One of the most irritating skin conditions known to afflict millions of people every year is hives. A case of hives causes the affected individual to experience painful, bumpy rashes for periods of up to six weeks or more with varying degrees of severity.

Idiopathic Urticaria, aka hives, is a nuisance that degrades the quality of life for those who suffer from it. More often than not, hives strike the same people over and over again rather than attacking random individuals sporadically. That’s because hives aren’t a contagious illness. As an involuntary response to specific antagonists, hives are difficult at best to control.

The Causes of Hives

The root cause of hives is actually the body’s immune system. People with an overly sensitive immune system come into contact with allergens or viruses, and their bodies overreact to the threat. The immune system of a person with chronic hives is somewhat akin to an overly sensitive car alarm. It doesn’t take much to set it off, but when it does the reaction is usually overkill.

Specific triggers for an outbreak vary from person to person, but there are some common culprits that are notorious for causing hives. Here’s a quick rundown of the usual suspects.

Viral Infections

One of the leading causes of hives, viral infections, often make for particularly serious inflammation in the affected areas of the skin. Hives outbreaks related to viral infections are often the side effect of other problems, such as urinary tract infections, sinus infections, strep throat, and hepatitis. The bacteria Helicobacter pylori in particular is associated with hives in the afflicted individuals.

Hives that appear suddenly, especially when there’s no previous history of reacting to other triggers, can sometimes be an indicator of more serious problems.

Food Allergies

Chronic Urticaria is often caused by undiagnosed food allergies. People can suffer from these allergies for years without making the connection between a certain type of food and their hives symptoms. The solution is fairly obvious in this case; namely, avoid the foods that trigger the condition.

Some of the most common foods responsible for causing hives are peanuts, shellfish, dairy products, soy-based foods, eggs, and wheat. Allergic reactions to food or drink are highly specific to an individual, so it can take some effort to nail down a person’s unique food allergies so that they can be eliminated from their diet.

Weather Conditions

Hives causes are often related to temperature. Many individuals get hives as a result of exposure to extreme cold. Cold Urticaria is common amongst younger individuals, usually those between 18 to 25 years of age. A typical trigger is swimming in cold water outdoors. If an individual suffers from hives after swimming, then that activity should be avoided if possible.

Cold Urticaria results in hives appearing all over the body, but often disproportionately strikes the neck, chest, and facial areas. If one suffers from hives caused by temperature changes, the best protection is to avoid cold weather exposure entirely.

Environmental Irritants

Another one of the major hives causes are the invisible organic and inorganic particles that constantly float around us in the atmosphere. Whether it’s pet dander, bee pollen, or dust from industrial materials, the end result is the same. This type of hives is another overreaction of the immune system.

In this case, a person’s immune system can’t distinguish between legitimately dangerous microscopic threats and relatively harmless things like pollen that ordinarily shouldn’t be dangerous. Antihistamines are usually the only effective option when it comes to reducing the swelling. A better safeguard against these types of outbreaks is to strengthen one’s immune system before they happen.

The Ultimate Solution

Many treatments have been proposed and used throughout the years to combat hives. Mainstream medicine prescribes antihistamines, such as Benadryl, to address the symptoms of hives and provide short-term relief. The drawback to that approach is that it doesn’t go after the root cause of the problem, making recurring cases a certainty.

Fortunately, there’s a natural solution to hives that takes a holistic approach to ending the constant inflammations for good. Forgoing prescription treatments in favor of whole-body improvement to prevent outbreaks, the natural method for treating hives is a permanent solution that works in most cases. By modifying diet and behavior to fine-tune one’s immune system to perform at the optimal level, a person can more effectively control their hives outbreaks. For those who suffer from chronic hives, it’s definitely an alternative worth pursuing.

This alternative is called “Natural Urticaria (Hives) & Angioedema Treatment” by Dr. Gary M. Levin, M.D. Read more about this natural treatment option visiting at the official website:

Natural Urticaria (Hives) & Angioedema Treatment