Where are stress hives located
What to Do When Stress Gives You Hives
Most people associate hives the raised, puffy welts on your skin that spread when scratched with an allergic reaction, but there area number of factorsthat can cause them. One of these factorsis stress, and if you find yourself breaking out in hives without another likely cause,its possible that stress is to blame. We spoke to Mary Stevenson, an assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone, to learn more about what causes stress hives, and what to do and whatnotto do if you have them.
What do stress hives look like?Stress hives can look a little like bug bites: both are red, puffy, and itchy, and may appear initially as individual bumps, says Stevenson. However, hives are more often irregular in shape and can join together in larger patches, especially if you scratch them. A bad case of hives may appear as a single large patch of puffy, raised skin.
Whats the difference between stress hives and a stress rash?Though rash is a commonly used colloquial term, dermatologists dont really use it descriptively, says Stevenson. If you have an area of skin covered in small, irritated, red papules, or bumps, you might be more likely to call that a rash, but Stevenson says these conditions rashes and hives are two points along the same spectrum. Some people, when theyre stressed out, notice that their skin gets red or itchy, and the more extreme end is that theyre not only itchy and red, but theyre having hives, she explains. If you already have a skin condition, like psoriasis, eczema, or acne, stress can definitely make those conditions worse. Stress affects different peoples skin in different ways.
Why do I have hives?If youre noticing hives or a rashlike reaction, its wise to do a survey of your last few days to look for possible causes before deciding stress is to blame, says Stevenson. Maybe you changed your laundry detergent that week, or you ate all these new foods or started a new medication, she says. Unlike stress, many of these are factors that can be easily eliminated.
If none of the above apply, and youre feeling more pressure than usual, its very possible stress is responsible for your hives. Most at-risk for stress hivesare women in their 30s and 40swho have previously experienced hives for another reason. When our sympathetic nervous system is revved up, says Stevenson, it causes histamine release, which causes hives. Histamine is a compound released by cells in response to injury, and in allergic and inflammatory reactions.
What happens if I scratch my hives?Dont do that. When you scratch your hives, you cause more histamine to release, which you guessed it creates more hives. This starts a vicious cycle. The more you scratch, the more you itch, the more you itch, the more you scratch, says Stevenson. Its the same advice Id give about popping a pimple: keep your paws off.
How long do stress hives last?Most hives should be gone within 24 hours, says Stevenson, but thats not to say that new welts cant be formed, particularly if the causal factor is still at play. If youre treating your hives (more on that in a minute), and you havent seen improvement in a few days, Stevenson recommends making an appointment with a dermatologist.
How should I treat stress hives?As is often the case, the best treatment is prevention, though its obviously not always possible to prevent oneself from feeling stressed. Stevenson acknowledges that being told to relax is unlikely to help matters, and may exacerbate the problem. De-stressing is hard, she says, but if there areways to reduce stressin your daily life, doing so willpositively impact your health.
If youre breaking out in hives, its a good idea to take an antihistamine, like Claritin or Allegra, to help block the histamine pathway from forming new hives. (You can also take Benadryl, but itll most likely knock you out, so its probably best to save that for nighttime.) Stevenson says you want to do this as long as your symptoms last, and for a couple of days after the hives are gone, too.
You can also treat hives topically, to help minimize the itching. Applying a cold compress can help reduce itching as well as swelling, as can topical steroids like Hydrocortisone. Some people find milk compresses helpful, says Stevenson, because the fat in whole milk (skim wont work here) can soothe irritated skin. And again, if those things arent helping after a few days, call your dermatologist. We can use different medications and different doses to help get things under control, says Stevenson.
What to know about stress rash on the face
People can develop a rash during stressful times, which is sometimes referred to as a stress rash. This often appears as hives on the face, chest, or neck.
Hives consist of raised bumps on the skin. The color of these may vary, as it depends on a persons skin tone. If someone has a pre-existing skin condition, stress may act as a potential trigger and worsen symptoms.
This article explores a stress rash in detail, how to recognize one, and the causes and treatments. It also examines other similar rashes that may appear on the face.
People often link a stress rash to a response to emotional stress. A
For some people, a stress rash appears as hives. Although it can present anywhere on the body, anecdotal evidence suggests they tend to appear more commonly on the face, chest, and neck area.
For people with a pre-existing skin condition, a stress rash may not appear as hives. Instead, it could make their symptoms worse or trigger a flare-up. Some examples of skin conditions where this may be the case include:
Depending on a persons skin tone, hives may appear as red, dark, or purple patches. They can also appear raised and will often itch.
Stress rash sizes can vary. In some people, the affected patch may be small or take up larger areas of the face. Sometimes, one patch may join with another to affect a majority of the face.
It is usually harder to identify a stress rash in people with pre-existing skin conditions, as the symptoms can be similar. As stress can prevent the skin from healing properly, a sudden onset of worsening skin conditions may indicate a stress rash.
When a person experiences stress, the body releases the hormone cortisol.
In those with pre-existing conditions, the weakening of the immune system combined with cortisols effect on the inflammation system may cause a flare-up or worsen symptoms.
In the first instance, a person may consider certain home remedies to help ease stress rash symptoms. Some of these include:
Virgin coconut oil: A 2019 study suggests virgin coconut oil may provide anti-inflammatory and skin protection effects.
Aloe vera: Aloe vera may reduce itching and soothe the skin.
