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Hives

THE BABBLE TAKE

What can you do about hives?

Hives are red welts with a white spot of raised skin in their center. They usually appear suddenly, can come and go, and are caused by an allergic reaction of some kind. Illness, food, medicines, or external irritants like pets, laundry detergent, or new clothes are some of the possible culprits.

Usually, it isn't possible to figure out what exactly caused a child to break out in hives unless the hives make repeated comebacks. Experts say hives are usually best treated with Benadryl or other antihistamines. If a child appears to have hives because of contact with some external allergen you can try giving her a bath or shower.

Hives in and of themselves are usually harmless, and often subside on their own, or with help of some mild antihistamine. However, since they are an allergic reaction, experts say to watch for other allergic symptoms, if such symptoms appear you should immediately contact your health care provider.

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Expert Opinions

Ask Dr. Sears

Hives are caused by an allergic reaction within the body. [...] They appear as red or white, raised welts on the skin. They can appear suddenly out of nowhere, and can spread rapidly. They are most common on the chest, tummy, and back, but can also be on the extremities, and rarely on the face.

A very distinct characteristic of hives is that each welt will often come and go over a period of 10 to 15 minutes or as long as a few hours. You will see some welts on the tummy, and then look again an hour later and find them gone, only to see new ones on the back. The welts can be small or very large, round or irregularly shaped, single or clustered together and over-lapping. They usually itch, but not always.

Dr. Greene

Hives are a sign that the whole body is experiencing a hypersensitivity reaction. Hives occur when the body's capillaries and tiny veins get leaky. Fluid escaping from some of these blood vessels becomes trapped in parts of the skin and lining membranes of the body, causing localized swelling.

This leakiness can be caused by classic allergic reactions in which histamine triggers an inflammatory response. It can also be caused by a number of other regulatory systems in the body in response to different types of triggers.

The most common allergic triggers are drugs, especially antibiotics; foods, especially fish, shellfish, nuts, peanuts, eggs, berries, and food additives; infections (which we'll discuss below); insect bites or stings; inhalants such as animal danders, pollens, and molds; and contact allergens like plant substances, skin creams, cat scratches, moth scales, or animal saliva.

Family Doctor

Hives are pink or red bumps or slightly raised patches of skin. Sometimes, they have a pale center. Hives usually itch, but they also can burn or sting. Hives can occur anywhere on the body and vary in size and shape. They can be small like a mosquito bite or big like a dinner plate. Hives also might look like rings or groups of rings joined together. Hives can appear in clusters and might change locations in a matter of hours.

[…]

Hives are common — between 10 percent and 25 percent of people get them at least once in their lives. They are usually harmless, though they may occasionally be a sign of a serious allergic reaction.

BabyCenter ®

Hives, also known as urticaria or welts, are swollen areas on the skin. They can show up in different shapes and sizes, but are generally well defined, with a pale, central, raised area surrounded by a red border. And they usually itch.

Your baby may have a group of hives that disappears after a few minutes or a few hours, only to have a new crop show up elsewhere. If your baby breaks out in hives, they could last from a few hours to a few days, although it's possible to have hives for months at a time. Hives are common, but not contagious.

U. of Mich.
Health System

Hives on just one part of the body (localized) are usually due to skin contact with plants, pollen, food, or pet saliva. Localized hives are not caused by drugs, infections, or swallowed foods. Hives are not contagious.

More than 10 percent of children get hives. Most children who develop hives have them only once. The hives come and go for 3 or 4 days and then mysteriously disappear. Large swellings are common around the eyes, lips, and genitals if hives occur there.

Some young children become sensitized to mosquito or flea bites. They develop big hives (called papular urticaria) at the sites of old and new bites. These hives may last for months.