How to get rid of hives on body

Hives usually go away on their own within a few days to a week. But for some, hives become a chronic, or long-term, issue. If you develop hives and they last longer than six weeks, you may have a condition known as chronic hives.

Treatments Doctors Use for Hives

Doctors usually prescribe antihistamines as a first course of treatment for hives. Acute cases can generally be treated with over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl, Claritin (loratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine).

The most common causes are foods, medications, and infections. Insect bites and diseases may also be responsible. The most common foods that cause hives are nuts, chocolate, fish, tomatoes, eggs, fresh berries, and milk. Fresh foods cause hives more often than cooked foods.

An allergic reaction to food, an infection, and stress can all trigger hives, also called urticaria. There are seemingly endless triggers, and they can cause hives to break out within a few minutes or a few hours.

Don’t Scratch

Yes, the itch can drive you crazy, but scratching hives may cause them to spread and become even more inflamed, says Neeta Ogden, MD, an allergist in private practice in Englewood, New Jersey, and a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Hives and itching often worsen at night because that’s when the body’s natural anti-itch chemicals are at their lowest.

Reduce hives Baking soda is a natural antiseptic that can be used to soothe hives, too, says Green. In addition to adding baking soda to your bath water to soothe the itchiness associated with hives, you can also make a paste for more targeted treatment, she explains.

Remedies and Treatments for Hives

Antihistamines work on histamine, which is released by mast cells — a certain type of immune system cell — in the presence of an allergen or an irritant. You can use over-the-counter topical treatments like calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream, too.

What is the best cream to put on hives? Calamine lotion is the safest and most effective anti-itch cream. Other anti-itch creams with hydrocortisone or topical anesthetics may provide more relief, but side effects are more likely.

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.

Sometimes petroleum jelly (Vaseline) can help relieve the discomfort caused by a rash. A moisturizing lotion, such as Cetaphil, also may help. Calamine lotion may help for rashes caused by contact with something (such as a plant or soap) that irritated the skin. Use it 3 or 4 times a day.

Colloidal oatmeal

Share on Pinterest Colloidal oatmeal can relieve itching and dryness. Colloidal oatmeal is finely ground oatmeal that a person can dissolve in water. The resulting solution forms a protective barrier on the surface of the skin, which helps to seal in moisture.

Whether it’s a diaper rash or a skin rash, the acetic acid properties of apple cider vinegar can inhibit the growth of a particular yeast called candida. Pour some apple cider vinegar into your child’s next bath, which is especially a great help for babies with diaper rash.

Cholestasis due to hepatitis, cirrhosis, or obstructive jaundice causes itching.

According to a 2017 article , healthcare professionals commonly associate itching with chronic liver disease, especially cholestatic liver diseases, such as PBC and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The itching typically occurs on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands.