Hive Allergy - Water Hive

Like many other forms of hives, some people mistakenly portray water hive as a hive allergy; however, it is not due to the release of histamine, which makes it unique. It causes an extremely painful reaction to the body of the patient upon contact with water. Let us discuss these two types of hives in detail.

What actually happens in hive allergy is that when the patient comes in contact with an allergen, it triggers the release of histamine and other chemicals in the skin. Hives food allergies are a common type of allergic hive. This causes allergic symptoms on the skin like itching, swelling, and redness. As with any other solution for allergies, for hive allergy it is equally important to avoid the allergens.

Water hive is a rare condition in which hives can develop within 1 to 15 minutes after you come in contact with water. It can appear in response to water at both cold and hot temperatures. These hives usually last for 10 to 120 minutes and do not seem to be caused by histamine release like the other types of physical hives. Most experts believe that this condition is actually caused by skin hypersensitivity to additives in the water such as chlorine. Water hives is usually diagnosed by applying tap water and distilled water to the skin and observing the reaction.

Water hive usually causes the skin to itch and burn after being exposed to water. Hives may also develop on the patient's skin in the form of itchy, raised bumps. The patient may feel pain, which may last between 10 minutes to two hours. Taking a shower may result in soreness and extremely dry eyes. Usually, contact with hot water tends to expedite the formation of hives. The patient may feel out of breath or experience swelling in the throat while drinking water.

The most common treatment for water hive is a cream called capsaicin (Zostrix). This cream is applied to the affected area of the skin. Although there is no proven treatment for water hives yet, dermatologists recommend staying out of water of any kind as much as possible. The patient should take short showers, stay cool, and avoid rain to help relieve suffering. Several over-the-counter medications are also available for momentary relief from itching.