Hives Treatment in

Appleton and the Fox Cities

We Can Treat Your Hives

Hives are red, very itchy, swollen areas of the skin. Hives arise suddenly and may leave quickly in one to two hours, or
can last as long as 24 hours. They often appear in clusters, with new clusters appearing as other areas clear.

Hives Info:

What Causes Hives?

Hives are occasionally a side effect from eating certain foods or taking medications. A thorough history is of utmost importance
in discovering a possible cause. Acute hives do not have an identifiable cause in about 50% of cases.

Physicians refer to hives as urticaria. Over 20% of the population has suffered an eruption of hives at some point in their lives.

What Is Angioedema?

While hives develop on the skin’s surface, angioedema is a swelling of the deeper layers of the skin. It most often occurs on the hands, feet and face.

If the angioedema occurs in the throat, normal breathing or swallowing can be blocked, and emergency measures must be taken. This is a rare occurrence, since most angioedema causes swelling of the lips or eyes with no long-lasting effects.

Hives and angioedema may appear together or separately on the body. Angioedema usually lasts one to two days and may recur with or without hives over an indefinite period of time.

Hereditary angioedema is a rare inherited disease, which can be fatal in some cases and, in this respect, differs from other types of chronic angioedema.

Swelling can occur in the airways such as the larynx, tongue and throat, as well as on the face and other extremities.

Swelling in the stomach area has led to severe pain and surgery for what was thought to be appendicitis.

It has been demonstrated that a blood protein deficiency is the cause of this inherited illness.

How Can Hives Be Treated?

Avoidance of the foods, drugs or other provoking factors is recommended whenever possible.

Combinations of different antihistamines at different doses are used to treat recurrent episodes.
Use of these medications is recommended only under the guidance of your allergist.

If the hives do not respond to the antihistamines, many allergists will utilize corticosteroid medications such as prednisone,
which are given in conjunction with the antihistamine.

In severe acute cases where angioedema is involved, adrenalin injections may be necessary to alleviate the swelling.
Hereditary angioedema can be very effectively treated with special medications.