Hives

Hives or urticaria is a common skin condition. It looks like raised white, pink or red spots that form a very itchy rash. The rash often comes up on a child’s chest, tummy or back, but it can occur anywhere. It’s a good idea to see your doctor if you think your child has hives.

Causes of hives or urticaria

Hives or urticaria can develop when the body releases histamines as part of an allergic reaction. The histamines make small blood vessels in the skin open up and leak fluid, which forms raised red blotches on the skin surface.

Your child might have an allergic reaction to:

  • certain types of foods – for example, nuts, eggs, shellfish, strawberries, tomatoes and cow’s milk
  • food colourings, spices and preservatives
  • plants
  • medicines – for example, penicillin
  • insect bites – for example, bee or wasp stings.
  • Physical stimuli such as exposure of your child skin to cold or hot or vibratory stimuli.

Viral infections like those that cause colds or diarrhoea are afequents cause for hives in children.

Your child might also develop itchy skin (with or without hives spots) because of heat, or tight-fitting or scratchy clothing, particularly if your child has eczema (dermatitis). This is a kind of physical irritation of sensitive skin, not an allergy.

Hives are very common but not contagious.

Symptoms of hives or urticaria

Your child will probably complain of a really bad itch and lumps. You’ll see small, raised, white, pink or red spots that can merge together to form large patches anywhere on the skin.

True hives last between a few hours and 24 hours and then, reappear in different areas of the skin. When they go, there’s no scarring.

When to see your doctor about hives or urticaria

You should see your doctor if:

  • your child’s lips or tongue swells
  • your child has trouble breathing or is wheezing
  • your child is generally unwell or has a fever in addition to the hives
  • the hives come up straight after your child takes any sort of medicine
  • the hives keep coming back for longer than six weeks
  • your child is itchy, uncomfortable or finding it hard to sleep because of the hives.

Hives are usually harmless, but sometimes they might be a sign of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis requires urgent medical attention. If your child has hives and is also having difficulty breathing, seems to have a swollen tongue or throat or has collapsed, call an ambulance immediately. 

Treatment for hives

Rubbing and scratching the hives will make them worse. Try to get your child to stop scratching.

To relieve the itch, you can apply lots of calamine lotion to the hives and let it dry. Putting cold packs on the hives or giving your child a cool shower or bath can also help.

Your doctor might suggest using antihistamine medication until the hives get better. It’s best to take the antihistamine regularly until the rash clears. 

If the hives keep coming back after your child stops taking the antihistamine, see your doctor

In severe cases of hives, the doctor might prescribe a short course of corticosteroid tablets.

Prevention of hives or urticaria

In most cases there is no need for further treatment or tests once the hives went away.

In recurrent  or prolonged cases try to work out what has caused your child’s allergic reaction. This way, your child can keep away from it in the future. In such cases the doctor may send to child for allergy  and immunologic tests.