Cold compress: Soaking a towel or flannel in cold water and placing it on the affected area may help relieve itching.
Chamomile oil:
Sometimes, home remedies may not be effective, or a person may wish to try medicinal treatments. Pharmacies may offer over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as antihistamines to help relieve itching, or calamine lotion to ease other rash symptoms.
In more serious cases, a doctor may prescribe corticosteroids or antibiotics to help reduce swelling, redness, and itching.
Home and OTC treatments are suitable options for someone with a stress rash. However, if they frequently experience stress, they may want to focus on eliminating its source or seek psychological support.
Psychological support offers someone the opportunity to discuss their emotions while providing coping mechanisms to deal with stress.
In some cases, people could mistake a stress rash for another condition. Other conditions similar to a stress rash include:
Rosacea: This commonly affects the face. The skin appears red, resembling blushing or sunburn. Some people with rosacea may experience a burning, itching, or stinging sensation in the affected areas.
Atopic eczema: Atopic eczema is a chronic skin disorder that periodically flares up. It can cause dry, flaky, red, or itchy skin.
Psoriasis: This is a chronic skin condition where the skin can appear red and flaky with white scales.
Heat rash: Heat rash occurs as a result of excessive sweating. If a person lives in a hot and humid climate, or they engage in lots of physical activity, a heat rash may appear.
Contact dermatitis: Contact dermatitis occurs when a person encounters an allergen, causing a rash.
Shingles: This is a viral infection where a person develops a rash over one side of their body. People with shingles may also experience a fever, headache, or upset stomach.
Most minor rashes improve in appearance within a couple of days.
A person should speak with a doctor if the rash does not start to get better by this time. They should also consult medical advice if the rash worsens or they experience other symptoms, such as a fever.
If a person with a rash suddenly has difficulty breathing or swallowing, they should seek emergency medical help.
Psychological stress can cause a person to develop a rash on their face. This typically takes the appearance of hives. If a person has a pre-existing skin condition, periods of stress may cause symptoms to flare-up or worsen.
Although there are treatments for stress rash, if a person experiences these regularly, they should look to address the source of stress or seek psychological support.
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What Are Stress Hives?
Stress hives develop due to chronic stress or tension in your life, and appear as red, raised and swollen areas on the skin that seem to suddenly appear. Stress hives, which are also known as a stress rash or as stress bumps, are often incredibly itchy, and some people report having a burning or stinging sensation wherever they appear. Stress induced hives will go away by themselves when you have successfully released ALL the stress from your body or taken the hives treamtment OxyHives, which will eliminate your symptoms.
Can Stress Cause Hives?
Stress hives are indeed caused by too much stress, tension or anxiety in your life. When you expose your body to excessive stress, whether it be over a short period of time or a long period of time, your body's immune system starts to falter. When your immune system is off kilter, it starts sending histamine into the body to fight off what is ailing you - stress. In essence, your body forms an allergic reaction to stress. Unfortunately, stress can not be eliminated with histamine, so instead, the histamine just causes hives to appear on your face, neck, chest and other parts of your body.
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Another possible explanation for your stress hives is that due to your weakened immune system, your skin is reacting to irritants that it never had problems with before: cold, heat, soaps, shampoos, lotions, laundry detergents, certain fabrics, sunlight, etc. In fact, there are even doctors that specialize in stress hives, known as psychodermatologists. These specialists work with skin illnesses and stress, and strongly feel that emotions that have not been properly dealt with can induce a rash in patients and that these deep seated emotions are the major cause of chronic hives.
What Are The Symptoms of Stress Hives?
Stress hives symptoms include red bumps and swollen areas on your skin that seem to appear almost out of nowhere. They are typically quite itchy and have been known to cause a prickly or burning sensation - especially if touched. Stress hives can appear on any part of your body (face, hands, feet, arms, etc.) and can vary in size from as small as the eraser on a pencil to as large as a dinner plate. Stress hives, like a typical hives rash, have been known to spread from place to place, and smaller areas of hives can blend together to create larger areas known as plaques.These stress hives symptoms can easily be treated with the right over the counter medication.
Are Stress Hives Dangerous?
If your stress hives are accompanied by swelling of any part of the throat or face (see hives on face) that results in restricted breathing, seek treatment immediately from your nearest emergency room. Stress is bad enough, dying from not being able to get air into your lungs is a horrible way to go.
How Do I Get Rid Of My Stress Hives?
The #1 best proven method of eliminating stress hives from your life forever is to remove ALL stress and tension from your life. Aside from that, the only other way is to take an OTC medication like OxyHives that has proven to get rid of hives within 1-2 hours. OxyHives has been around for over 10 years now and is effective without any of the harmful side effects other hives medications have. OxyHives recently received approval to sell their hives treatment over the counter and thus no longer requires a prescription. Please see our hives treatment page for more information.
In addition, it is best to avoid tight fitting clothing over the areas affected by the stress hives, and to avoid hot or cold baths and showers as this can cause further skin irritations and cause hives from stress to spread. Please see our how to get rid of hives page for tips on how to alleviate your symptoms until your order of OxyHives arrives.
Stress Rash Pictures
The following pictures are from other people that got a rash from stress. While a stress rash is very common, it is not an incurable condition. So if you are wondering "can anxiety cause a rash?" the answer is yes, and the solution is OxyHives. If none of these pictures look like your stress related rash, please keep in mind that everyone's rash will look differently depending on various other factors.
