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[music] Hello, I’m Dr. Neal Schultz
[pause]
and welcome to DermTV.
Hives, I’m happy to tell you, aren’t dangerous, but they sure are annoying
because they are so very, very itchy. The medical term for hives is
urticaria, but a lot of people just call them wheals or welts. The bottom
line is they are very itchy bumps. They can vary in size from a small pea
to as large as your palm, the color is usually skin colored, or sometimes
they’re a little bit pink, and slightly raised--almost like a plaque. They
can vary in shape from round, to oval, or even linear, but the most
characteristic part of hives is the amount of time that they last, because
they come and go frequently. They can last for as short as twenty minutes,
or an hour or less, maybe even two hours. When one goes away another one
comes. And, usually there are many cycling at the same time. But if your
bumps last for a couple of days, than they’re not hives. Hives usually
represent allergic reactions to either foods or medications, and the most
common foods that cause them are tomatoes, nuts, shellfish, and the most
common medications that cause it are antibiotics, especially penicillin…
but there are literally thousands of medications that can cause hives. In
terms of treatment, the most important thing is if you’ve recently started
a new medication in the last week, or ten days, then discontinue it and of
course, inform your physician. For treatment, we use antihistamines. Over-
the-counter antihistamines, like Benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton or even
Claritin, are helpful. The first group can be sedating. Claritin is not
sedating. And Allegra which is available by prescription, also is not
sedating. If your hives last more than a week, despite treating them with
antihistamines, then it’s time to see your doctor, for two reasons. First
of all, for more effective treatment, since they’re probably driving you
crazy with the itching, and second of all, to make sure that there isn’t
anything more important going on than just a mild, allergic reaction that’s
causing
your hives.