These Are The Foods To Avoid When Experiencing Hives
Hives are red, itchy bumps that appear on the skin. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), about 20 percent of people develop urticaria or hives during their lifetime. If you are one of them, of course, you want to find a way to keep those annoying skin problems from coming back.
In order to prevent hives from recurring, you need to know the cause first. Most cases of hives are caused by an allergic reaction triggered by certain foods. Therefore, knowing what foods to avoid during hives is important so that you overcome and control the disease.
Foods to Avoid during Hives
The Sherwood Forest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which is a combination of three hospitals in Nottinghamshire, UK, has developed guidelines on foods to avoid to prevent hives. Most of these prohibited foods are high in histamine and tyramine, which can trigger hives to recur or make the rash worse.
Here are histamine-rich foods that should be avoided when experiencing hives:
- Cooked cheese, especially parmesan and blue cheese.
- Alcohol, especially red wine.
- Pickled and canned food.
- Smoked meat products, such as salami.
- Certain fish, tuna, sardines, salmon, anchovy fillets.
- Fermented food products.
- Shellfish.
- Nuts.
- Vinegar.
- Foods with preservatives and artificial coloring.
- Alcoholic beverages.
Apart from foods rich in histamine, you need to avoid foods that can release the following histamine:
- Mostly citrus fruits.
- Tomato
- Chocolate.
- Fruits.
- Nuts.
While foods rich in tyramine need to be avoided during hives include:
- Preserved, smoked or aged food products, such as cheese and meat.
- Beer
- Leavened product.
- Soy products, such as tofu, miso, and bean curd.
High histamine levels play a big role in triggering hives. That is why many sufferers are able to overcome these skin problems by taking antihistamine drugs.
However, for the 40 percent of people who don't respond to antihistamines, trying to avoid histamine-rich foods while hives can also be an effective way to treat the disease.
In a recent study, 22 people with chronic urticaria restricted foods high in histamine for 4 weeks. As a result, there was a statistically significant reduction in the severity of the participants' urticaria. Blood samples from patients in the same study also showed that their blood levels of histamine also decreased after four weeks on the antihistamine diet.
How to Control Hives
If you have chronic hives, you can reduce or avoid the above foods altogether and see if your symptoms improve. ACCAI also recommends that you get tested by an allergist who may also be able to recommend medications to prevent hives.
However, even if your food allergy test results are negative, there is still the possibility that you are hypersensitive or intolerant to certain foods. Pseudoallergens, such as food additives, histamine, and natural substances in fruits, herbs, and vegetables can also cause actual allergic reactions, including hives. Therefore, pseudo allergens are also foods that should be avoided when hives.
If avoiding foods rich in histamine, tyramine, and pseudo allergens is not effective in treating or preventing hives you are experiencing, it is possible that your hives are caused by other triggers, such as antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen, and insect bites or stings.
Other factors that can cause hives include cold, heat, exercise, allergies to latex, blood transfusions, bacterial or viral infections, pet dander, and pollen.
Apart from avoiding the trigger foods above, you can also treat hives by taking medications. Contact the doctor through the Halodoc application to ask for recommendations for hives, then buy the medicine and just order via the application. Come on, download the Halodoc application now to get the most complete health solutions easily.