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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Hives generally:
- Appear as small round wheals, rings or large patches and may change shape
- Itch and may be surrounded by a red flare
- Occur in batches, and often appear on the face or the extremities
Individual hives can last from 30 minutes to 36 hours. As some hives disappear, new hives may develop.
About 40 percent of people with chronic hives also have angioedema. Signs and symptoms of angioedema include large welts or swelling of the skin that may occur around the eyes and lips, hands, feet, genitalia, and inside the throat. Swelling in the throat can obstruct breathing and requires emergency treatment. Angioedema may itch less than hives do, but can cause pain or burning.
Symptoms may not occur all the time. They may come and go with no apparent trigger. For some people, certain conditions — such as heat, exertion or stress — can make symptoms worse.
When to see a doctor
Although chronic hives and angioedema usually aren't life-threatening, they can be debilitating — and in some cases are a sign of an underlying health problem.
See your doctor if you have:
- Severe hives
- Hives that don't respond to treatment
- Hives that continue to appear for several days
Seek emergency care if you:
- Feel lightheaded
- Have difficulty breathing
- Feel your throat is swelling
- Hives. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/skin-conditions/dermatology-a-to-z/hives. Accessed April 3, 2011.
- All about hives (urticaria). American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/Types/skin-allergies/hives/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed April 3, 2011.
- Khan DA. Chronic urticaria: Standard management and patient education. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 9, 2011.
- Kaplan AP. Urticaria and angioedema. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, NY.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2958607&searchStr=urticaria#2958607. Accessed April 11, 2011.
- Kropfl L, et al. Treatment strategies in urticaria. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. 2010;11:1445.
- Bingham CO. New onset urticaria: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and etiologies. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 9, 2011.
- Limsuwan T, et al. Acute symptoms of drug hypersensitivity (Urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock). The Medical Clinics of North America. 2010;94:691.
- Hives: Tips for managing. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/skin-conditions/dermatology-a-to-z/hives/tips/hives-tips-for-managing. Accessed April 11, 2011.
- Peroni A, et al. Urticarial lesions: If not urticaria, what else? The differential diagnoses of urticaria. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2010;62:557.
- Bingham CO. New onset urticaria: Diagnosis and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed April 9, 2011.
- FDA requests labeling change for leukotriene modifiers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2009/ucm166293.htm. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- Immunosuppressant drugs: Required labeling changes. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm171828.htm. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- Urticaria treatment. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/Types/skin-allergies/hives/Pages/urticaria-hives-treatment.aspx. Accessed April 8, 2011.
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