Hives and stress

Approximately 15% of population is affected by hives at one point in their existence. If many of them seek the advice of their general practitioner, numerous remain at home and try to cure hives with natural remedies or over the counter products purchased from drugstores or on the internet. But hives can appear due to many different causes and stress plays a major role in their occurrence, reason why just using a skin rash treatment might not be enough to deal with it.

The negative effects of stress

Bad effects of stressWe are often under stress, but our bodies are designed to react to it. If in certain situations stress leads to positive outcomes – the adrenaline rushes through our bodies and we experience the so-called “fight or flight” effect, we are alert and ready to avoid danger – in other cases it affects us on various levels. Physical symptoms such as elevated blood pressure, headaches, chest pain, upset stomach, problems sleeping and even hives are also likely to occur when we are very agitated.

Statistics show that almost 43% of all adults suffer because of high stress levels. When we are under pressure, certain hormones are produced at higher rates that normally. Cortisol is one of these chemicals and our body reacts to it as if it would be an allergen. As a consequence, histamine will be released under the skin and urticaria will appear on the body.

Because numerous doctors have come to conclude there is a strong link between mind, immune system and skin, they researched this problem thoroughly and their observations were very surprising. We knew for a while that the nervous system and skin derive from the same embryologic layer, but a link was missing and we did not know how stress can actually trigger the occurrence of skin rash.

Nervousness cause the occurrence of hives

Very stressful events result in the onset of chronic idiopathic urticaria. On the other hand, research proved that relaxation techniques and hypnosis can aid in treatment of chronic skin rash. Considering all these, dermatologists have started to point out their patients that when hives occur, their body tells them that they are overstressed. Doctors now recommend their patients to undergo stress reduction techniques to deal with their issues and reduce hives and anxiety.

External stressors in addition with behavioral, cognitive and social stressors were demonstrated to increase the itchiness and worsen the symptoms of urticaria. Although treatment for this skin condition might offer some relief, dermatologists also recommend relaxation and meditation to those who are affected by skin rash due to high stress levels. Holistic treatments are one of the latest trends in medicine and these scientists might offer the most comprehensive response to patients with frequent skin conditions.

Homeopathic treatments usually treat more than the actual symptoms. They go to the root cause of the problem, block the histamine release and improve relaxation in individuals with urticaria. Even posttraumatic stress was linked to cause chronic hives in certain people. Apart from the usual treatment for skin rash, these patients ought to perform mindfulness meditation to reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and improve their overall well-being.