What are some common foods that can cause hives? The most common foods that can cause hives if you are allergic include milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanut, and tree nuts.
Symptoms of Food Allergies
Hives are raised pink bumps with pale centers (welts). They look like bug bites. Life-threatening allergic reactions also must have trouble breathing and/or swallowing. The medical name for this is anaphylaxis.
The three most common food intolerances are lactose, a sugar found in milk, casein, a protein found in milk, and gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley.
Food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives or swollen airways.
Hives occur in the skin and are common
In most cases, hives are not due to allergy.
What causes hives? An allergic reaction usually triggers hives, but they can also be caused by other situations such as stress, anxiety, or exercise. Hives are a reaction to the release of mast cells into the bloodstream, which unleashes the chemical histamine.
Acute hives are often an allergic reaction to something you put into your body, like food, drink or medication, or something that you touch. The skin has immune cells called mast cells. When these cells go into action, they release chemicals, including one called histamine. Histamine is the reason that hives form.
As with reactions to other foods, the symptoms of a wheat allergy may include: Hives or skin rash. Nausea, stomach cramps, indigestion, vomiting or diarrhea.
These include stomach pain, bloating, gas/flatulence, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), rashes, hives (urticaria), recurrent mouth ulcers or headaches. If food intolerances are not properly managed, these symptoms can adversely affect general health and wellbeing.
Food intolerances affect your digestive system. People who suffer from an intolerance, or sensitivity, can't break down certain foods. They develop gas, diarrhea and other problems.
Food allergies can cause life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. Signs of an anaphylactic reaction include shock, rapid heart rate, swollen mouth and throat, difficulty breathing, severe and sudden drop in blood pressure, and dizziness.
A sudden onset of hives (acute hives) usually has an identifiable cause or trigger — such as insect stings or bites, medications, certain foods, allergens, or infections. Acute hives go away within a few weeks and are usually effectively treated with antihistamines.
Sensitivities or allergies can develop to certain foods as a result of the impaired gut barrier. This can cause symptoms such as hives, rashes, acne as well as GI discomfort. Your gastrointestinal lining is the first barrier of defense and 70% of your immune system lies within your GI tract.
"Stress hives typically look like swollen little mosquito bites," Rachel Nazarian, MD, a New York-based dermatologist said to Health. "They're slightly raised, swollen red or pink patches on the skin, but depending on your skin tone they might look a little different."
The most common cause of hives is infections. Foods such as eggs, nuts and shellfish are common causes of urticaria. Medications such as aspirin and antibiotics (especially penicillin and sulfa) also are common causes of hives. Infections causing hives include the common cold, and other viral infections.
A person can use a cold compress as often as necessary. Bathing in an anti-itch solution: Oatmeal and baking soda baths can soothe skin and reduce irritation. Adding witch hazel to a bath is another effective home remedy. Applying aloe vera: The healing properties of aloe vera may soothe and reduce hives.
Dermatitis herpetiformis looks like a cluster of itchy bumps on a patch of discolored skin (rash). These bumps can be darker than your natural skin tone or red to purple. Blisters can also form on your skin. Blisters are circular, often fluid-filled lumps on the surface of your skin.
Seek emergency medical care. Chronic hives do not put you at sudden risk of a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If you get hives as part of a severe allergic reaction, seek emergency care. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include dizziness, trouble breathing, and swelling of the tongue, lips, mouth or throat.
Viral infections are the main cause of hives in children. Influenza, mononucleosis (“mono”), RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), the common cold, urinary tract infections, and many other viruses can cause hives in children and adults. We now know that COVID-19 is also a virus that causes hives in some patients.
Adult-onset allergies can occur seemingly out of nowhere due to exposure to new allergens in the environment, family history and changes in the immune system. The most common food allergies in adults are peanuts, fish, shellfish such as shrimp, lobster and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews).
Hives usually are caused by other things besides infection, although it could be from a virus. It could be from an allergen, or some sort of an allergy that you have. It could be from a hormonal change. And it even could be emotional in some situations.