Other Names:
Urticaria

Symptoms:
Strong itching (pruritus) may suddenly occur. Elevated wheals result, along with swollen eyes. The subsequent scratching makes you appear swollen and scratchy. The intense itchy wheals which may result may disappear in minutes, hours, or several days. Hives are generally gone within 1-7 days, except in cases of severe hypersensitivity, when death may result. Occasionally a fatal anaphylactic reaction occurs. At such times, edema of the breathing passages produces respiratory difficulty similar to severe asthma.

Cause:
The skin is reacting to allergies, physical irritation, stress, or emotions. Special dermal cells begin releasing histamine, which causes internal blood vessels to leak fluid into the deepest layers of the skin.

Meat; dairy; and poultry products, especially in frozen or fast foods, are frequent causes of hives. This is due to the chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones given to farm animals.

Here is a list of special things known to cause hives in some people:

Aspirin, antimony or bismuth (in various metal alloys), anti-pyrine or phenacetin (pain relievers), barbiturates, BHA and BHT (preservatives), phenobarbital or chloral hydrate (sedatives), chlorpromazine and meprobamate (tranquilizers), fluoride (dental products and fluoridated drinking water), food colorings, griseofulvin (antifungal), insulin, liver extract, menthol (in perfumes, candy, cigarettes), mercury (dental fillings), morphine, penicillin, pilocarpine (glaucoma medication), preservatives, procaine (anesthetic, known as novocaine), quinine, (quinine water and malaria medication), reserpine (heart medication), saccharin (artificial sweetener), salicylates (flavoring and preservative), sulfites (preservative in dried fruit), and thiamine hydrochloride (cough medications).

Treatment:
Immediate help:

• Anything that is alkaline generally helps the itching. Place a calcium gluconate paste on the skin or apply milk, calamine, or milk of magnesia.

• Cold compresses or cool baths will immediately help also.

• An oatmeal or bran bath will help relieve the itching. Place 2 lbs. of ether in a muslin bag and set in a hot bath (104o-106o F.).

• A paste of cream of tartar and water can be applied to the area.

Longer term solutions:

• Try to find the cause or causes of this problem. Here are some of the things which result in hives in others:

• Stress, food allergy (milk, wheat, eggs, shellfish, pork, onions, some fruits), chlorine in drinking water, adrenal exhaustion and/or liver congestion resulting from an allergy, hydrochloric acid deficiency, food dyes, preservatives, drug allergy, acid conditions, insect stings, chronic infection, penicillin in the milk you drink, aspirin, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco.

• Secondary factors will be spinal lesions, stoppage of lymph flow, imbalance between deep and surface blood circulation, and adrenal exhaustion.

• Another factor is improperly (too hurriedly) weaning a child from breast milk.

• Reading over the above lists, it appears that the primary cause is frequently a physical reaction to a substance which the body cannot tolerate to have put into it. We live in a chemical age. One cannot even drive down the highway without breathing dangerous fumes.

• Do not use steroids, alcohol, or processed foods.

• Lymph stasis and poor circulation may result from poor skin function, lack of exercise, fresh air, and poor elimination; but ingesting poisonous substances top the list.

• Aside from trying to find the chemical offenders, prolonged fasting is generally considered the best method of terminating recurrent hives. This cleans out the body and enables it to better deal with the chemicals it is daily confronted with. Fasting will help the intestines and other organs to heal. It will eliminate toxins and help the bowels begin working properly again. Trunk packs will help induce sweating. Moderate sunbaths will help also.

• As a rule, fasting should not be over 1-3 days in length. If you are overweight, longer fasts might be considered. If you are thin, never go over 3 days; indeed, one meal or 1 day fasts are best for frail individuals. A carrot, beet, and green vegetable juice fast is better than a straight water fast.

• Use enemas during the fast, and even afterward, until the hives do not return. Maintain good bowel action thereafter.

• Also important are dietary changes: Be sure and get nutritional supplements, including vitamins A, B complex, B6, B12, C, and calcium. You may need to take hydrochloric acid with meals.

• There is one other cause which we have not yet mentioned: a lack of unsaturated fatty acids. The best is wheat germ oil. Flaxseed oil is also outstanding. But corn oil would be acceptable. In addition to including only such oils in your diet, you would do well to rub wheat germ oil on the affected area.

• When the problem exists for weeks or months, it is vital that you identify the cause, so you can eliminate the hives.

• Chronic hives can be linked to candida.

• When severe anaphylactic reactions occur, immediately take the person to the hospital. It is best not to let situations come to such a crisis. Solve the problem before hives produces such an emergency.