What Are Hives And What Causes Them?

Dr. Saini answers the question: 'What Are Hives And What Causes Them?'

By
Sarbjit Singh Saini, M.D., Assoc. Prof. of Medicine, Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Johns Hopkins University
August 27, 2008, 4:21 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: What are hives and what causes them?

Answer: Hives can best be described as itchy red bumps on the skin. They can occur anywhere on the body and usually they can be related to one of three major causes. Hives can be a manifestation of an infection. In that case, hives are typically short lived, lasting a few weeks. Hives can also been seen as a complication of an allergic reaction.

And in some cases, hives can continue for weeks and months. In those cases, we do not have an obvious trigger for the hives.

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