Can Stress Cause Hives?

Chronic stress can cause many things to go awryperspiration...from the skin.
with the body, including hives.Yes. Aside from environmental influences that may
From a physiological perspective, the stress response,trigger the stress response, hives have also been
or the "fight or flight" response, is actually a verylinked as a reaction to emotional stress.
fascinating part of how our brain functions.When stressed, the body naturally releases a cascade
The fight or flight response is the automatic alertof hormones to prepare the body for fight or flight.
system of our brain and its main function is to help usEach hormone has its own function on that survival
survive...to protect us. This system gets activated inmission. For reasons less unknown, in some people,
response to a stressor. Its stress response is thethere are too many stress chemicals and hormones
bodies way of adapting to something that hasreleased and it creates a hormone imbalance.
happened...a way to adapt to the stressors of life.It is that hormone imbalance that can create stress
The stress response is a response to a stressor.hives.
Hives are usually experienced as red or white bumpsWhen the cascade of hormones subsides...or, the body
on top of the skin, itchy, or a sting. What is knowncomes back into balance...the hives disappear.
about hives is that they usually appear suddenly, butThere are many unknowns as to why emotional
how long they last is less certain. Some hivesstress can cause hives. It is theorized that hives from
disappear just as quickly as they appeared, and someemotional stress are linked to the negative effects that
may last for weeks.stress has on the immune system of the body.
Just as with many conditions that are brought on byOften the specific cause of hives cannot be identified,
chronic stress, most people do not realize that our skinand the remedies can vary from person to person.
is an organ. And, its basic job is to protect us fromRegardless of the stressor that has triggered your
environmental stressors like bacteria and infection. Forhives, a good suggestion is to practice whatever
many, hives are an allergic reaction to somethingstress relaxation techniques work best for you.
experienced in the environment.Bringing the body back into balance can also facilitate
One reason skin sweats is to eliminate toxins...throughhealing and help to reduce hives.