Learn Why Can Stress Cause Hives and How You Can Heal Them Naturally

If you are stressed out (and who isn't these days), can stress cause hives? The answer is an amazing yes! Our skin is the largest and most sensitive organ in the human body. It easily detects hormonal changes and imbalances, and these changes can often be caused by stress.

Stress is only one of the things that can cause hives. There are many other factors that play a role in hives as well. Many people are affected by hives. In fact, research shows that 15 to 20% of all people will break out in hives at some point in their lifetime.

Sometimes when people think of hives they think of a break out on the face; however hives can present themselves at any place on the human body. Most often hives are small (only a few millimeters in size) however, hives can grow to be over a foot in diameter. Yikes!!

Often time’s hives are very uncomfortable for the person who is experiencing them. Hives are itchy. They also burn and sometimes sting. This can be a very unpleasant experience. The only upside to hives is that they tend to go away quickly, sometimes within a few hours.

There are several factors that can cause a person to break out in stress hives. Why can stress cause hives? To be honest, finding the true cause of hives can be quite difficult.

One of the best ways to find out what causes hives is to learn about the different types of hives, including hives caused by stress.

Types of Hives

• Ordinary Hives appear suddenly. Most of the time the person who gets them has no idea why. These are red, swollen itchy places that can show up almost anywhere on your body. Most of the time they fade quickly within a few hours, but sometimes they can take a few weeks or even longer to completely go away!
• Physical Hives are caused by something in your environment that irritates the skin like chemicals, overexposure to the sun, pressure on the skin, scratching, or excessive exposure to extreme temperatures. Physical hives cause over 10% of chronic hives outbreaks. Most often they are caused by extreme temperatures and water. They can also be caused by deodorants, pets, and perfumes.
• Acute Hives appear suddenly and usually disappear quickly, and are often the result of being exposed to an allergy producing food or substance.
• Chronic Hives can last for weeks at a time, or even years and it is not known exactly what causes them yet. In fact, 50% of all people with chronic hives never figure out what caused their hives. One study found that 75% of people with chronic hives will have them for more than a year! It is thought that chronic hives may be related to immune system disorders, thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances, infections or candida overgrowth.

What Causes Hives?

Why can stress cause hives? Our bodies have a miraculous and very complex system of hormones that are activated when we are under stress. When the stress becomes chronic, this can cause hormonal imbalances which have a number of effects on the body, including skin inflammation.

Ordinary hives can be caused by foods. Often when a person develops hives from a food, it is because they did not know they were allergic to it. Sometimes people develop a food allergy later in life. It is important that you don't rule out a food allergy just because you have eaten that food in the past. Berries, fish, chocolate, milk and nuts are common food allergies.

Ordinary hives can also be caused from other factors such as new medications, infections and insect bites. If you are getting hives consistently it is important that you contact your doctor or health practitioner who can help you figure out the best course of treatment for your hives.

There are many hives treatments that your doctor may recommend, but if your hives still do not clear up, there are many new natural hives treatment options including home remedies that can help you stop your hives outbreaks.