Best 6 Remedies for Hives

If you or your loved one has ever had a case of hives, you know the distressing they are. However much you’d like to, you can’t escape your own skin. And while oatmeal baths and cold compresses can bring about some relief, homeopathic remedies for hives are highly effective at reducing and healing the suffering.

Urticaria, commonly known as Hives or ‘nettle rash’, refers to a sudden outbreak of raised, elevated, pale red itchy bumps (wheals also called welts) on the skin’s surface. It is a skin reaction to specific allergens. Hives can be accompanied by burning and stinging pain. They are not contagious which means they don’t spread from one person to another via direct skin contact.

Hives can be a real cause of suffering. They usually only last 2-4 hours, only to reappear somewhere else. It is usually an acute (self-limiting, short-term) condition. Occasionally hives can persist and become chronic.

Causes of Hives

There are many potential causes for hives and sometimes the cause is simple and easy to eliminate. Here is a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of potential causes:

• Medication – such as antibiotics, aspirin, and codeine
• Food additives
• Infections – including bacterial, viral, or parasitic
• Certain underlying conditions – such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rubella, and hepatitis
• Emotional stress
• Contact with plants or animals
• Sunshine and heat
• Cold temperatures
• Exercise and sweating
• Bee and wasp stings

Homeopathic Solutions

There are many different medicines for hives. Hence this is by no means a comprehensive list but here are the most often-used homeopathic medicines to try if you have an acute attack.

• Histaminum: I like to think of this remedy as a homeopathic antihistamine. It works rapidly if you suddenly get an attack of acute hives. The hives that are red and itchy. There is a sensation of burning and heat. It’s also wonderful for hay fever and allergies. Check out THIS POST if you to read about the remedies for seasonal allergies.  
• Apis: This remedy will cover most cases of hives. This skin is swollen and red with stinging and burning pain which is worse at night. The welts are painful and tender and there is some heat in the skin. There is relief when using cold applications. There may be swelling of the lips or eyes. It is often focused on the mucus linings.
• Urtica urens: This is for hives with burning and itching with specific pain points. The rash will be pale and less red than with some other hives and the patient will have a desire to constantly rub the affected area. The hives will be better for lying down and worse for rising. Opposite of Apis, Urica urens focuses on the non-mucus linings. Another homeopath, Joette Calabrese, has THIS interesting blog post that helps to distinguish between Apis and Urtica urens.
• Arsenicum alb: There is burning pain and restlessness and this medicine is particularly relevant if the hives have occurred from food poisoning. The person will be anxious and restless.
• Bovista: This is the medicine for hives all over the body. There will be a burning sensation and intense itching not relieved by scratching. The pain will be worse at night and upon waking.
•  Rhus tox: This medicine is made from poison ivy. Therefore, it heals poison ivy exposure as well as hives that look like poison ivy. The skin will have very red, large patches with prickling itching. The hives cover the forearms and hands. There may even be a recurring fever.

Prevention vs Treatment

While these remedies for hives can’t prevent the occurrence of hives, they can vastly improve the skin and the suffering from them. It’s important to discover the trigger for the hives to stop the occurrence. If this is a chronic issue with you or within your family, contact me to set up an appointment. Together, we will discover and uproot the cause so you don’t have to suffer anymore!