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Hives are red, raised, itchy bumps (welts) on your skin, ranging from small spots to large blotches, caused by a skin reaction.
What is it?
Hives are a skin reaction that causes itchy welts or bumps and can appear anywhere on the body. These typically appear suddenly on the skin and are often raised patches of skin that are red, itchy, and may look swollen. They can be brought about by food, medications, stress or something you’ve touched. There are two types of hives: those that go away quickly (acute hives), typically lasting for a few minutes to a few hours, or those that last a long time (chronic hives), appearing for six weeks or longer. While hives are typically harmless and temporary, chronic hives can affect your quality of life.
How is it treated?
Most of the time, hives will go away on their own within a few days. Often, a cool bath or shower, a cold compress, an over-the-counter antihistamine and wearing loose-fitting clothing will keep symptoms at bay. It can be helpful to see a board-certified dermatologist if the hives last longer than a few days, cover a large area of your body, and/or are caused by an allergy. If you’d like immediate treatment options, schedule today with our board-certified dermatologists at Bexley Dermatology. They will work with you to determine the cause of your hives and develop a treatment plan to treat them effectively. This can include treatment with an antihistamine, an allergy shot, a topical anti-itch cream or a steroid.