Skip the Side Effects with Drug-Free Help for Hives Treatment.

Hives are red bumps on your skin that are so maddeningly itchy that you'd do just about anything to prevent another attack.

Prescription medications such as antihistamines and cortisone are very effective at  hives treatment, but they also can cause side effects. Antihistamines can make you drowsy, and cortisone can cause a wide range of body-damaging reactions. Cortisone is particularly damaging if you have chronic hives (episodes that last more than 6 weeks) and need to take the drug on a regular basis."I believe you need symptomatic relief for hives that is natural and free of side effects," says Jacqueline Krohn, M.D., a physician in New Mexico. "And, what's more important, you need to discover the cause of the hives so you can eliminate the problem."

Discovering the cause of hives can be difficult, and your best bet is to work with an allergist who can help you pinpoint the possible trigger. Even so, there's plenty that you can do on your own to relieve the symptoms. Here's what alternative experts suggest.

HYDROTHERAPY: Stop a Hive Attack
When triggered by an allergen, mast cells in your immune system release a chemical called histamine, which causes hives. Taking a very warm shower (as warm as you can tolerate without it being painful) also triggers the release of histamine. Once it has all been released, the itching stops, and it takes several hours for the body to make more histamine which means no more hives.

"Taking this kind of shower for 10 to 15 minutes 'degranulates' all the mast cells, which means there's no more histamine, and your itching will be relieved," says Bradley Bongiovanni, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Cambric)go, Massachusetts. "This remedy doesn't correct the problem, but it is helpful for managing it."

QUERCETIN: A Natural AntiHistamine
Quercetin is a plant pigment found in onions, apples, leafy green vegetables, and other foods. It's a natural antihistamine, and a quercetin supplement can help reduce or eliminate hives, Dr. Krohn says.
A secretary in the doctor's office who had chronic hives that made her face swell was able to clear up the problem by taking 5UU milligrams of quercetin twice a day, she says. "This is an excellent supplement for anyone with the problem."

HOMEOPATHY: Customized Relief
Homeopathic remedies can be effective for relieving acute hives or controlling chronic hives, Dr. Krohn says. She recommends using a 200C potency for acute hives. (While you may not be able to find more than a 30C potency in most health food stores, don't worry; it will still be effective.)

Follow the dosage recommendations on the label, which are likely to instruct you to take three or four pellets a day. Alternatively, says Dr. Krohn, you can dissolve one pellet in 4 ounces of water and take 1 teaspoon four to six times a day. "Taking the remedy this way has a more gradual but deeper effectiveness," she says. Here are the homeopathic remedies she says work best.

• Apis is good if the hives are hot, red, and very itchy or burning, and if they are worse when you're overheated and better when you're cold or cold is applied to them.
• Natrum muriaticum is for chronic hives, especially when they are white; appear on the joints, ankles, or hands; and are worse when you're overheated or under emotional stress.
• Rhus toxicodendron is for very red, large hives, with prickling itching, that appear on your forearms and hands, are worse when they get wet or are in cold air, and are accompanied by a recurring fever.
• Urtica urens is for hives on the scalp, hands, or fingers that sting, burn, and itch violently (making you want to rub constantly), and are worse in the heat and better when you're lying down and rubbing them.
• Arsenicum album is good if the hives burn and you have chills, and if they're worse at night and in cold air and better when you're warm and exerting yourself.

SANDALWOOD ESSENTIAL OIL: Soothe the Itch
In Ayurveda, the ancient natural healing system from India, hives are said to be a "pitta," or fiery, condition. A classic remedy for fiery, itchy skin is sandalwood essential oil, says Pratima Raichur, a naturopathic doctor in New York City.
"Sandalwood oil is cooling and calming—almost like a sedative for the skin," she says. To use it, add 20 drops of sandalwood essential oil to \ ounce of a carrier oil such as coconut or almond. Apply it to the hives every 3 to 4 hours.

MINT: Cooling Cubes for Hives
Putting ice directly on the hives can cool the itching, says Norma Pasekoff Weinberg, an herbal educator in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Adding fresh mint to the cubes makes it even more effective.
To make the mint ice cubes, you'll need 2 teaspoons of crushed fresh mint leaves (such as peppermint) or 1 teaspoon of dried leaves. Pour boiling water over the leaves, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Strain the tea, pour it into ice cube trays, and freeze. When the cubes are frozen, put them in a plastic freezer bag and label them. Then, when you have hives, rub a cube across the area to cool the itchy, irritated skin, Weinberg says.

FLOWER ESSENCES: To the Rescue
Flower essences are specially prepared distillations of flowers that can positively affect the body, mind, and emotions. The flower remedy called Rescue Remedy can help turn off an allergic reaction and reduce the emotional stress of having hives, says Dr. Krohn. Follow the dosage instructions on the label or add 3 to 5 drops to a glass of water and drink once a day until symptoms subside.