When it comes to unexplained conditions, acid reflux and hives are right near the top of the list. Food allergies and intolerances can aggravate both acid reflux and hives, or in some cases be the root cause. By far the more bothersome of the two to live with is hives. Acid reflux is sometimes easier to treat so if you are having problems with both acid reflux and hives at the same time, you should first try to treat the acid reflux. Hives may disappear at the same time if the cause is the same. So where to start?

Food Allergies

A food allergy happens when the body’s immune system goes into action against a certain food. The immune system is known to play a key role in both acid reflux and hives. The most common foods to cause allergic reactions are:

• Milk, dairy
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Soy
• Wheat
• Shellfish
• Fish

It is thought that over 90% of all food allergy problems are caused by one of these food types, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Sometimes acid reflux is an allergic reaction to one of these foods and you’ll have to go through a process of elimination to see if one of the listed foods is causing your problem. A food journal is helpful in these cases. A severe allergic reaction will result in more symptoms than just acid reflux. And hives may present alone without acid reflux but it is a good bet that if your condition is to be figured out, you will find one of these food groups to be the offender.

Some of the other allergic reactions you can expect are mouth tingling, difficulty in breathing, cramping, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, or an asthma attack. The symptoms usually appear within an hour of ingesting the food.  If you experience a rapid blood pressure drop or anaphylaxis, you should go to the emergency room without delay

Food Intolerance

Food intolerances share similar symptoms but do not involve the immune system. So while intolerance can be responsible for your acid reflux, it is probably not the cause of hives.

Your doctor can administer blood tests, help with elimination diets, and construct a diet that will help you avoid any foods that may be causing problems while still getting proper nutrition. If you find a food that is responsible, you will need to begin reading food ingredient labels on everything you purchase. Prepared foods often contain ingredients you wouldn’t expect.

Anaphylaxis is nothing to be taken lightly. Sometimes the reason for it is unexplained, but hives, dizziness, shortness of breath and nausea are the most common symptoms. In some cases, a rapid drop in blood pressure may even cause you to pass out. If you are experiencing these symptoms while reading this, you should stop reading and get medical attention right away. There are some other conditions that can have hives, dizziness, and nausea as symptoms. But if in doubt, err on the side of caution.

Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis

People with this condition experience hives, dizziness, and shortness of breath after they exercise. It is a rare condition that was only first written about in 1980. But even though it is rare, it is very serious and can end in shock or even death. The condition is similar to cholinergic hives. Dizziness and shortness of breath can occur with cholinergic hives as well. It is a type of hives brought on by temperature extremes of hot or cold.

Exercise induced anaphylaxis is different, however, in that people who suffer from it do not experience hives, dizziness, or shortness of breath after a hot shower or fever.

It can be diagnosed by the patient exercising in the presence of medically trained observers who watch the symptoms. If this type of observation is done, care must be taken to be sure that resuscitative equipment and expertise is available. Another diagnostic test can be done by immersing the patient in a hot water bath of at least 43 degrees Celsius. A person with exercise induced anaphylaxis will not develop hives. Dizziness may occur without the hives. A person with cholinergic hives will develop small hives, dizziness, and itchy areas. Taking antihistamines before exercise may help to prevent the condition but due to the possible serious consequences, if you are sure you have exercise induce anaphylaxis, the best advice is probably to not exercise at all.

Anaphylaxis Can Be Life-Threatening.

Anaphylaxis is a serious, life threatening whole-body allergic reaction to something that has become an allergen to the person. The reaction is quick and it is severe. Symptoms include Anxiety, confusion, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, hives, dizziness, palpitations, slurred speech, and wheezing.

It should be considered an emergency and needs to be treated immediately. 911 should be called and the person should try to be calmed in the meantime. It is different from just hives caused by something else although one of the more obvious symptoms to the observer may be the hives. Dizziness may result as a result of a quick drop in blood pressure. The patient may lose consciousness.

Lyme disease occurs in all parts of the United States. Early treatment is important if more serious damage from Lyme disease is to be prevented. Lyme disease and hives can be confused with each other and this is an important mistake to avoid. In its early stages, Lyme disease resembles hives. Lyme disease can even cause hives in the first week or so and if the symptom is just shrugged off as hives, you may miss an important opportunity to treat the Lyme disease. Hives doesn’t mean you have Lyme disease and hives by itself usually doesn’t mean Lyme disease. But let’s take a look at some other early symptoms.

