Types and Symptoms of Hives

Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 23:34
Asthma
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Andrew:: I know [some] people get hives from food allergies. I don’t know whether it’s shellfish or what, [but] they find they’re allergic and get hives all over their body. But that’s not the typical patient who gets hives, right?
Dr. Goodman:: Well, it’s certainly not the typical patient that I see. In fact, chronic hives – even though not as common as transient, acute hives ñ is the more vexing [type] for clinicians, whether primary care doctors or specialists such as myself. They are quite troublesome and oftentimes refractory (resistant) to simple treatment. The acute hives respond easily to common antihistamines like Benadryl and Atarax. And many times, as a specialist, I will not see those patients.
Andrew:: So, those are people who found out there was a food or something that triggered it. As you talk about chronic [hives, tell us] what [appears] on their bodies, and how frequently might they be getting it. And then help us understand these medications you’re now using to [treat] it.
Dr. Goodman:: Well, the hives, or urticaria, oftentimes accompanied by swelling or angioedema, affect up to a quarter of the United States population. And they present as intensely itchy, sometimes painful or burning skin rashes. The individual rash lesions are red typically in color and may be raised from the surface of the skin. [Another] common term used to describe these is “welts.” They may exist as individual spots – or they may all join together, or coalesce. So, it’s an intensely uncomfortable, itchy, red rash.

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