Allergic Hives

If you have ever had allergic hives where you developed a rash or respiratory ailment, you might be suffering from a hidden food allergy. Seven percent of children under the age of 5 and 1 percent of adults suffer from at least one food allergy.

Cause

Food allergies are an abnormal immune system response triggered by exposure to what your body "sees" as foreign proteins. In some cases,the hives can produce symptoms that are severe. Serious instances can lead to anaphylactic shock, which is a potentially dangerous condition.

The leading causes of food allergies which may produce hives are fish, dairy products, wheat, peanuts, strawberries, mangoes, tomatoes, and the list goes on. It is believed that up to half of all adults suffer from a related problem of food intolerance rather than from an allergy. The difference is that the immune system is not involved with this adverse reaction as is the case in food allergies. However, both conditions exhibit some of the same signs. Many instances of intolerance to certain foods stem from a shortage of necessary enzymes for proper digestion. This enzyme deficiency weakens the body's capacity to tear down proteins found in food.

Symptoms

Food allergies manifest themselves differently in different people. A skin rash, usually occurring as an allergic reaction that is marked by small red or pale and itching swellings, often the symptoms last for several days. On the other hand, a food that might give one person a rash might give another stomach pain.

Signs of a more dangerous condition such as anaphylactic shock are a drop in blood pressure, reddening and swelling of the face, anxiety, tightness in the throat and chest, difficulty breathing, and sometimes hives. Anyone experiencing these symptoms requires immediate medical assistance.

Treatment

Predictably, doctors often have a difficult task of pinpointing food allergies manifesting as allergic hives. If you suspect certain foods are the cause of your illness, talk to the doctor about identifying and treating causes of a food allergy.

Your doctor may prescribe the use of an elimination diet to pinpoint food reactions. During the first phase of the treatment, all suspect foods are off limits for a four week period. Typically, symptoms begin to clear up when the suspected food is eliminated. After the initial stage, the foods are reintroduced one at a time in stages to determine if the hives or other signs of food allergies return after a food's reintroduction.

Natural Allergy Remedies

There are natural remedies that can frequently be used in place of or in conjunction with prescribed medications for allergic hives. Talk to your doctor before trying any of the following treatments, especially if you are pregnant, planning surgery, or taking other medications.

Quercetin

This supplement is a component in fruits and vegetables with natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory effects. Begin taking when seasonal allergy season strikes. It can be taken year round for relief from seasonal allergies.

Stinging Nettle

This plant extract like quercetin listed above has excellent anti-inflammatory and antihistamine benefits. They can be used together or separately to treat allergic hives. Other natural remedies include vitamin C, feverfew, and ginkgo biloba. Preventions

Treatments for allergic hives that contain pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, or ephedrine should not be taken with antidepressants such as Parnate or Nardil. Your blood pressure could soar by combining these medications, leading to more dangerous complications like a stroke.

Go to Most-Common-Food-Allergies from Allergic Hives