Video:All About Hives
with Dr. Deborah JalimanHives can be triggered from a variety of allergens or illnesses, but they are typically easy to treat. Learn more about hives in this informational video.
Transcript:All About Hives
Hi, I’m Dr. Deborah Jaliman, a board certified dermatologist in New York City for About.com talking about hives.
Causes of Hives
There are many causes of hives. You can hives from a food allergy, for example if you’re allergic to berries, or nuts or shellfish. If you have a reaction to artificial sweetener, or to aspirin or to a new medication that you took. It can also be from an animal, from the dander of an animal. Or, if you have hives for a long period of time, you may need to go to a doctor because they may need to investigate infection.
Some people have hives from hepatitis, for example, or from an infection in their sinuses, or even from Lupus. Some people who have Lupus, the first presenting symptom is hives all over their bodies.
Treat Hives
So, if you have acute hives, where you just have hives for a few weeks, you may want to treat it with over the counter topical preparations like cortisone or an antihistamine. But, if you find that your hives become chronic, and you have them for more than six weeks, it may be important to go see your physician to get blood tests and some chest x-rays to make certain that you don’t have an infection either in your sinuses or in another part of the body.
If you need more information about hives, please go to About.com.
