Can stress cause an allegeric-type reaction?

Question

Recently, usually at night, my husband will develop reddness and swelling in the face and hands. His skin stings and itches like a sunburn. We cannot isolate a trigger as all instances are under different circumstances. He thinks it is stress induced. Your thoughts??

Answer 1

I'm not a medical professional but I firmly believe stress can do almost anything. I have had two high pressure jobs in my life and after about 4 trips to the doctor, all with the same conclusion, I quit going unless the symptom affected my ability to function. If someone told me stress had affected the gas mileage on their car, I would be more inclined to believe than disbelieve them.

My Doctor recommended exercise and it helped. Notice I said "helped", I didn't say "cured". See if your husband can find something vigorous he enjoys.

Hope this helps some. You must realize though, some help may be the best he can do.

Answer 2

Stress can cause MANY things. One of which is hives. What is happening in the evening that is different? Cold or hot water will also cause hives... Is it after bathing? Oh stress --- Does he have the remote control within reach? (HA)

Heat induced hives are also common. Second generation antihistimines that don't make you sleepy would be helpful to take prior to the most common outbreak times. Try something like clarinex or zyrtec or allevert to see if this helps

Answer 3

Yes, stress can cause an allergic type reaction. When the body is stressed, different neurotransmitters are released. Cortisol, which is often considered a stress hormone, is released. Blood pressure can rise, body temp can rise, etc., all of which can lead to skin reactions. It could be as simple as having an allergen on his skin (from bedding, detergents, etc.), and when he gets stressed, his body temp. rises, opening his pores on his skin, allowing the allergen in and causing the redness and swelling. Or, it could be an internal histaminic reaction to the stress. So, yes, somatic symptoms can definitley result from psychological triggers.

Answer 4

My boyfriends dad moved in with him last summer for a couple months & it really stressed him out
He broke out in a horrible itchy rash all over which the Dr said was hives & yes, it was stress induced.

Answer 5

Yes, it can--but he should still consult a doctor to rule out other ailments.

If it is stress: Look for info on deep breathing exercises and make sure he stays hydrated and eats right. These things will help manage stress levels. I used to have daily panic attacks, but when I learned these things, they helped.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Yes, stress is incredibly brutal on the body. It's like overclocking your computer....or overrevving your engine.....or overfilling your washer/dryer. (hope one of those examples is relavent). Stress breaks down the body. It can also increase the effects of certain diseases you may already have. Example: a link between stress and herpes outbreaks has been found. Stress is bad, I encourage your husband to find a coping mechanism.

Answer 7

Absolutely! It's usually in the form of Hives, which is what your husband appears to be experiencing. Other than calming down, he may need benadryl internally

Answer 8

Yeah my sister has that and always has for as long I can remember..She doesn't swell though, just gets really red.. But I would have it checked out to make sure it isn't something more serious..

Answer 9

stress reduces your body's defenses against disease, so it is very possible that your husband is getting an allergic reaction due to stress.

Answer 10

Yes it happen to me at one point. He should see a DR.