Do hives spread by scratching

Are Hives Contagious?

Hives arent contagious, meaning you wont develop them on your skin by touching hives on another person. However, the trigger causing this skin reaction can be contagious.

Hives also referred to as urticaria are welts on the skin and are a type of itchy rash. They may be red or skin-colored, though hives on darker skin may be harder to see.

Hives can appear on any body part and are often triggered by an allergic reaction. If you press a hive, the center of the bump will turn pale.

Other causes of hives that are contagious are:

Although allergies can trigger hives, other things can also cause them. Understanding the cause can help to address ways to prevent this reaction and avoid the spread of hives.

Allergic hives

Contact with an allergen is the most common cause of hives. Allergic hives arent contagious.

Common allergens that can trigger hives are:

Infection-induced hives

Some viral and bacterial can cause hives. Examples of these conditions include:

These types of hives themselves arent contagious, but if the condition that causes them spreads to you, you could also develop hives.

These infections can spread through:

• airborne germs from sneezing and coughing
• poor hygiene
• sharing eating utensils
• direct contact with the saliva of an ill person
• contact with stool

Youre at more risk of developing an infection:

Environmental hives

Overexposure to the sun, cold, or water can cause physical hives. Body heat from physical activity can also cause a reaction. These can also be triggered by stress.

In addition, you may get hives simply from pressure on the skin, such as from clothes that are too tight.

Chronic hives

If you have chronic hives or chronic urticaria welts appear for up to six weeks at a time. In more severe cases, chronic hives can last for years.

About 1.4% of all people experience chronic hives, more commonly males than females. There is often an underlying condition that is triggering chronic hives, but sometimes there is no obvious cause.

Through lifestyle changes and precautions, you can help to prevent hive reactions. But this depends on whats causing the hives.

If you have a known allergy, you can do the following to prevent hives:

• Avoid eating foods or other substances you are allergic to.
• Carry an EpiPen in case of allergic emergencies.
• Take any allergy medicines as prescribed, but consult your doctor to find alternatives if the medicines themselves contain allergens.
• Avoid using harsh soaps that could cause irritation.
• Avoid wearing tight clothing.
• Wear protective clothing in cold weather or sun exposure.
• Do not swim alone in cold water.

Contagious bacteria can also cause conditions that trigger hives. Here are a few tips you can try to prevent getting this bacteria or virus.

• Wash your hands regularly.
• Practice good hygiene.
• Get vaccinated for preventable infections.
• Limit contact with people who are sick or exhibit hives.

Hives are a kind of itchy rash characterized by welts on the skin. It is usually caused by allergies but can have other causes.

Hives themselves are not contagious, but their cause could be. For example, if you have hives caused by a virus, a person can contract the virus and also develop hives.

The treatment and prevention strategies for hives depend on the underlying cause.

9 Ways to Ease the Itch of Chronic Hives

They're itchy, red, and raised and often appear at the worst possible times. About 20 percent of the population will get them at least once in their lives, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. They're hives. And hives that last more than six weeks are considered chronic (persistent or recurring). For some people, these hives are a result of allergies, but for others there's no discernible cause. Chronic hives with no known cause are called chronic idiopathic urticaria (hives).

The itching associated with these hives, which stems from the release of natural chemicals called histamines by your bodys immune system, can dramatically affect your quality of life. This is among the main findings of a study published in August 2015 in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Still, there's a lot you can do to ease the itch of chronic hives.

Hives (Urticaria)

What are hives?

Hives, or urticaria, are flat red welts that can appear anywhere on the skin and usually itch. Hives often occur as an allergic reaction to something eaten or something that has contacted the skin. Foods, medicines, and plants are common causes, but sun exposure, stress, infections, and autoimmune diseases have also been known to cause hives.

Symptoms include an itchy, stinging pink rash of slightly swollen skin. The rash may wax and wane in severity. Acute hives typically resolve within six weeks, but chronic hives (urticaria) can persist for months or years.

Hives often resolve on their own, especially in children. Otherwise, treatment for acute hives involves oral antihistamine medications to help relieve the itching and stinging. Chronic hives that do not improve with antihistamines may be treated additionally with corticosteroids, antibiotics, and other stronger medicines. A study found that 35% of people with chronic hives, are symptom free within one year, with another 29% having some reduction of symptoms.

You can safely treat this condition on your own as long as you does not develop trouble breathing. Any antihistamine (like Zyrtec, Clarinex, etc) works.

Do hives spread when scratched?

Do hives spread when scratched?

Dont Scratch Yes, the itch can drive you crazy, but scratching hives may cause them to spread and become even more inflamed, says Neeta Ogden, MD, an allergist in private practice in Englewood, New Jersey, and a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

What looks like hives and is contagious?

