What Does Breaking out in Hives Look Like?
You’ve heard the term… Breaking out in a hive, or breaking out in hives. You just might even have a friend who’s broken out with hives at some point. We’re also all aware that hives can be deadly serious, but what does breaking out in hives look like? Will they develop immediately? Are they itchy? How contagious are they and should you seek medical attention if you break out with hives?
What does a hives breakout look like? Learn about the signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment options for anaphylaxis and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Plus info on a rare form of recurring hives called chronic recurrent multifocal atypical hives (CRM).
What Does Breaking out in Hives Look Like?
Hives usually begin as small red spots on your skin that soon turn into blisters. These blisters may break open and ooze fluid or they may stay intact even after they’ve healed up. The blisters might be clustered together or spread out evenly across your skin. The affected area might feel itchy or burn when you touch it. Hives are most often found on the face, neck, arms, hands, and upper torso but they can also appear anywhere on your body and they usually go away within 24 hours without treatment or medication.
Breaking out in hives is an uncomfortable and often frightening experience. It can happen to anyone, but it’s most common in children and young adults (over 20 years old). Hives are red, itchy bumps that come on suddenly and usually last for less than 24 hours.
There are several types of hives:
Acute urticaria:
This is the most common type of hive and lasts less than six weeks. It’s caused by an allergic reaction to something you eat or touch (like poison ivy or a bee sting).
Chronic urticaria:
This type of hive lasts more than six weeks, but less than six months. It can be caused by many things like stress or infections.
Angioedema:
This type of hive causes swelling under your skin without any itching or pain. Angioedema most often occurs around the eyes, face, mouth, lips, hands, and feet.
When you react like this, it’s called an allergic event. If you’ve ever had an allergic episode, you might have noticed, some symptoms:
- Redness and swelling in the area where the rash appeared
- Burning or tingling in the affected area
- Hives (also known as welts) that look like raised bumps
Why Do My Hives Keep Coming Back?
Skin Breaks out in Hives When Touched?
