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Pinpointing The Source Of Hives And Other Allergic Outbreaks

Large, red, itchy, and inflamed allergic patches of skin, otherwise known as hives, can appear when you're under a tremendous amount of stress. Hives might also come as a result of exposure to an unknown substance that you are seriously allergic to. They can take a few days or just a couple of hours to dissipate, but once you experience them once, you will never want to have an outbreak of hives again. Making a prompt appointment with an allergy specialist like those at The Regional Allergy Asthma & Immunology Center, PC is likely your best chance of pinpointing the cause of your allergic outbreak and preventing hives. Here's precisely how an allergy specialist can suss out the cause of your serious allergic reaction and prevent irritating hives from appearing on your body again.

Are Your Hive Outbreaks Related To Allergies?

If you have been breaking out in hives, you should tell your allergy specialist if there is anything new going on in your life. Although allergies to food, animals, or even chemicals could be causing you to break out in hives, stress is another common reason for sudden outbreaks. Lots of situations in life that that you don't particularly think are stressful can be the real cause of hives, such as starting a new job or even having guests stay at your home for several weeks. In the end, if your allergy specialist doesn't suspect stress as the culprit, more testing can be done.

Allergy Skin Tests

To find out if a patient has an allergy to a certain type of food or other substance, allergy skin prick tests can be performed right in the office. You will need to sit tight for about an hour as your allergy specialist tests you for a multitude of potential substances that could be causing your allergic rashes. You'll them wait to see if a controlled adverse reaction can be triggered. This type of testing will only cause momentary and minor discomfort, and you won't be at risk of enduring yet another outbreak of hives as your allergy specialist will have a number of fast-acting antihistamines on hand.

Ordering Blood Tests

Blood testing is also typically ordered when someone has been experiencing severe hives. Your blood will be measured for high concentrations of antibodies that usually indicate highly specific allergic reactions. Once your allergy specialist has a good idea of what you could possibly be having allergic reactions to, additional testing can be ordered and you will quickly be able to avoid the primary cause of your hives.


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