What's Triggering My Hives?

Hives are red, itchy welts that can appear suddenly on the skin and are a common symptom of allergies. While the medical community calls hives urticaria, you’ll probably call them annoying. Here in Texas, we have many potential allergens that can trigger hives.

At Allergy and Asthma of Prosper and Celina in Prosper, Texas, our medical team evaluates your symptoms and uses a combination of medical history, physical exams, and allergy testing to pinpoint the source of your allergies.  

Some common allergens are linked to local plant life here in Texas, including various types of pollen. Others are food- or medication-related. 

Common hive triggers 

Hives are unpleasant but common. They’re your body’s physical reaction to an allergen. In some cases, they’re long-lasting and can even be accompanied by difficulty breathing. 

Everyone experiences allergies in a different way, and it’s possible to experience hives from environmental allergens or even stress. Consider these common triggers and see if any ring a bell for you. 

Allergens 

Pollen is a big one. Here in Texas, it seems there’s almost always pollen around. In the spring, we have oak, elm, and pecan trees releasing pollen. Later in the summer, the ragweed can trigger symptoms like hives. 

Other triggers are food-based, such as nuts, shellfish, eggs, or dairy. If you eat any of these and experience hives within minutes, that could be the culprit. 

Some people are allergic to medications and experience hives after taking certain antibiotics or even nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 

Stress 

Emotional stress shows up in many ways, including itchy hives. If you’ve had a stressful week or month and find yourself scratching mercilessly, it could be related.

Acute vs. chronic hives 

If you take a walk through the woods with your dog and find yourself breaking out in itchy red welts that evening, but they’re gone within a few days, those are considered acute hives. 

If they persist for more than six weeks, those are considered chronic hives. Occasionally, patients have chronic hives without a clear cause. 

How do we test for allergies? 

If you can identify the source of your hives, it’s easier to avoid the trigger. If you can’t identify it yourself, Dr. Thomas Fowler, at Allergy and Asthma of Prosper and Celina, evaluates your medical history and offers multiple types of allergy testing to discover the underlying cause of your hives, as well as develops a personalized treatment plan to address it. 

Schedule an appointment online, and start your journey to hive relief.