Hives Treatment for Children

If your son has developed hives on a regular basis over the last few months then it is may be due to an allergic reaction. To try to find out what the offending allergen is, you should note down the foods your son has eaten or drunk prior to the hives appearing.

Foods that have been known to cause hives include:

Peanuts
Eggs
Shellfish
Nuts
Tomatoes
Chocolates
Milk
Fresh berries
Soy
Wheat
Fish

Fresh foods cause hives more often than cooked foods. In addition, certain medications have also been known to cause hives. They include:

Penicillin
Sulfa drugs
Aspirin
Anticonvulsant drugs
Phenobarbital
NSAIDs such as ibuprofen
Painkillers such as codeine

If you can pinpoint any foods that seem to result in hives then you should discontinue those foods. If you find that the hives are a result of a drug allergy then ask your doctor to prescribe an alternate medication.

Apart from food and drug allergies, hive may be caused by:

Scratching or continually stroking the skin
Tight fitting clothes that cause the rub the skin
Cold air, water or exposure to the sun

Diagnosing the exact cause of hives can be a time consuming effort since many times there is no apparent cause. Your doctor will have to come up with a special treatment plan based on your son’s age, medical history and overall health. Certain medications such as antihistamines (hydroxyzine, diphenhydramine and cetrizine) may be prescribed, but these will only provide symptomatic relief and may make your child drowsy.

Treatment for hives at home will aim to provide some relief. Apart from avoiding known allergens in the diet, you can try to apply calamine lotion or a mixture of baking soda and water to the affected areas. Immersing your son in a cold water bath may also help. Alternatively, you can try putting an ice pack over the hives.

Reference:

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID=P01688

answered by A S

Keep a little diary, with symptoms and foods, clothes, etc. so you can begin to identify patterns. It may be contact dermatitis from laundry detergent, food sensitivities, candida, etc. Try some oral probiotics to decrease his immune reaction, and consult a trained health care practitioner to help identify the cause. If it is a prescription medication it simply pushes the problem deeper, and then it reappears. So, treating the cause is necessary.

answered by Dr K B N

My son 6 yrs has severe hives at least once or twice/week for last 5 months. Docs have been no help.What is the cause? Medication works for short time. He is miserable.