Why do I keep getting hives?

Question

I just moved from a small town in kentucky to south carolina on the beach. I have been getting a decent amount of sun and using sunscreen. I also began work in a seafood restaurant where I often handle and eat various seafood. I have also been using baby powder to avoid chaffing. I also have been drinking about every night but not a whole lot.

The first time I got them was when i was drinking on the beach. I wass out there for only 2 or so hours and when i got went home i realised i had hives all over my body. Since then I have gotten them about 4 more times, mostly at night when I am at the bar. I am not sure if it is the baby powder but that is what I feel is may be causing it since I have been a drinker for years and have had no problems. But i also feel that it could be an allergy i never knew i had, like to shrimp, shellfish, or some type of pollen or tree down here. I have no history of having any type of food allergy, so i'm unsure what it could be. I also don't fe

Answer 1

You don't indicate how long you've been getting hives, so there are several possibilities here. First, hives lasting less than 6 weeks are considered acute, and are usually due to allergies. If you have been having hive outbreaks for more than 6 weeks, then it is considered chronic, and there are several possible reasons; allergy is rarely the cause of chronic hives, though. I really need more information to pinpoint what is going on, but I'll give it my best shot with the limited information I have.... Sorry, but this is going to be long....

Some eliminations: The baby powder is probably the least likely suspect of all. Allergies to pollens/trees/grasses usually present as hay fever, not hives.

Now some possibilities based on what you've mentioned:

1) Either solar urticaria or cholinergic urticaria. True solar urticaria is very rare, so not as likely as cholinergic, which is hives induced by heat. Since you are using baby powder to help with chafing, that tells me heat may be a problem where you are. If you are a young male (approx. age 15-29), that would also fit, since cholinergic urticaria most often strikes that age group, and is more common in males. If the hives go away soon after coming in out of the heat, that is also an indication. If you also experience itching and/or hiving during a hot shower, when you are embarrassed or angry, or during any other form of passive warming (eg getting into a hot car), those are all sure signs of cholinergic urticaria. Cholinergic usually presents as small wheals (hives) with intense itching. A third possibility along these lines is polymorphic light eruption, which is an itchy, bumpy rash caused by exposure to sun. The rash usually persists for several days following sun exposure.

2) Alcohol, especially wine and beer, contains chemicals (histidine) which the body converts into histamine, which causes hives. Alcohol also causes mast cell degranulation - mast cells are a special type of immune system cell which produce several chemicals. When they degranulate, they release those chemicals into your body; one of those chemicals is histamine.

3) Seafood, especially shellfish, naturally contains histamine. Have you ever heard of scombroid poisoning? It's the common name for seafood poisoning, and another name for it is histamine poisoning. So if you are eating a lot of seafood, this could easily be the culprit. Also, the less fresh the seafood, the higher the histamine content will be.

4) Allergies can occur at any time, and most people who first experience an allergy to something are often surprised, since it is to something they have 'always' used/consumed, and they 'never had problems with it before.' Well guess what, you have to have previous exposure to something to become allergic to it. So it only makes sense that if an allergy develops, it will be to something you already use. Since the pattern has been to begin hiving during times when you are drinking, my best guess is alcohol is the problem here. You are either having an outright allergic reaction to whatever you are drinking, or as mentioned above the levels of histamine in what you are drinking is getting to you. There is research to suggest that some people have too-low levels of something called diamine oxidase, which is produced by your body to help rid itself of histamine. Without sufficient diamine oxidase, you may experience effects from histamine (hives, possibly other symptoms as well).

I suggest you try not drinking alcohol for a while, to see if your hives clear up. Or you can try changing what you are drinking, if you insist on continuing to drink - instead of beer, try a vodka, or instead of wine try a liqueur. It also woudn't hurt to cut the seafood at the same time, you may be overwhelming your system with high levels of histamine from what you are consuming. If the problem continues, try a total elimination diet, or consult with an allergist for allergy testing.

And one more IMPORTANT point - hiving, whether due to allergy or to another cause (autoimmunity, physical urticaria, or idiopathic chronic urticaria), can lead to a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. It is imperative that you go to an emergency room if you get any swelling (angioedema) of the mouth and/or tongue, or if your throat starts to bother you (feels tight, difficult to swallow) or if you start to have trouble breathing. Anaphylaxis is deadly if not treated right away.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I suggest you go to a doctor and get tested to see if you might be allergic to any sea food that might be causing your hives.
Make sure to inform your doctor everything that you have stated here so he/she knows everything.
I also suggest you stay away from sea food and drinking all together until you find out what's causing those hives and I doubt the powder is causing any of this but your condition could get serious if not taken care of right away.
Good luck and get to your doctor now!

Answer 4

One thing you may try is a shower head filter, one that filters out chlorine. Also, as other's have said it may be an allergy to a product you use in the shower like a soap, etc... Did you eat or drink anything right before your shower? Many food allergies can cause hives too. Someone recommended eliminating diary, I think that may be a good idea to try... at least for a while to see if it helps. Did you change any habits in the last couple days like new foods, new cosmetic or toiletry products, etc.??

Answer 5

I've suffered from hives and swollen lips on and off for about ten years. The best advice I've received was from a kine geologist. He told me that the hives were a result of stress. I was just getting over the flu, and I was going through a stressful time. He told me to take a good multi-vitamin and calcium. He said that when we're stressed, our bodies lose calcium. When we don't have enough calcium in our bodies, the body starts to take calcium from wherever it can find it. The results:HIVES. I took his advice, and the hives went away. I stopped taking the vitamins, and now I have the hives again. I started to take vitamins today, and I'm waiting to see if it helps.

Answer 6

It could be any of these things. I'd try eliminating as many irritants as possible first. Try a "physical sunscreen" (such as one containing titanium dioxide) instead of a "chemical sunscreen" (like Coppertone). Try not eating the seafood, and try to not drink alcohol for a week or two (sorry -- you can do it, really!). If the rash doesn't appear, then add just one of these items back at a time. If the rash comes back, you have a probable suspect.

I have quite a few chemical sensitivities which are usually ok in small quantities, but if I am exposed to too many of them in too large of quantities, I break out with incredibly itchy blisters on my hands (called dyshidrotic eczema). Allergies, or sensitivities, can begin as an adult, so this may be a sensitivity that has recently developed for you.

Best of luck, and if this doesn't work, you should visit your doctor.

Answer 7

You (and I) are allergic to seafood. The allergy results in an excessive release of histmines into your bloodstream after eating seafood. You can take an over the counter antihistamine (Claritin, Benedryl, etc.). Make sure you go to your doctor to find out what else you are allergic to.

Answer 8

i get hives all the time, but thats because im allergic to alot of things and i have asthma. you should go to an allergy doctor and get tested. you can also test blood, sometimes you may be allerigic to things but never know it.

Answer 9

Well you definitely are allergic to something, but it may take a trip to the allergist for a full panel of allergy tests to figure out what it is.

Answer 10

You're probly allergic to something. Like the sea food or something you're drinking. I'd watch what you eat and drink and see what you ate and drank when you get them