• Hives (Urticaria)
• What Is It? & Symptoms
• Diagnosis & Expected Duration
• Prevention & Treatment
• More Info

What Is It?

Hives, also called urticaria, are circumscribed swellings on the skin that often are itchy. Often they are pink or red, but they don't have to be. Hives happen when the cells in the skin called mast cells release histamine, a chemical that causes tiny blood vessels (capillaries) to leak fluid. When this leaking fluid accumulates in the skin, it forms the swellings that we recognize as hives.

Hives can be triggered by physical factors such as heat, cold, exercise, sunlight, stress,...