When your child has hives, it’s important to make sure you find out what might be causing them. Find out more about what causes hives to occur and what kinds of treatments are available for you.
Children can develop hives seemingly out of nowhere. These red bumps on their skin can range in size and last for minutes or even hours. While hives that suddenly appear on your child can be alarming, knowing what to do can help you stay calm and ensure that you receive the right treatment from your local pharmacy.
What Causes Hives?
Children can get these raised blotches for several different reasons. These spots develop when the immune system releases histamines in response to an attack. Common triggers include food allergies, medicine allergies or allergies to dyes or other products. Hives can also develop from the common cold or other viruses, emotional distress or physical pressure such as from scratching. In some cases, hives occur as a chronic problem. Hives can be itchy, or they might produce a burning sensation.
What to Do Next?
If your child breaks out in hives, make note of any other symptoms that are also occurring, such as coughing or other signs of a respiratory virus. You should also think about what your child was eating or doing before the hives showed up. This can help you figure out what might be causing them. Keep in mind that your child can get from hives if you recently changed to a new laundry detergent, shampoo or other product.
If hives don’t go away or if they become worse, you should seek care from your child’s pediatrician. Your child will need emergency care if certain symptoms occur with hives, including vomiting, sleepiness, swollen eyes, swollen lips or wheezing. These symptoms can indicate that your child is having a serious allergic reaction that could become life-threatening.
Treatment for Hives
If you’re able to determine what is causing hives, such as a certain detergent or food, making sure that your child isn’t exposed to the allergen should prevent these bumps from coming back. In the meantime, you can treat itchy or burning hives with calamine lotion, oatmeal baths or aloe vera. These products don’t cause hives to disappear, but they do help relieve itching or burning. Your pediatrician might also recommend non-drowsy antihistamines for children.
You can find treatment and products for hives at the Smith-Caldwell Drug Store. Our pharmacists would be happy to assist you with choosing an over-the-counter oral antihistamine, a topical antihistamine, or a steroidal cream as needed. Questions to ask a pharmacist about treatments for hives at SmithCaldwell include whether they’re safe to use on children and whether they might cause any side effects. Keep in mind that over-the-counter ointments or creams that contain hydrocortisone can soothe hives, but make sure that they’re safe to use on children.
If your child needs treatment for hives, please contact Smith-Caldwell Drug Store at (501) 392-5470 to talk to one of our pharmacists. We can help you find the right product you need for your child suffering from hives.
