Q: What causes hives?
Hives is a common skin eruption caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to something a person has been exposed to. It may be caused by foods, such as tomatoes, seafood, or artificial sweeteners, or any number of other things. Penicillin is the most common cause of hives. Physicians are not often able to determine the cause of hives unless it is obvious to the patient.
After a patient has hives for 6 weeks, they are said to have chronic hives, or chronic urticaria. Once a person has chronic hives, visiting a physician is worthwhile because a number of tests may be performed to see if a cause for the patient’s hives can be identified.
Dr. Lowell Goldsmith and Dr. Jeff Bernhard contributed their expertise on behalf of Logical Images for the above information.
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