Hives

The main symptom of hives is an itchy rash. The rash can: be raised bumps or patches in many shapes and sizes appear anywhere on the body be on 1 area or spread across the body feel itchy, sting or burn look pink or red when affecting someone with white skin; the colour of the rash can be harder to see on brown and black skin Here is an image gallery with images and detailed descriptions. Select an image tab to get the bigger version of the image and to access the description. 1: White skin with hives rash (thumbnail). 1 2: White skin with hives rash (thumbnail). 2 3: Hives rash on light brown skin (thumbnail). 3 4: Hives rash on light brown skin (thumbnail). 4 5: Hives rash on light brown skin (thumbnail). 5 6: Dark brown skin with hives rash (thumbnail). 6 Credit: DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/694159/view Long description, image 1 Hives rash on the leg and hand of a child with white skin. The skin on most of their thigh is pink, raised and bumpy. At the side of their thigh, close to their hand, are deep creases in the skin. Their hand is pink with some red patches between their thumb and finger and on their fingertips. Credit: Elizabeth Nunn / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-an-urticarial-rash-caused-by-an-allergic-reaction-to-penicillin-111762116.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=261CE1C1-DA64-4EAE-8D55-1794DA842BD3&p=278658&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dGDR5M4%26qt_raw%3dGDR5M4%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d0%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d Long description, image 2 Hives rash on the leg, arm and hand of a person with white skin. Small, slightly raised pink spots cover their leg. Some are close together and some are further apart. The same spotty rash spreads along the side of their arm and across the top of their hand. The knuckles and fingertips are red. Credit: Loisjoy Thurstun / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/close-up-of-toddler-with-urticaria-caused-by-sensitivity-to-plum-skins-image8981367.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=51FCF349-CE6C-46DB-B51B-CBCAE97EA94D&p=373224&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3DAP98R8%26qt_raw%3DAP98R8%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26pl%3D0%26plno%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26upl%3D0%26cufr%3D%26cuto%3D%26howler%3D%26cvrem%3D0%26cvtype%3D0%26cvloc%3D0%26cl%3D0%26upfr%3D%26upto%3D%26primcat%3D%26seccat%3D%26cvcategory%3D*%26restriction%3D%26random%3D%26ispremium%3D1%26flip%3D0%26contributorqt%3D%26plgalleryno%3D%26plpublic%3D0%26viewaspublic%3D0%26isplcurate%3D0%26imageurl%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D Long description, image 3 Hives rash on the knee of a person with light brown skin. The skin is slightly darker brown around where the rash is. There are many skin-coloured bumps on and around the knee which vary in size from around 2mm to 1cm. The larger bumps look puffy like blisters. Some bumps are very close together in groups. Credit: konmesa :https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/urticaria-301493921 Long description, image 4 Hives rash on the cheek, chin and neck of a person with light brown skin. There are about 50 raised bumps in different shapes and sizes. Some of the bumps are small circles and others are larger, uneven shapes. Most are close together in groups, but some are further apart. The bumps are a lighter brown than the surrounding skin and look puffy, like blisters. Credit: Arlee. P: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/child-symptoms-itchy-urticaria-body-arm-1101565460 Long description, image 5 Hives rash on the thigh and hip of a child with light brown skin. There are about 20 patches of pink skin in different shapes and sizes. The patches are mainly flat and vary in size from around 1cm to 8cm. Some patches are close to or join others, while some are further apart. Some patches are dark pink. Others are lighter pink with a darker pink border around the patch. There's a long, dark pink patch spreading from their groin to their hip. Credit: Apiwut Sookkasame https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/urticaria-on-legs-1040514490 Long description, image 6 Hives rash on the thigh of a person with dark brown skin. There are many raised patches of skin in different shapes and sizes very close to each other. They range from around 5mm to 5cm. The skin near the left knee also has raised lines, like scars. The skin on the inside of the thigh is smooth. The rash is the same colour as the person's skin.

Find out about other rashes in babies and children .

A pharmacist can give you advice about antihistamine treatment to help a hives rash. Tell the pharmacist if you have a long-term condition, because you might not be able to take antihistamines. This treatment might not be suitable for young children. Find a pharmacy

A GP might prescribe menthol cream, antihistamines or steroid tablets . If hives does not go away with treatment, you may be referred to a skin specialist (dermatologist).

You get hives when something causes high levels of histamine and other chemicals to be released in your skin. This is known as a trigger. Triggers can include: eating certain foods contact with certain plants, animals, chemicals and latex cold, such as cold water or wind hot, sweaty skin from exercise, emotional stress or eating spicy food a reaction to a medicine, insect bite or sting scratching or pressing on your skin, such as wearing itchy or tight clothing an infection a problem with your immune system water or sunlight, but this is rare Try to find out what triggers hives for you, so you can avoid those triggers, if possible. This may help prevent an episode of hives.