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Hives

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Hives on the Back

Itchy swollen patches that appear suddenly.
Location, size, and shape of patches change rapidly and repeatedly, with any one patch lasting from several minutes to several hours.
Size of patches varies from a 1/2 inch to several inches across.
In Caucasians, hives appear pink or red in color, with a central area of paleness.

General Information

The medical term for hives is "urticaria."
Hives are sometimes an allergic skin reaction to something that the individual has eaten, touched, or in some other manner been exposed to.
Hives usually come and go for several days to a week. Sometimes they can reappear weeks or months later. Some individuals have "chronic urticaria," which means that the rash can be intermittently present for months.

Definitions

Anaphylaxis: A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Localized Hives: Hives on one area of the body only. Localized hives are usually due to skin contact with plants, pollen, food, a chemical, or pet saliva. Localized hives usually resolve in less than 4 hours.
Widespread Hives: Hives on multiple (2 or more) areas of the body. Widespread hives can be an allergic reaction to a food, cosmetic product, drug, insect bite, or other substance. Sometimes widespread hives show up after a viral infection. Often the cause is not found.