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is an infectious bacterial disease spread by small ticks called deer ticks. It can be very serious if left untreated, but not fatal. The similarity of early symptoms of Lyme disease and hives means many people don’t get important early treatment that can prevent future problems. The disease can affect the joints, nervous system, and the heart, usually months after being contracted. More than half of those with untreated Lyme disease will develop chronic arthritis in the large joints. About 10 to 20 percent who don’t get treated will develop problems with their central nervous system. This damage can cause anything from headaches to facial paralysis. Heart problems of all varieties can develop with untreated Lyme disease. Most of these problems can be avoided with early antibiotic treatment but the similarity between Lyme disease and hives sometimes causes people to think they are just having an acute hives attack and won’t seek treatment right away.

So What Other Symptoms Should Be Looked For?

The first symptom is usually a rash where the tick was attached. The ticks are so small most people don’t notice them before they fall off. It starts small and spreads out. The red area often clears out in the center so it looks like a donut. This donut like appearance alone is one thing that can alert you to the difference between Lyme disease and hives. Other symptoms besides the hives are flu-like symptoms, like fever, sore throat, stiff neck, and headaches. Swollen glands are another early symptom. But Lyme disease and hives alone can show these same symptoms in certain hives types that are related to allergic reactions.

Best To Get A Blood Test

If you are not sure of the difference in your own symptoms and are not clear about the difference between Lyme disease and hives, your doctor can perform a blood test to look for Antibodies to the Lyme disease bacteria. This is the surest way to not confuse Lyme disease and hives and get the important early treatment for Lyme disease if you need it.

How Is It Treated?

Treatment is easy with antibiotics. Early treatment can prevent the later, more serious problems of Lyme disease. Don’t let confusion between Lyme disease and hives cause you to miss this window of opportunity that can save you months or years of problems later.

Hives, known medically as urticaria, is experienced by about one in five of all populations. There is nothing much to worry about with a single episode of hives. Breathing difficulty that accompanies the hives, however, does not usually happen with most types of hives, either chronic or acute.

What Are The Different Types Of Hives?

In a broad sense, there is either acute and chronic hives, or urticaria. Acute urticaria is defined as lasting less than six weeks and could be caused by medications, insect bites, medicines, shellfish, nuts, food additives, eggs, and dairy. With allergic hives, breathing difficulty can happen as a result of the allergic reaction. But if the breathing difficulty becomes even a little bit elevated beyond a mere shortness of breath, medical attention should be sought. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening type of allergic reaction that can develop in seconds and presents with hives, breathing difficulty, wheezing, abdominal pain, confusion, and light-headedness or fainting.

Chronic hives lasts for longer than six weeks and the cause is often unable to be determined. They can be caused by the same sorts of things but in over half the cases are related to the immune system. The causes can also be physical, such as pressure, temperature extremes, exercise, or even anxiety. But even with chronic hives, breathing difficulty may suddenly accompany the hives when it didn’t happen in the past. And as is the case with acute hives, breathing difficulty of any severity needs medical attention because of the possibility you may be experiencing anaphylaxis. Even in chronic cases that have persisted for years, hives breathing difficulty should never be overlooked.

What Is The Connection With Hives And Anaphylaxis

Both conditions involve the release of histamine. Tissues in different body areas release histamine and other substances. The release of histamine directly under the skin results in fluid leaking under the skin, causing the raised, red, sometimes itchy areas known as hives. Breathing becomes difficult when the swelling causes airways to tighten as is the case with anaphylaxis. This can be fatal. Anaphylaxis can happen as the result of exposure to any allergen, many of the same ones that cause hives. Breathing difficulty doesn’t occur in the allergic reaction of hives, and is the main difference between anaphylaxis and urticaria. Anaphylaxis can happen at any time and so can hives. Breathing problems along with it should cause you to seek emergency treatment without delay.

