What are the different kinds of hives?
Ordinary hives Symptoms of ordinary hives Causes of ordinary hives Physical hives • What is the treatment for hives? • Conclusion • Patient Discussions: Hives – Describe Your Experience • Hives Glossary • Hives Index What are the different kinds of hives? Almost all hives fall into two categories: ordinary urticaria (ordinary hives) and physical urticaria (physical hives). Ordinary urticaria (ordinary hives) Symptoms of ordinary hives Ordinary hives flare up suddenly and usually for no specific reason. Welts appear, often in several places. They flare, itch, swell, and go away in a matter of minutes to hours, only to appear elsewhere. This sequence may go on from days to weeks. Most episodes of hives last less than six weeks. Although that cutoff point is arbitrary, hives that last more than six weeks are often called “chronic.” Causes of ordinary hives As noted above, many cases of ordinary hives are “idiopathic,” meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections.
