Traveling With Food Allergies This Summer: What You Need to Plan Ahead
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Hives With No Obvious Cause: When Should You See an Allergist?
About 1 in 5 people develop hives during their lifetime. Hives (red skin welts) are a sign your body is reacting to something, often an irritant or allergen. Unfortunately, it can be tough to pinpoint the trigger on your own.
At Allergy & Asthma Affiliates in Lansdowne and Gainesville, Virginia, Srinagesh Paluvoi, MD, FAAP, FACAAI, performs allergy testing and administers treatment for hives and other types of allergic reactions. By ruling out potential triggers, Dr. Paluvoi builds a treatment plan to get your skin back to looking and feeling its best.
To help you determine your next steps, we’ve broken down the most common causes of hives, along with five signs that you should seek a medical evaluation.
Common causes of hives
Reasons hives may appear include:
- Emotional and/or physical stress
- Infections
- Hot or cold temperatures
- Pressure on the skin
- Exercise
- Some foods
- Insect stings
- Medications
- Autoimmune diseases
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Poison ivy/poison oak
- Animal saliva or dander
- Latex
- Pollen
- Alcohol
Hives aren’t always a cause for concern, but knowing why they show up can offer peace of mind and treatment plans that ease bothersome symptoms.
When to see an allergist for hives
Use the following guidelines to decide if you should see an allergist after hives appear.
1. It’s your first time having hives
If you or a loved one develops hives for the first time, see Dr. Paluvoi for an evaluation to detect or rule out irritants, allergies, or other underlying conditions that might become severe when left untreated.
2. You develop signs of anaphylaxis
Signs of a severe allergic reaction may include wheezing, shortness of breath, facial or throat swelling, dizziness, weakness, and/or vomiting. Head to an emergency room or call 911 if you or a loved one has signs of an extreme allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
3. Your hives keep coming back
If your hives keep returning, it’s important to learn why. See Dr. Paluvoi to pinpoint the cause and eliminate the hives, as well as any other symptoms, to help prevent them from recurring.
4. You develop severe itching
Scratching severely itchy hives can further irritate your skin, be painful, and increase the risk of an infection. See Dr. Paluvoi for extremely itchy hives to find an effective and long-lasting solution.
5. Your hives stick around for more than a day
Hives often disappear over time, so if they stick around for more than a few days, it’s important to see an allergist to find out why.
Finding the root cause of hives
While it’s not always possible to determine the root cause of hives, Dr. Paluvoi offers asthma and allergy testing, including food allergy testing, tests for chemical allergies, and more. He can also screen for immunodeficiency, which might increase your risk of developing hives.
Hives aren’t always a reason for concern, but determining potential causes by seeing Dr. Paluvoi at Allergy & Asthma Affiliates is important to reduce the risk of complications, some of which may become serious.
Schedule allergy testing or treatment with Dr. Paluvoi at Allergy & Asthma Affiliates by contacting our office by phone or requesting an appointment online today.
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