Hives look like round swellings in the skin which are usually red in color. They can be itchy and cause a burning or stinging sensation on the skin
There are 2 main types of Hives
- ordinary urticaria
- physical urticaria
appearance Ordinary hives can appear without warning and are red and swollen in appearance and can be irritable and itchy. They are sporadic and can come and go sometimes in a matter of minutes or hours. Outbreaks of Ordinary Hives can last anything form a few days to a few weeks. Episodes which last for an extended period of time are known as chronic (or idiopathic).
Physical Hives as you may guess by the name are caused by a physical stimulus such s scratching, heat, sunlight, cold temperatures etc
Causes of hives
It is common for the exact cause of hives never to be determined due to the sporadic and intermittent nature of the episodes it is difficult to determine precise cause.
Some triggers associated for Ordinary Hive outbreaks include: Certain foods (e.g. peanuts, shellfish, dairy foods, chocolate. Other possible triggers include: bee stings, viral infections.
The causes of chronic hives is often never identified
Physical hives. The most common triggers are cold temperatures, sunlight and water.
