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What are hives?
Hives are also called urticaria. They are itchy, red swellings of the
skin that can occur on any part of your body. Hives are sometimes
caused by food and drug allergies. They can be the first sign, or a
part of anaphylaxis, which is a severe, sudden, generalized allergic
reaction that can result in your having difficulty breathing, shock (a
lowering of your blood pressure), and even death. Hives can also
sometimes be associated with conditions such as thyroid disease,
hepatitis (liver infections), or connective tissue diseases such as
lupus. Sometimes, hives can occur for no apparent reason (idiopathic).
persist for a period of time and disappear on their own. If you have
hives, consultation with an allergist for possible food or drug
allergies may be required to diagnose, and to treat this condition and
to prevent future, more devastating reactions from occurring. For
idiopathic hives, treatment with antihistamines, sometimes in
combination with other medicine, may often control your symptoms.
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