For some with hives, lymphoma comes to mind as a cause. While an urticaria/hives connection is within the realm of possibilities, it is certainly not the first conclusion that should be drawn. The overall risk for lymphoma is low in general. The opposite is true for hives. About one in five people of all ages get an attack of hives. Lymphoma can affect anyone but is much more common in people over 60 years of age. The one common factor with urticaria, hives is a weak immune system. People with a weak immune system make the body more susceptible to hives. Lymphoma susceptibility is increased when the immune system is compromised with HIV/AIDS, for example.

A More Reasoned Approach

First of all determine if your case of hives is acute. This would mean that you haven’t been experiencing them for longer than six weeks. If you haven’t had more than a six week episode, or recurring episodes for more than six weeks, of urticaria, lymphoma shouldn’t yet be on your “worry list”.

Acute hives are more likely to be caused by something like an allergic reaction or exposure to some physical stimuli. If you can find this cause of your hives, lymphoma can be crossed off your list for now. Especially in children, acute hives should probably be considered a reaction of some sort.

If your hives become chronic, lasting for more than six weeks, then you should consider a return trip to discuss other symptoms with your doctor. An immunology specialist is best suited for this, as the cause of hives is very difficult to determine in the majority of cases. In the case that you have a worsening condition of hives, lymphoma can be explored with all the other possibilities. Be sure to report any symptoms like night sweats, or swelling in other areas, particularly the lymph nodes.

Family History Could Play A Part

If people in your family have a history of immune system problems and urticaria, lymphoma chances go up slightly but are still remote. But a family history of immune problems could help you diagnose the cause of the hives. Lymphoma is not proven to be hereditary, but immune system problems with blood relatives may increase your chances of developing both.

Time Is Better Spent Looking For Other Causes

In conclusion, just because you have urticaria, lymphoma should really be pretty far down the list of possible reasons, especially if you are under 60 years old. The overall risk factor is so low and the connection between the two so infrequently documented that worry about this just isn’t warranted. Lymphoma and hives are just not closely related enough.

There are a lot of life’s simple pleasures that we take for granted that suddenly become difficult when dealing with hives. Sleeping is one of them. In fact, for those that wake up in the middle of the night itching with hives, sleeping the rest of the night becomes almost impossible without some sort of relief. There are a couple of reasons that a hives condition may become worse at night or suddenly appear at night.

Keeping A Written Record May Help You Find The Reason

If you’re not sure what is causing your nighttime hives, sleeping can be further impaired by anxiety. It is important to try to figure out the cause. One way is to keep a journal of all your activities from late afternoon until bedtime. Also write down anything you notice at the time you wake up with hives. Sleeping position, room temperature, what you are wearing, any pet that may be in the bed, etc. All of these things may start to show a pattern you can recognize over time.

What Are Some Of The Things That May Cause Hives At Night?

Some things that may be causing your nighttime hives include some of these factors:

• Something you ate just prior to bed or even for dinner
• Stress caused by something that is happening at night or at work
• The kind of pajama or bed linen fabric you are in contact with
• Something in the air you are breathing can cause hives. Sleeping with a pet is a common factor

Pressure Urticaria May Be A Culprit

The medical term for hives is urticaria. One type of hives, or urticaria, is known as pressure hives. This is the result of pressure over a prolonged period on the same area. This prolonged pressure will, after some delay cause hives. Sleeping with an elastic waistband pajama bottom could cause this type of hives. Even the pressure of your body against the mattress could cause this pressure urticaria to appear.

There are a few things you might try at home to get some relief from the hives. Sleeping through the night is important to your healt so until you find the cause, you might try one of these to find some relief:

• Drink a lot of water all day to help your body flush out anything that may be causing a reaction. Try to do it earlier in the day so you aren’t waking up all night to go to the bathroom.
• If you wake up with hives, sleeping with a cool compress against the area may help the inflammation to go down and sooth the itching

Try a cool bath before bed. You might even add some ground oatmeal to the water. Be careful not to make the water too hot, as heat can aggravate hives and make matters worse.

There are many things that can cause hives, swollen lymph nodes to appear. When they happen at the same time an infection should be high on the suspect list. Lymph glands are there to help the body defend against infection. And when they are doing that job, it is normal for the lymph gland or nodes to increase in size. After doing so, they often remain swollen for a considerable length of time.

