Hives - Chronic Urticaria

I've been getting hives for the past year or so. It comes fast and disappears fast. It can occur anywhere on the body, mainly on my arms and back. I often get an outbreak in summer and heat triggers it (eg: I can't go into a spa as my body will have a breakout straight away). Often when something hard accidentally scratches my arm such as a manila folder (or anywhere else on my body), it will initially show a long red line then gradually will turn into a long swollen, mozzy bite lump and becomes very itchy. When I apply a cold wet towel to the hives, it relieves the itchiness and eventually disappears. I take Zyrtec when the outbreak is severe, especially in summer when i wear sleeveless tops and miraculously it stops hives from appearing in the next 2 days. I've also seen a dermatologist and she said finding the root to the problem is difficult therefore nothing can be done but to continuously taking Zyrtec if my body responds to it. Even though I know Zyrtec can temporarily stops the outbreak, I try not to take much as I fear there might be side effects (I heard it can make you infertile if consuming over a long period of time? Not sure if it's true). ...Help!!!!!!!!!...how do I get rid it permanently?  Sleeping is usually difficult as I often wake up in the middle of the night due to the itchiness. :S Anyone else suffer a similar thing?

[kabir2009]

Hello,
First would tell you not to scare about, hives medically known as  Urticaria,  is an outbreak of swollen, pale red bumps or plaques (wheals) on the skin that appear suddenly -- either as a result of the body's adverse reaction to certain allergens, or for unknown reasons .i.e body’s immune response.
Hives usually cause itching, but may also burn or sting. They can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, lips, tongue, throat, or ears. Hives vary in size (from a pencil eraser to a dinner plate), and may join together to form larger areas known as plaques. They can last for hours, or up to one day before fading.
Hives and angioedema form when, in response to histamine, blood plasma leaks out of small blood vessels in the skin. Histamine is a chemical released from specialized cells along the skin's blood vessels. Allergic reactions, chemicals in foods, insect stings, sunlight exposure, or medicines can all cause histamine release. Sometimes it's impossible to find out exactly why hives have formed. The most common foods that cause hives are nuts, chocolate, fish, tomatoes, eggs, fresh berries, and milk. Certain food additives and preservatives may also be to blame.
Hives caused by direct physical stimulation of the skin -- for example, cold, heat, sun exposure, vibration, pressure, sweating, and exercise is called physical urticaria. The hives usually occur right where the skin was stimulated and rarely appear elsewhere. Most of the hives appear within one hour after exposure.
Skin tests(RAST) may be performed to determine the substance that you are allergic to. Routine blood tests are done to determine if a system-wide illness is present.
Apply cool compresses or wet cloths to the affected areas. Try to work and sleep in a cool room. Wear loose-fitting lightweight clothes. you can continue using antihistaminics like benadryl or zyrtec as it doesn’t have any infertility side effect except drowsiness or dizziness for some time.you can use weak steroid as well(e.g hydrocortisone as dermacort) or OPC-3, which is a powerful antioxidant and can reduce allergies by about 80-90%.
Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted.

[Stephw83]

Hi Kabir,

Just to let you know that I was a hive sufferer for 2 years. You wrote to me earlier last year to give me advice on its treatment.

Im now writing to let you know that since then I started taking vitamin C and miraculously after 6 months or so, the hive disappeared. I hardly have an outbreak (knock on wood) unless some particular food or dusty environment triggers my skin. Even if it did, it will not cause a major outbreak. I no longer needed to take zyrtec for itching skin. It is a miracle.

Thanks for your help.

Stephanie