Your Answers To: Is Hives Contagious?

First, let’s get to know what hives are to get a better idea of its nature. Basically, hives are an indication that the entire body is having a hypersensitivity response. Hives develop when the body’s capillaries and very small veins are leaking. Fluid coming out of some of these blood vessels become enclosed in areas of the skin and lining membranes, resulting in localized swelling. The seepage can be triggered by the usual allergic response wherein histamine encourages an inflammatory reaction—the reaction results in those red, slightly raised areas on the skin. Now let’s answer the question: is hives contagious?

Skin diseases are generally contagious. However, one must realize that hives are NOT a disease, but typically an allergic reaction or indication of an underlying condition or illness. So are hives contagious? The answer is no, they are NOT contagious, even if they appear as though they are a skin disease due to there physical characteristics.

Hives are typically an allergic response that is triggered by various allergens, wherein cases differ from one person to another. Common triggers include foods (particularly shell fish, tomatoes, egg, nuts, and milk), certain drugs, insect bites and pollen. Other triggers that are also quite common include sweating, exposure to extreme temperatures, and stress.

Many people ask are hives contagious because they seem to spread from one area of the body to another. While this may be so, they cannot be spread from one person to the next. Hives may have triggers that can be contagious, but the condition itself is not contagious.