Rashes that are considered by many physicians to be contagious are as follows: Molluscum contagiosum (viral) Impetigo (bacterial) Herpes (herpes simplex, types 1 and 2 viruses)

How long do viral hives last?

Hives caused by a viral infection are typically acute, and usually last from four to 24 hours.

What viruses cause hives?

Viral infections associated with acute urticaria include acute viral syndromes, hepatitis (A, B, and C), Epstein-Barr virus, and herpes simplex virus. Streptococcal infection (see the photograph below) has been reported as the cause of 17% of acute urticaria cases in children.

What to do if hives are spreading?

Wear loose-fitting, cotton clothes. Apply a cold compress, such as ice cubes wrapped in a washcloth, to the itchy skin several times a dayunless cold triggers your hives. Use anti-itch medication that you can buy without a prescription, such as an antihistamine or calamine lotion.

Do hives get worse before they get better?

Hives can affect any part of the body, but is common on the torso, throat, arms and legs. The weals generally appear in clusters, with one cluster getting worse as another gets better. Most weals disappear without a trace within a few hours, only to be replaced by a new one elsewhere on the skin.

Should I worry about hives?

When You Should Seek Medical Attention In rare cases, hives could indicate a more serious reaction. You should seek out medical attention for hives if you observe the following: They persist for 6 weeks or longer. Effect your breathing or swallowing.

Why do hives get worse at night?

Nighttime. Hives and itching often worsen at night because thats when the bodys natural anti-itch chemicals are at their lowest.

Can hives spread from one person to another?

Hives are not contagious and are not spread from person to person. For an individual affected by hives, the rash can occur in localized areas or over many areas such as the chest, back, and extremities. For some individuals, the stronger the allergic response, the more quickly and widespread over the body hives may be.

How quickly do hives spread?

In brief: Within minutes. People can develop head to toe hives within minutes of, for example, eating a food to which they are allergic. Hives are not contagious so do not spread from person to person. Individual hives only last from 1-24 hours but new crops can replace them.

What can be the cause of my hives?

Your diet. If you tend to break out in hives after eating shellfish,peanuts,tree nuts,eggs,milk,and berries,then you may have a food allergy,Debra Jaliman,MD,

What are the causes for hives?

Hives are formed on your skin due to the bodys response to something that is ingested or in the environment, not because you caught some skin-disease causing virus or bacteria from one of your friends or family member. The causes of hives can be drug, stress, chemical, and food.

How long can hives last?

Hives can appear and disappear quickly, with each hive only lasting around 23 hours. However, depending on the cause, they may reappear and continue affecting someone for days, weeks, or longer.

People can have acute hives, which occurs due to a specific trigger and resolves within 6 weeks. Alternatively, they can have chronic hives, which recur at least twice per week for longer than 6 weeks.

This article looks at how long hives last, factors that influence their duration, and treatment.

Each hive lasts only 23 hours, but for some people, they continue to appear and disappear for longer. The duration of hives can depend on whether they are acute or chronic.

Acute hives appear quickly and do not last long. Doctors classify hives as acute if the overall duration is less than 6 weeks.

However, around 25% of people go on to develop chronic hives. This is when hives regularly reappear over 6 weeks or more.

For many individuals, chronic hives eventually clear on their own, but this can take months. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), around half of people with chronic hives spontaneously recover within 1 year.

Acute hives often occur in response to an allergen or irritant. When the immune system perceives a substance as a threat, it releases histamine and other chemicals. This causes tiny blood vessels under someones skin to leak fluid, which accumulates and causes the bump.

Some common substances that can result in hives include:

• food allergens, such as milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, or shellfish
• contact allergens, such as latex or animal dander
• insect bites or stings
• medications

Any drug can cause hives, but some of the medications most commonly associated with this symptom include:

Acute hives can also occur in response to viral infections, parasitic infections, or during times of stress.

According to a 2018 review, doctors are unsure of the cause of acute hives in around 50% of individuals. These cases are known as acute spontaneous urticaria (ASU).

Chronic hives may have the same cause as acute hives, but with symptoms lasting longer than 6 weeks. However, chronic hives are often not due to an allergen and instead have a physical cause.

There are two subcategories of chronic hives: inducible urticaria and chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Chronic idiopathic hives

Chronic idiopathic urticaria has no clear cause and is the most common form of chronic hives. Researchers are working to understand why this type of hives occurs, but a leading theory links it with autoimmunity.

Autoimmunity occurs when a persons immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, and several autoimmune conditions are associated with chronic hives. The most common is thyroid disease, which is present in 9.8% of cases.

This suggests that the hives may result from someones immune system not functioning as it should. Other conditions that can occur alongside chronic hives include type 1 diabetes, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Infections can also be associated with the onset of chronic hives. This includes bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Again, this may result from autoimmunity an infection may trigger a change in how the persons immune system works.