What Are Lymph Nodes Anyway?

Lymph nodes, or lymph glands, are an important part of the body’s defense system against infection. Infections sometimes result in hives. Swollen lymph nodes would be a normal part of fighting the infection that may be causing the hives. Swollen lymph nodes may be localized or generalized.

There are more than one lymph node areas. In fact, the following are areas where lymph node enlargement can occur.

• Cervical (neck) lymph node enlargement
• Axillary (arm pit) lymph node enlargement
• Epitrochlear lymph node enlargement
• Inguinal (groin) lymph node enlargement
• Femoral lymph node enlargement

It is common for the chest, arm, and neck areas to develop hives. Swollen lymph nodes can be found in those same areas and the causes for both can be the same. Common causes of lymph node enlargement are infections in the head, sinus, ears, eyes, and pharynx.

Could It Be Cancer?

Many people jump first to the conclusion that hives, swollen lymph nodes, and pain can mean cancer. Of all the lymph node area that may become swollen, only the supraclavicular lymph nodes on the left or right side of the clavicle, lateral to where it joins the sternum, could possibly be a symptom of cancer. Most of the time people experience hives, swollen lymph nodes are noticed in the ear and neck area. The hives are usually in the same general neck and ear or top of the chest area. The swelling of these lymph nodes are only enlarged as the result of infections, either local or in the ear canal. Your doctor can help you test any of these areas to alleviate your concern.

When someone is breaking out in hives, throwing up, and itching all over, the most common thought is that they are having an allergic reaction. While this could be the cause, the fact is that hives, especially when they are not a chronic problem, are more often caused by a virus or an infection. With viral hives, throwing up is actually quite common.

Remember that hives are an immune system response and the immune system does respond to hives. In toddlers and children especially, hives, throwing up, and a fever is a pretty good sign that the immune system is trying to fight off a virus. The immune system will release histamine in its attempt to fight off the virus, and that is the cause of the hives. The hives will be extremely itchy, and can remain after the vomiting has subsided. Try some antihistamine medication, either oral or in an ointment. If the fever gets high or the throat begins to swell, medical attention should be sought right away.

Infection Could Be The Culprit

The body’s immune system reacts to infections much the same as a virus. Hives, throwing up, and other symptoms appear in the same way, and are just as bothersome. But with infection induced hives, the symptoms usually appear after the body begins to clear the infection. Even something as common as a cold can cause these symptoms. The vomiting won’t last long in this case, but the hives may persist for a couple weeks. Again, an antihistamine will help alleviate the hives. Hives are difficult to live with for anyone, but to have them even for a couple of days can be difficult to bear. Try to get rid of them before further scratching make the hives worse.

An Allergic Reaction Can Cause Both Hives, Throwing Up To Appear Quickly

If the hives and vomiting seem to come out of nowhere there is a good possibility it is the result of an allergic reaction. In these cases, the symptoms appear quickly and can often disappear just as quickly. The hives can be dealt with the same way, with an antihistamine of some sort, but caution should be taken to be sure it is not a more serious reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency and needs immediate attention.

More than half the cases of hives go undiagnosed and can be very difficult to live with. If you never find the reason but the hives persist, you will need to find a treatment to help you get rid of the hives. It will need to be something more than antihistamines, which are not a long-term solution.

If you break out in hives, chest pain is often another symptom. This can be a frightening experience for anyone.  Hives is known medically as urticaria. Chest pain is not a normal symptom associated with most instances of hives, but it is not all that unusual either. In some cases of urticaria, chest pain can help your physician narrow down the possible cause and make a diagnosis. Reoccurring bouts with hives can be very difficult to live with for anyone. Hives and chest pain is even worse. And probably the worst part is that so many cases go undiagnosed. More than 50 percent of all urticaria is classified as idiopathic, meaning of unknown cause.

Sudden Urticaria, Chest Pain Could Be An Anaphylactic Reaction

Anaphylaxis is a serious situation that requires immediate attention. It often presents with hives, chest pain, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. If you find yourself or someone you’re with experiencing unexplained urticaria, chest pain, and having a hard time breathing, don’t take the time to try to figure out the cause, call 911 without delay.

