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Suggest Treatment For Hives On The Body

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Posted on Wed, 3 Aug 2016
Question: I have a fous year old son. Today we took him out to his first teeball practice game and half way through the game he was crying and scratching what looks like hives. we reasently moved to a new house because our previous home was infested with something that we still don't know what it was but at the time it didn't affect any but me. we made the mistake of bringing our mattresses with os instead of buying new ons. well now its back and it seems to be this thing my son and wife are now reacting to. i gave him benadryl and he seems better. what do yoi suggest i do. today we bought new mattresses.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (42 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Hives.

Detailed Answer:
Hello -

I looked at the picture you uploaded and it does like hives (urticaria). Benadryl (oral) is the thing to give, and you may need to keep giving it to him every 6-8 hours until this reaction is over. If he responded well to the Benadryl that's good. If the hives get worse in spite of the Benadryl, you may need to take him in to see a doctor for a short course of a corticosteroid such as prednisone.

It's not clear if the reaction was from the mattresses as he never reacted to his mattress before. That doesn't preclude new allergic reactions from happening. It just makes the situation unclear.

Did you have a specific rash at the old house, like bug bites, or was it urticaria like your son now has? Is your wife's rash like this too or something else?

I imagine you did many things with your old house to try to eliminate whatever was troubling you. As we don't know what is setting your son off, it is hard to know how extensively to take action. You can wait another day and see if the hives start to resolve. Things to consider are washing clothing and bedding in hot water (140 degrees), steam cleaning furniture and rugs (don't rent one because some of them are contaminated with nasty stuff, covering stuffed animals in plastic bags for a week. When you get your new mattresses, if the problems are still going on, encase them so that whatever might be elsewhere doesn't invade them. If you have pets, bathe them and don't allow them in bedrooms.

Hives are usually caused either by something ingested, or by contact exposures, not by allergens that are breathed in. Sometimes viruses can set hives off too.

I do hope whatever you left at your old house has not followed you and given your son these hives. You have my sympathy here. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (37 minutes later)
Its been about two hours since we gave him the childrens benadryl and the hives seem to be going away. today was the first time its gotten this bad. he also woke up with a fever this morning..on another note i dont really think our rashes looked the same at least not the reaction he had this afternoon but if you look at the pictures of his elbow that does look like what i had but mine was all over my back and waistline.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (25 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Hives.

Detailed Answer:
The picture isn't very clear, but I think I see a bite on his arm? Not sure what I'm looking at there.

People can have different rashes to the same thing. An urticarial rash (hives) is caused, in part, by histamine release and so it usually indicates a hypersensitivity to something.

You wrote that today was the first time his hives had gotten this bad. He has had hives before?

If he woke up with a fever this morning, and if this is the first time he's had hives, it could be related to a virus.

If the fever recurs or continues, please take him in to a pediatrician to see if the source can be figured out.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (1 hour later)
Thank you very much.. We're planning on taking him to see his pediatrician tomorrow morning..
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (13 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Have a good night.

Detailed Answer:
That sounds like a good plan. And I'm glad he is more comfortable tonight.

I welcome hearing how he (and your family are doing) after he is seen.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (42 hours later)
Well we took our son to see his Dr and turns out he had strap throght and swimmers ear.. the hives i don't know but since we got his new bed theyve gone away.. thanks for your advice
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Thank you for the follow up

Detailed Answer:
Thank you so very much for the follow up. I'm glad he was diagnosed and also that his hives resolved. Strep throat can give a scarletinaform rash (Scarlet Fever) but this looked like hives. I am glad his new bed resolved the problem.

Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (22 minutes later)
thank you very much.. very well appreciated
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (22 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Have a good night.

Detailed Answer:
I'm glad to help when I can.

Just so you know, our discussion can only be ended by you (I need to respond when ever written to). So I'll close from my end.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1991

Answered : 3133 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Hives On The Body

Brief Answer: Hives. Detailed Answer: Hello - I looked at the picture you uploaded and it does like hives (urticaria). Benadryl (oral) is the thing to give, and you may need to keep giving it to him every 6-8 hours until this reaction is over. If he responded well to the Benadryl that's good. If the hives get worse in spite of the Benadryl, you may need to take him in to see a doctor for a short course of a corticosteroid such as prednisone. It's not clear if the reaction was from the mattresses as he never reacted to his mattress before. That doesn't preclude new allergic reactions from happening. It just makes the situation unclear. Did you have a specific rash at the old house, like bug bites, or was it urticaria like your son now has? Is your wife's rash like this too or something else? I imagine you did many things with your old house to try to eliminate whatever was troubling you. As we don't know what is setting your son off, it is hard to know how extensively to take action. You can wait another day and see if the hives start to resolve. Things to consider are washing clothing and bedding in hot water (140 degrees), steam cleaning furniture and rugs (don't rent one because some of them are contaminated with nasty stuff, covering stuffed animals in plastic bags for a week. When you get your new mattresses, if the problems are still going on, encase them so that whatever might be elsewhere doesn't invade them. If you have pets, bathe them and don't allow them in bedrooms. Hives are usually caused either by something ingested, or by contact exposures, not by allergens that are breathed in. Sometimes viruses can set hives off too. I do hope whatever you left at your old house has not followed you and given your son these hives. You have my sympathy here. Please let me know if I can provide further information.