Inducible hives

Inducible or physical urticaria is less common than chronic idiopathic urticaria. With this subtype, it is possible to purposely induce the hives by a person exposing their skin to certain triggers, which could include:

• Scratching or pressure: The most common type of inducible hives is known as dermatographia. This condition involves developing hives as a response to scratching or drawing on the skin.
• Cold: Cold hives occur on someones skin or mouth after exposure to cold temperatures. Triggers include consuming iced drinks, touching cold water, or going outside in cold weather.
• Heat: Cholinergic hives occurs when an individuals body becomes hot or sweaty. Hot baths, exercise, and spicy food can be triggers.
• UV light: Solar hives occur in response to UV light from the sun and certain light bulbs, such as those in tanning beds.
• Water: Some people develop hives if their skin comes into contact with water. This is known as aquagenic urticaria and is very rare.

Doctors diagnose hives by performing a physical examination. There is no test to determine whether the persons hives are acute or chronic, so they will use the length of time they recur to do this.

The doctor may also ask an individual:

• when the rash began
• the shape, size, and distribution of the rash
• where on the body they first noticed the rash
• if they have had any insect bites
• if they live or work with common hive triggers, such as chemicals, animals, or latex gloves
• if they have bone or joint pain, fever, or abdominal pain
• if anyone in their family experiences hives
• if they take any medications or supplements

The doctor may use a skin prick test and serum-specific IgE test to check if the acute hives result from a specific substance, such as food, dust mites, or chemicals. Alternatively, they may refer someone to an allergy clinic for these tests.

However, in cases of chronic hives, allergy testing is rarely useful. A doctor may check for other underlying health conditions by performing additional tests, such as:

The most suitable treatment depends on whether the person has acute hives or chronic hives.

Acute hives

Doctors typically recommend second-generation antihistamines as the first-line treatment for acute hives, such as:

• loratadine (Claritin)
• desloratadine (Clarinex)
• fexofenadine (Allegra)
• cetirizine (Zyrtec)
• levocetirizine (Xyzal)

They may prescribe a standard dose or increase by up to 4 times if the individual does not respond.

If these medications do not improve symptoms, the doctor may recommend an additional antihistamine, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), or ranitidine (Zantac). They may recommend a 310-day course of corticosteroids to help control the symptoms in severe cases.

The doctor may prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector if they think the individual is at risk of anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction that restricts breathing. This provides emergency medicine to treat anaphylaxis quickly.

The doctor will then reassess the individual in 26 weeks.

Chronic hives

Doctors may recommend a four-step treatment plan for chronic hives. This approach involves using an antihistamine daily, which may be up to 4 times the regular dosage depending on how the individual responds.If necessary, they may prescribe a second antihistamine or another medication, such as montelukast (Singulair). With persistent hives, they may suggest a high potency antihistamine, such as hydroxyzine or doxepin.

The final step is for a doctor to refer the individual to a specialist for immunomodulatory therapy. This may involve taking medications such as omalizumab (Xolair) or cyclosporine (Sandimmune).

Once symptoms are under control, a doctor may gradually reduce the dosage of these medications. If the hives have an identifiable cause, such as cold or heat exposure, adopting changes to avoid the triggers wherever possible is also important.

The AAD suggests the following methods for people to reduce irritation and itchiness in hives:

• applying topical anti-itch medications, such as calamine lotion
• wearing loose-fitting clothing
• moisturizing with fragrance-free lotion to prevent dry skin
• using cold compresses several times per day

However, it is important for individuals to try to determine whether the hives have a specific trigger, in addition to relieving symptoms. If someone has cold hives, for example, a cold compress may make them worse.

Therefore, it is a good idea for people to keep a symptom diary, recording when the hives occur and any factors that might have contributed. Symptom diaries are also useful to refer to at medical appointments. A person can take note of:

• the date and time the hives appear
• what they were doing just before they developed
• what they have had to eat or drink

If any common factors emerge when the hives occur, a person can try to temporarily avoid these to see if it helps. It is important for people to do this with the guidance of a doctor, allergist, or dietitian if someone has food-related hives.

Learn more about remedies and treatments for hives here.

Hives do not last long, taking only 23 hours to fade. However, more can appear, which makes the symptoms last longer. Acute hives can develop and resolve on their own within 6 weeks, while chronic hives can last much longer.

Doctors treat acute and chronic hives differently, so it is advisable for people to speak with a medical professional about this symptom, especially if the hives last longer than 6 weeks.

If hives or swelling occur in the mouth and airways, making it difficult to breathe, dial 911 or the number of the nearest emergency department immediately.