What causes Hives on the Skin?

Hives are quite often alarming to most people and the causes can be very frustrating. The cause of the hives could be a food allergy, reaction to a medication, or even stress.

I have had hives on my skin for years now, I wanted to know what causes hives on my skin? I visited a doctor and he said it was due to stress.

Hives are red, itchy bumps that can appear anywhere on your body. The foremost common cause of hives is an allergy to something you’ve been exposed to, but there are other causes as well.

What Causes Hives on Skin?

Hives are often caused by several things, including:

Allergies – About 90 per cent of people who get hives have a history of allergies. As a result, they’re more likely to develop hives when they come in contact with certain allergens. This includes foods like peanuts and shellfish, as well as medications like penicillin and aspirin.

Infection – Infections (like chickenpox or shingles) can also lead to hives because they trigger an immune response in your body. In some cases, this response may lead to inflammation—which is why hives often go away once the infection has run its course or been treated with antibiotics or antivirals (if necessary).

Stress or anxiety – is sometimes called psychogenic urticaria (PU). If you’re stressed out about something or feeling anxious all the time, your body may respond with PU hives instead of physical symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.

The urticarial rash can be triggered by several things:

• Allergies to food or medications

• Insect bites (including bee stings)

• Autoimmune disorders like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis

• Physical trauma to the body (like getting scratched by an animal)

• Chemicals in your environment (like strong detergents or perfumes)

Common Triggers for hives

It’s normal to have hives on your skin. It happens to almost everyone at some point in their lives.

Hives are raised, itchy bumps that show up on the skin and can be red, white or blue. They usually appear in groups, but can also occur as one large patch of hives. Hives are caused by the immune system overreacting to a trigger that causes an allergic reaction.

The most common triggers for hives include:

– Foods (such as peanuts, shellfish and strawberries)

– Drugs such as penicillin

– Insect bites (especially bee stings)

– Heat and cold exposure