Hives are itchy raised weals that appear and fade within hours, often in different places. Most episodes are short-lived; chronic hives can last months but are usually well controlled with daily antihistamines.
Reviewed September 2026 · For information, not diagnosis
Use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one (into the outer thigh), then call 112. Lie down with legs raised, or sit up if breathing is hard. A second dose can be given after 5 minutes if there is no improvement. Antihistamines and remedies are not treatments for anaphylaxis.
Hives (urticaria, also called nettle rash or sheetpitti) happen when mast cells in the skin release histamine. This causes weals: raised, itchy bumps or patches, pink or red on lighter skin and skin-coloured or slightly darker on brown skin. Each weal fades within 24 hours without a mark, while new ones may appear elsewhere.
About half of people with hives also get angioedema: deeper swelling of the lips, eyelids, hands or feet that can last up to three days. Angioedema on its own, without hives, can have other causes, including blood-pressure medicines called ACE inhibitors (such as ramipril and enalapril) and a rare inherited condition, and should be checked by a doctor.
| Acute hives | Chronic hives | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Less than 6 weeks | Most days for 6 weeks or more |
| Common causes | Viral infections (especially in children), foods, medicines such as NSAIDs and antibiotics, insect stings; often no cause found | Usually spontaneous, driven by the immune system itself. Some are inducible by pressure, scratching, cold, heat, sweating or sunlight |
| Role of allergy tests | Useful if a food or sting is suspected | Rarely helpful; chronic hives are seldom caused by food allergy |
| Outlook | Settles within days to weeks | Often lasts months to a few years, then goes |
For chronic hives a doctor may check a blood count, inflammation markers and thyroid antibodies. Hives that last more than 24 hours in one spot, leave bruising, burn rather than itch, or come with fever and joint pains need further tests.
A homeopath notes whether the weals burn or sting, what brings them on, whether cold or heat helps, and the person’s general make-up, and chooses a remedy.
Using homeopathy safely with hives
There are no good-quality controlled trials showing that homeopathic remedies control acute or chronic urticaria.
More broadly, the largest independent assessment — the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s 2015 review of 176 studies — found no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition, and advised against using it for conditions that are chronic, serious or could become serious. People often do feel better after a long, unhurried homeopathic consultation; in one controlled trial in rheumatoid arthritis, the benefit came from the consultation rather than the remedy.
In practice: if you choose homeopathy, use it alongside the care described on this page, not instead of it — and tell each practitioner what the other has prescribed. More on the research →
These are the traditional descriptions (“keynotes”) from the homeopathic materia medica, listed so you recognise names a practitioner may mention. They are not evidence that a remedy works and not a guide to self-treatment. Homeopaths choose one remedy for the whole person rather than by diagnosis.
Described for pink, puffy, stinging swellings that feel better for cold applications.
Described for burning, itchy blotches, as after shellfish or nettle contact.
Described for hives brought on by damp or cold, with restlessness.
Described for hives after exertion or sun, with a reserved temperament.
Described for hives brought on by cold, damp weather.
Traditionally described for hives with liver complaints.
Described for recurrent itching made worse by warmth of bed.
Described for hives on waking or after bathing.
If you would like to try homeopathy, see a registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or MD (Hom)) who will take a full history, knows your other treatment and will tell you when you need a medical specialist. Take your prescriptions and recent test reports with you.
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This page is general information, reviewed September 2026. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. In an emergency in India call 112 (ambulance 108).
