What Are Hives And How Do They Affect You?

If you were to ask a doctor what are hives, they may tell you that it is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong and you need to get it taken care of as soon as possible. Usually when we get hives, we wonder what brought it on and how can we get rid of it, right? That is a reasonable first thought process, so then you need to take action accordingly.
Self-analysis will help your doctor diagnose your hives

First when you see the raised, red angry bumps you should take note of where they are, the size of the area affected and how they feel to you. Is the area sensitive to touch or just annoying to you. So you feel an urge to scratch or rub the area to alleviate any stinging or burning? What seems to make it feel better; do you avoid contact with the area or do you find that a cool, damp towel makes it feel better? How you react and notice the symptoms will help the doctor when you discuss the rash with him.

Take note of recent changes and events in your life before the hives occured.

The second thing you need to do is reflect on your recent activities to figure out what caused your hives. The angry red bumps are there as a response to something that had recently occurred for the most part. So if you have recently gone on a camping trip or out for a hike and you return to find you have hives in the exposed parts of your body, you should perhaps reflect on recent contact with animal or plant life. Or perhaps is was particularly cold or hot while you were out. If the hives have occurred in parts of your body where it was exposed to the elements, you may have found your culprit.

Take action for quick recovery

Now, call the doctor and get in for an exam and hopefully quality treatment. When you ask the doctor what are hives, he will probably tell you that there are a variety of hives, symptoms and causes. Some hives only cover a small area of the skin, whereas others can affect internal organs as well as the skin. In fact, the external hives may lead a doctor to look more deeply inside your body to assure you organs are okay. This is especially true if the hives occur along with fever, swelling, and difficulty breathing properly. This is referred to as angioedema.

In the case of hives that extend to internal organs, immediate medical care is required. Your body is essentially fighting for survival when you see the external hives on your skin. If left untreated, hives can lead to severe symptoms such as extreme swelling of the throat that makes swallowing virtually impossible. Damage to internal organs such as the GI tract can lead to extreme stomach pain and cramps. Damage to the lungs will lead to shortness of breath or difficulty breathing that can lead to death. Take action while you still can.