Reviewed By:
Unnati Patel, MD, MSc (Family Medicine)
Dr.Patel serves as Center Medical Director and a Primary Care Physician at Oak Street Health in Arizona. She graduated from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine prior to working in clinical research focused on preventive medicine at the University of Illinois and the University of Nevada. Dr. Patel earned her MSc in Global Health from Georgetown University, during which she worked with the WHO in Sierra Leone and Save the Children in Washington, D.C. She went on to complete her Family Medicine residency in Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital before completing a fellowship in Leadership in Value-based Care in conjunction with the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, where she earned her MBA. Dr. Patel’s interests include health tech and teaching medical students and she currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
Content updated on Feb 22, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Red rash
Rashes
Itchy
There is a sore on the side
Redness of the skin
Red skin rash all over the body
Feeling stressed
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With a free 3-min Hives (Urticaria) quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
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An itchy, allergic rash with red bumps, also known as "hives". The causes are broad, ranging from foods and medications to viral infections and bee stings. In most cases, the rash disappears within 24 hours, however medical attention is needed if there is facial swelling or breathlessness.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
Treatment usually involves antihistamines to stop the allergic reaction. Severe cases (e.g. swollen lips and eyes or breathlessness) may require emergency medical care. It is important to identify and avoid the cause of the allergy in the future.
Q.
How Can I Tell the Difference between Hives and Eczema by Looking at Pictures?
A.
Hives and eczema are two distinct skin conditions that can appear similar but have different characteristics. Hives are typically raised blotches of red skin that are very itchy and occur all over the body. Eczema, on the other hand, is generally scaly red patches of skin at stereotypical places on the body.
References:
Schettini N, Corazza M, Schenetti C, Pacetti L, Borghi A. Urticaria: A Narrative Overview of Differential Diagnosis. Biomedicines. 2023 Apr 4;11(4):1096. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11041096. PMID: 37189714; PMCID: PMC10136346.
Sohn A, Frankel A, Patel RV, Goldenberg G. Eczema. Mt Sinai J Med. 2011 Sep-Oct;78(5):730-9. doi: 10.1002/msj.20289. PMID: 21913202.
Frazier W, Bhardwaj N. Atopic Dermatitis: Diagnosis and Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2020 May 15;101(10):590-598. PMID: 32412211.
Saini SS, Kaplan AP. Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: The Devil's Itch. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018 Jul-Aug;6(4):1097-1106. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2018.04.013. PMID: 30033911; PMCID: PMC6061968.
https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(18)30290-3/fulltextRadonjic-Hoesli S, Hofmeier KS, Micaletto S, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Bircher A, Simon D. Urticaria and Angioedema: an Update on Classification and Pathogenesis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2018 Feb;54(1):88-101. doi: 10.1007/s12016-017-8628-1. PMID: 28748365.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12016-017-8628-1Maurer M, Fluhr JW, Khan DA. How to Approach Chronic Inducible Urticaria. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018 Jul-Aug;6(4):1119-1130. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2018.03.007. PMID: 30033913.
https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(18)30265-4/fulltextAntia C, Baquerizo K, Korman A, Bernstein JA, Alikhan A. Urticaria: A comprehensive review: Epidemiology, diagnosis, and work-up. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018 Oct;79(4):599-614. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.01.020. PMID: 30241623.
https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(18)30139-7/fulltextSaini S, Shams M, Bernstein JA, Maurer M. Urticaria and Angioedema Across the Ages. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Jun;8(6):1866-1874. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.03.030. Epub 2020 Apr 13. PMID: 32298850.
https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)30329-9/fulltextMale, 30s
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Reviewed By:
Unnati Patel, MD, MSc (Family Medicine)
Dr.Patel serves as Center Medical Director and a Primary Care Physician at Oak Street Health in Arizona. She graduated from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine prior to working in clinical research focused on preventive medicine at the University of Illinois and the University of Nevada. Dr. Patel earned her MSc in Global Health from Georgetown University, during which she worked with the WHO in Sierra Leone and Save the Children in Washington, D.C. She went on to complete her Family Medicine residency in Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital before completing a fellowship in Leadership in Value-based Care in conjunction with the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, where she earned her MBA. Dr. Patel’s interests include health tech and teaching medical students and she currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
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