Hives, also known as Urticaria are when the skin breaks out in red bumps all of a sudden. They can be various shapes and sizes and generally only last for 6-12 hours. It is thought that women suffer with hives more than men do. If you suffer with hives, you will notice that they can disappear from one part of your body and appear on another part. It is the only skin disease that can disappear as quickly as they appear which often confuses people.
It is unknown what the main cause of hives is but factors that contribute can be certain foods, certain medications, exposure to sunlight as well as insect stings. The most common foods that are associated with causing hives are nuts, chocolate, fish, tomatoes, eggs and milk.
SYMPTOMS OF HIVES
The most common symptom of hives is a break-out on your skin of red bumps which can appear anywhere on your body. Severe itching is also linked with hives and swelling, especially on the lips and eyelids. You can identify if it is hives when you press the centre of the red bump and it turns white. Depending on whether you have acute hives or chronic hives, the swelling and itchiness can be mild or very severe.