What Is Urticaria
Urticaria, also known as hives, is a skin rash characterized by raised itchy bumps that are pale red in color. Often, these are caused by allergic reactions due to foods, medications, and other triggers. Still, there are also some cases when hives are not caused by allergic reactions but by underlying medical conditions.
The duration of the urticaria will often depend upon the underlying cause. For instance, if the patient quickly develops urticaria after eating certain foods or was exposed to known triggers such as pollens, then he or she could be having an acute urticaria. This often lasts for a few hours though it could also last for weeks.
Home Remedies For Urticaria (Hives)
Getting rid of these welts and bumps can be done at home with a little bit of help from natural remedies. These remedies consist of herbal and other ingredients that the patient can either find in a health food store or in his or her own home.
- Soaking in a tub of lukewarm water with a half cup of cornstarch and a half cup of baking soda mixed in. This will help ease some of the itchiness and help make the red welts disappear from the skin. Rinse off and towel dry after soaking for half an hour in this solution. Do not rub the skin, instead, pat dry.
- Oatmeal and cornstarch mixed together can also work as a remedy for welts. What the patient needs to do is to mix together a couple of cups of oatmeal and 3 tbsp of cornstarch. Make a paste out of this by adding a bit of water. Use this paste to cover the welts that the patient has and let sit for half an hour or so. Wash this off with some clean water.
- Aloe vera is also useful for treating hives. Use a fresh leaf of the plant and squeeze out the sticky liquid from it. With the use of a cotton ball, dab the welts with this sticky liquid.
- Mix 2 tsp of turmeric powder in 1 cup of water. Mix thoroughly and drink this daily.
- Mix 25 ml apple cider vinegar and 35 ml rose water. Apply this mixture on the affected areas.