Allergic Reaction Is A Possibility

Hives, chest pain, and other symptoms can be an allergic reaction to something just ingested or something that the skin has come in contact with. The hives will usually go away in fairly short order and can be relieved with an antihistamine like Benadryl. If you keep on having attacks of hives, or if they become chronic and are lasting longer than 6 weeks, allergies are not the likely culprit. Although not life threatening, there are few conditions more difficult to live with then hives. Chest pain and hives together can become unbearable for anyone and are probably caused by something other than an allergic reaction if they keep coming back.

Could Be A Viral/Bacteria Problem

Most people don’t know that viruses and infections are very often the cause of urticaria. Chest pain will accompany the hives condition in many cases. Tests can be done to verify it but one example of a bacteria that can cause hives is Helicobacter Pylori.

Helicobacter Pylori is a spiral shaped bacteria that was first found in the human stomach in the 1980’s. It has been connected to many gastrointestinal diseases like peptic ulcers, and has been shown to increase the risk of stomach cancer. It is associated with about 80% of all cases of gastric ulcers. The removal of this infection not only helps to heal the ulcers but also symptoms like hives, chest pain, stomach pain, and nausea. You can be tested for this infection and may be surprised that it is a cause of your urticaria. Chest pain and nausea will go away as well and treatment can be effective in 2 – 4 weeks.

Hives, chest pain, and many other symptoms are caused by infection. Don’t overlook this important possibility when trying to diagnose the cause of your hives. It is an immune system response after all, and the answer is usually found in dealing with the immune system for any long-term solution to a hives problem.

Having a hives attack can be miserable enough but the heat of summer makes the condition even worse, and in some cases even causes it. Urticaria (the medical term for hives) is experienced by about 20% of the population. Most urticaria attack causes are never figured out. But that doesn’t make the condition any easier to live with. A hives attack comes on suddenly as the result of the body’s immune system releasing histamine from the skin’s mast cells. The histamine release is a defense mechanism against an enemy; either real or one the immune system thinks is real. This release causes slight swelling and the splotchy, red and raised wheals on the skin. These wheals are the part of the hive attack that causes the misery. They itch, often terribly so. Scratching them makes them even worse. The heat of summer and sweat aggravates these areas even more.

In some cases, the heat is the cause of the urticaria attack. This is known as cholinergic urticaria.

Cholinergic Urticaria Attack – What Is It?

Cholinergic urticaria is a subcategory of physical urticaria. It is a hypersensitive response in the skin as the result of an increase in body temperature, or even the release of sweat. This type of hives attack is obviously more common in the summer months. Some people even refer to it as “heat rash” but a hives attack brought on by heat is more than just a rash.

It is thought that this type of urticaria attack is caused by the breakdown of the mast cells in the skin immediately prior to the release of sweat. This is thought to be caused by the body releasing a chemical called acetycholine.  This somehow triggers an allergic response in the skin. The urticaria attack only occurs upon exposure to heat stimuli of some sort. Usually, just prior to the actual hives attack, the person will feel a stinging or itchy sensation on a certain area of the body. If you know you are prone to this type of hives attack, it may be a good idea to carry an antihistamine medication with you during the summer months, or if you know you are going to be involved in an activity that is likely to result in raising your body temperature, like exercise.

If you do experience a cholinergic urticaria attack, avoid scratching it, as difficult as that may be. It will only make the wheals worse and aggravate the hives.

How To Treat A Heat Related Hives Attack

There is no cure for this type of hives. In fact, it is not even completely understood. The best idea is to avoid the triggers, like exercise, physical activity, hot rooms, or even spicy foods. But during the summer, it is almost impossible to avoid the heat and the resulting hives attack, so carrying around an antihistamine medication is a good idea.

Many times, this type of hives will eventually go away, never to come back. For those lucky enough to have this happen, it may be useful to know that the average length of time that one suffers from cholinergic hives attacks is seven years. But that is a long seven years to deal with the unending itching. Try to work with a doctor or other expert to find a regimen that lessens the frequency of these hives attacks. The answer may lie in a overall healthier immune system.