What are these spots on my torso? Are they hives?

[ap030]

Hi!

I'm a 25 year old male. Here's a link to a photo of these spots I currently have on my torso and had on my leg 2 days ago.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2860828585_fbf40ef9bf.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3078/2860837275_792a479ab7.jpg

They are somewhat itchy.

About 4 months ago I had a few days where I had spots like this on various parts of my hips in various shapes and sizes that would go away after about a day and then come back in another spot the next day. This went on for about a week.

Two months ago I had about a week where my hands and ankles got swollen a few times and I had spots that looked similar to this on my lower legs that went away within a day.

I have no clue what is going on and am kind of scared.  I thought they might be hives [since their behavior of only being there for a day and then moving elsewhere fits what I read about hives online] but they don't look as red as hives do from the pics I've seen online.

Any idea what this might be? Thanks!!

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

It could be eczema, sweat dermatitis, allergic reactions or insect bites.

You need to wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites.

Apply calamine lotion at the site of the lesions and see if it helps. You could take some oral antihistamine medications like cetrizine or loratadine. You need to maintain a good personal hygiene .

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone or desonide), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema. Keeping the affected area moistened can promote skin healing and relief of symptoms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema

Let us know if you need any further information.

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for your symptoms and a proper clinical examination to rule out scabies or any other cause.

Let us know if you need any other information and post us on how you are doing.

Regards.

[smilliefacee]

These do look like hives. My son had something that looked like these a few months ago and i thought they were bug bites or something. i took him to the pediatrician and he said that they were hives and to take benadryl for a week or so. That did resolve them. My son's hives did not itch and were not as red as pictures i saw on the internet. I really think that is what they are. I would try the benadryl for awhile and see if they get better.