By Dr. Ashish Dungrani · Published: 16 November 2025 · Updated: 23 October 2026 Medically reviewed by Dr. Ashish Dungrani, M.D. (EH), BHMS, PGDEMS (Mumbai) – Consultant Homoeopathic Physician and Allergy Specialist
Please note: Results vary from person to person. Please don’t stop any prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor.
Have you noticed sudden red, raised, itchy rashes on your skin? You might have urticaria, commonly known as hives (or શીળસ, “Shilas”, in Gujarati).
At Allergy Cure Clinic in Surat, we see many patients struggling with these uncomfortable welts. Understanding what’s behind them is the first step to managing them. In this guide to urticaria causes and symptoms (and hives causes), I explain what urticaria is, what triggers it, and how it can be managed.
What Is Urticaria (Hives)?
Urticaria is a skin reaction that causes red, itchy welts. They can be small spots or large patches. It is not contagious, so you can’t catch it from someone or give it to anyone.
Why it itches
When your body meets a trigger, your immune system releases a chemical called histamine. This makes tiny blood vessels leak fluid, which collects under the skin and creates the raised rash, called a “wheal”.
Urticaria Causes and Triggers (શીળસ થવાનું કારણ)
Triggers vary a lot from person to person. Common ones we see at our Surat clinic include:
- Foods: nuts, shellfish, eggs, strawberries, wheat products and food additives
- Medicines: some antibiotics (such as penicillin) and painkillers (such as aspirin and ibuprofen)
- Environment: extreme heat or cold, sunlight, or sudden temperature changes
- Infections: colds, viral infections or intestinal parasites
- Physical triggers: pressure on the skin (tight clothes), scratching or insect bites
- Stress: high stress can trigger or worsen flare-ups
In some long-lasting cases, no outside trigger is found, and the cause is linked to the body’s own immune response.
Acute vs Chronic Urticaria: The Two Main Types
Knowing the type of urticaria is the first step to the right treatment.
1. Acute urticaria (short-term)
- Lasts less than 6 weeks
- Usually caused by a reaction to a food, medicine or insect bite
- Diagnosis: a clinical assessment, and an IgE blood test if needed, can help identify the trigger
- Management: once the trigger is found, avoiding it usually helps prevent it from coming back
2. Chronic urticaria (long-term)
- Lasts more than 6 weeks
- Allergy tests alone may not find the cause
- The doctor may recommend further checks to look for underlying health issues.
Home Care Tips
These tips can help ease the itching at home:
- Avoid scratching: it makes the swelling worse.
- Cool down: use a cool compress, take a lukewarm oatmeal bath, or rest in a cool room. Heat makes the itch worse.
- Wear loose clothes: light, loose cotton avoids pressure on your skin.
- Watch your diet during flare-ups: limit high-histamine foods like fermented items, processed meats, chocolate and strawberries.
- Use mild products: soaps and lotions made for sensitive skin.
Home care can ease discomfort, but it doesn’t replace a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
When to See a Doctor
If your hives last more than a few days, or keep coming back, it’s time to see a doctor. If your rash is dry and patchy rather than raised welts, read about skin allergy.
Watch for angioedema: deeper swelling of the eyelids, lips, tongue or throat that can come with hives.
Get emergency help right away if you have swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or feel faint. Call 108 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
At Allergy Cure Clinic, Dr. Ashish Dungrani offers:
- Careful diagnosis: clinical assessment and IgE blood testing when needed, to find your triggers
- Immunotherapy: non-steroidal treatment that aims to reduce how strongly your body reacts
- Personal care: a plan made around your history and triggers
Learn more about our urticaria treatment in Surat.
Results vary from person to person.
About the author: Dr. Ashish Dungrani is the Founder and Lead Allergy Specialist at Allergy Cure Clinic, Surat, with 12+ years of allergy care. M.D. (EH), BHMS, PGDEMS (Mumbai) – Consultant Homoeopathic Physician and Allergy Specialist. Meet the doctor
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Related: Urticaria (Hives) treatment | Skin Allergy and Dermatitis