symptoms

Dapsone (Aczone)

This antibiotic is available topically and as an oral medication. This medication can treat inflammation due to hives or other skin conditions that are caused by bacterial infection. Its important to take all antibiotics as prescribed.

Antibiotics only help relieve symptoms caused by a bacterial infection.

Leukotriene-receptor antagonists

This nonsteroidal treatment option is taken orally. These drugs should be used only after steroid treatment and antihistamines have been unsuccessful. There is not a lot of quality research to support their use for hives. Common side effects include:

• headache
• nausea
• cough
• low fever

If your symptoms worsen or last longer than a couple of days, you may want to talk with a doctor. They can identify the cause and provide medication to help relieve your symptoms. Understanding your triggers may help prevent future outbreaks.

How to Treat Hives

If you have only one outbreak of hives and you dont have breathing difficulties, you probably dont need medical attention. Yet if you continue to get multiple bouts of hives that continue after a couple of weeks, you may want to call a doctor, Elmariah suggests. Most often, the hives will resolve during this time or youll figure out whats causing them.

But hives that continue for weeks warrant a trip to a specialist, such as a dermatologist or an allergist. If they continue for six weeks or longer theyre considered chronic hives, which tend to be caused by the same triggers as short-term or acute cases of hives. Because dermatologists and allergists are skilled at working with hives, theyre your best bet for getting appropriate treatment, Dr. Rossi explains.

How Doctors Diagnose Hives

Expect to undergo a thorough physical exam. The dermatologist or allergist will also likely ask you to review your hives experience in detail, including when the hives started, if you suspect anything in particular triggered your hives, what medications youve tried, and what type of response youve gotten. Come prepared with this information.

Doctors will also verify that the bump (or bumps) is hives, often circling the spot on your skin to see if it disappears the next day (if so, its a hive, Elmariah says).

Once theyve confirmed that it is hives, theyll work to determine the trigger. Rossi says: Figuring out the cause can be the most frustrating part of it, especially if the tests arent helpful.

You may require additional testing. If an allergy is suspected, you may need to undergo allergy testing. If you are diagnosed with a severe allergy, the doctor may prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) in case youre accidentally exposed to your allergen. (1)

And because chronic hives can signal autoimmune disorders, you may need to have a blood draw in which doctors will look for a common antibody found in many autoimmune disorders. In rare cases when a bout of hives doesnt disappear within 24 hours, your doctor may do a skin biopsy to see if theres inflammation of the blood vessels, Rossi adds.

Treatments Doctors Use for Hives

Doctors usually prescribe antihistamines as the first course of treatment for hives. Acute cases can generally be treated with over-the-counter antihistamines like loratadine and pseudoephedrine,cetirizine, fexofenadine, or diphenhydramine.

If your hives are persisting (or youve already tried OTC antihistamines without success), your doctor may move to another class of antihistamines called histamine type 2 receptor antagonists, or H2 blockers, including cimetidine (Tagamet) and famotidine (Pepcid)(both available over the counter); up the dose of antihistamines (some as high as four times); or combine several antihistamines, Friedman says.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an oral steroid, such asprednisone (Deltasone), if your hives still arent responding. Oral steroids are stronger but can cause more significant side effects than antihistamines. (3)

If youre still not seeing results, your doctor may recommend even stronger medications, like an injectable prescription medication called omalizumab(Xolair). There is also evidence that off-label use of stronger medications that suppress the immune system under careful monitoring by a specialist may be helpful in patients with difficult-to-manage hives.

Its important to note that you shouldnt try taking high doses of vitamins or any other off-label medication on your own without instruction from your doctor. No one treatment works for everyone, Friedman says. And for some, such therapies may not be safe.

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What is a dermatologist?

A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating the skin, hair, and nails. Dermatologists care for people of all ages.

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Key facts

• Hives, also known as 'urticaria' or 'nettle rash', is a skin rash that can occur for a range of reasons, including allergies, medicines or infections.
• A hive rash looks like red or skin-coloured raised bumps or welts on the skin, which are usually itchy.
• A hives rash is caused when the body produces a substance called histamine, which is released by the body in response to a perceived threat.
• Hives is diagnosed clinically, meaning that your doctor can diagnose the rash by talking to you and looking at your rash.
• The rash usually resolves on its own, but if a hives rash continues or get worse, antihistamines can help relieve the symptoms.

What is hives?

Hives is also known as 'urticaria' or 'nettle rash'. This skin rash can have a range of triggers, most commonly an allergic reaction. Other triggers include medicines or infections. Sometimes the trigger is unknown.

What are the symptoms of hives?

The hives rash looks like raised bumps or welts on the skin that are usually itchy, but may also sting. These can be red or skin-coloured. The raised areas of skin are known as wheals.

Patches of hives often join together to form larger swollen patches or urticaria. The affected area of skin can vary in size from quite small to about as large as a dinner plate. The patches of hives often join together to look like larger swollen patches of urticaria.

The hives rash can last for a few minutes to hours, and usually disappears within 24 hours. In rare cases, the rash can last for weeks.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

What causes hives?

A hives rash is caused when your body produces a substance called histamine. This is a protein released by the body in response to a perceived threat (trigger).

In most cases, it is not known what triggers this reaction. Sometimes, urticaria can occur in response to:

Other triggers may include:

• cold air or water
• heat or sunlight
• vibration
• scratching
• sweating
• certain foods and drinks, such as spicy food, alcohol or coffee

In children, hives can be caused by a viral infection. This is why they sometimes go together with a cold or diarrhoea.

Hives that lasts for days at a time are almost never due to an allergy, apart from some cases of medicine allergy.

Stress rarely causes hives, but stress can make the symptoms worse.

When should I see my doctor?

You should see you doctor if you have a rash that looks like hives.

Some people have hives that don't go away or recur on a frequent basis. This is known as chronic urticaria. See your doctor if you have hives that keep coming back.

If you have taken antihistamines for your hives but they do not control the symptoms, discuss alternative treatment options with your doctor.

If your baby gets hives repeatedly, it's important to see your doctor. This could indicate an allergy to something they are frequently fed, such as cow's milk.

Sometimes hives can last for a long time. If you have hives for more than 6 weeks, your doctor may refer you for more tests to check if an underlying infection or chronic immune disorder is causing the symptoms.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

How are hives diagnosed?

Hives is diagnosed clinically. Your doctor can diagnose the rash by talking to you and looking at your rash.

How are hives treated?

Hives usually resolve on its own without treatment. However, if the hives rash continues or gets worse, it can be treated with antihistamines. You can buy antihistamines over the counter at pharmacies.

Ask your pharmacist for advice on which antihistamine to take, as some will cause drowsiness, and can be taken at bed time if your rash is itchy and keeping you awake at night. Other antihistamines are not likely to cause drowsiness, so you can take them before driving or going to work or school.

To search medicines by active ingredient or brand name, use the healthdirect Medicines search feature.

Can hives be prevented?

If your hives are caused by a specific trigger, such as a food or medicine, you should avoid your known triggers.

Since most people don't know what caused their hives, it can be difficult to prevent.

Resources and support

For more information about the causes and management of hives see the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy website.

The Royal Children's Hospital has a fact sheet on hives for parents to learn about care at home and more severe reactions.

You can also call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 at any time to speak to a registered nurse (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) for more information and advice.