Symptoms of Hives

What are the symptoms of hives, and how do you treat them? How do you even know if those itchy red bumps on your face are really hives? These are some of the most common hives symptoms.

Symptoms of Hives

What are the symptoms of hives, and how do you treat them? How do you even know if those itchy red bumps on your face are really hives? These are some of the most common hives symptoms.

You are getting ready for a big night out and out of nowhere, you look in the mirror and your face is covered in red spots!!

What are hives, and how do you treat them? You are getting ready for a big night out and out of nowhere, you look in the mirror and your face is covered in red spots!!

Even worse, you start to itch, and sure enough your arms are covered with red spots too!! Are the spots hives? What can you do to get rid of them?

To figure out whether you indeed may have hives, it is helpful to know what are their symptoms. Hives can be embarrassing and uncomfortable and often, symptoms do not begin until the bumps are well on the way.

There are some of the most common symptoms of hives. These include:

• Red, itchy raised bumps, which are also known as welts. Occasionally these can turn darker in color.

• Bumps that change in size from small to large very quickly.

• Multiple bumps in one area or over a certain section of the body.

• A rash that moves from one area of the body to another fairly quickly.

• Severe stinging, burning and itching sensations.

• Swelling of the face, lips, or tongue. In severe cases, swelling in the throat will cause difficulty breathing. If that is the case, please seek medical attention righ taway.

• Angioedema, which is swelling that happens under the surface of your skin, usually around your lips or eyes. The swelling can feel warm or painful.

Not every person suffering from hives will see the entire list of symptoms appear at one time, or even at all. Hives can last up to 24 hours so a range of symptoms of hives may appear and then disappear before they fade away.

Some people suffer from chronic hives, which can last for weeks at a time. The symptoms of chronic hives are similar, but the hives last for a much longer period of time. I recommend that you see a doctor or other health professional if you develop chronic hives.

Most Common Hives Symptoms

The most common symptoms of hives are raised, red bumps called welts or weals. These bumps are very similar to mosquito bites and can itch just as bad. More often than not, if just one or two bumps appear, a mosquito or some other biting insect may be to blame. Hives tend to appear in patches over a small or large area of skin.

These bumps can change in size very quickly. Scratching a breakout can cause additional histamine to be released from your body to the skin, which causes the spread of the rash. Small hives can quickly expand to the size of a quarter or larger with just a few scratches.

Angioedema is also one of the more common symptoms of hives. Similar to a hive itself, this swelling actually occurs under the skin as opposed to on top of the skin like the hive. If ever you have felt a raised area of skin and a small bump appeared on top of the raised area, that area is probably suffering from angioedema.

In addition to skin swelling, the eyes, lips and tongue may also swell. This reaction is more common in people who have a severe allergy such as animal allergies or food allergies.

If swelling of the face, lips or tongue begins, seeking medical attention immediately is important. Severe allergic reactions can quickly involve breathing and can leave you incapacitated and unable to seek help.

Rarely do symptoms of hives appear before the actual breakout. Some people complain of skin that feel irritated or red just hours or minutes before the breakout occurs. More often than not, however, the bumps will simply appear and then other symptoms will follow.

Preventing Hives

No one wants to break out in an embarrassing and itchy rash!! So how can you prevent the next hives outbreak?

Well, if you've read our hives causes section, you'll know that people can break out into hives for any number of reasons!

It could be something you ate, or that new skin cream you used. Perhaps you were bitten by a bug that caused you to break out in hives. Or, maybe it was an allergic reaction to something!

One of the BEST ways to prevent hives is to strengthen your overall body's health, which will help to clear up your skin problems. My free eBook offers a simple, five step program to help you Clear Any Skin Problem Naturally.

Natural Treatments for Hives

One of the big problems that those of us with sensitive skin face is that so many of the treatments for hives can potentially cause even more skin irritation or allergic reactions!

I find that gentle, natural remedies can be as effective, or in some cases more effective, than some of the conventional treatments which contain chemicals I'd rather not put on my skin.

I recently had eye surgery (talk about stress!!) and afterwards, a cataract formed on the eye. After a lot of research I discovered a homeopathic eyedrop for cataracts. Amazingly, it actually worked!! The cataract has lightened and I have a newfound respect for natural remedies.

At the same time, a lot of natural remedies may not work very well. The key is to find remedies that are created by health professionals who know what they are doing. That seems to make a difference in finding something that actually works.

To reduce the symptoms of hives, I recommend Hive Away , created by the folks at Native Remedies. They have an outstanding array of natural remedies that really work, and a team of health professionals to answer your questions and help you get the most from their products.