If you're reading this article right now then you obviously know what hives is after doing your research.
Before I had chronic hives for six straight months, I had little knowledge of this condition.
I did not know of anybody who had hives, although studies show that around ten percent of the population will be affected by this condition at least once in their lives.
Although hives is not a life-threatening illness, it can lead to low self-esteem and depression if left untreated.
Some of the drugs which your doctor prescribes for chronic hives can have side effects such as weight gain and osteoporosis.
These side effects alone will be enough to emotionally cripple a once happy person.
Having itchy red bumps all over your body each and every day will hinder your quality of life.
You will be grouchy all the time around the people you love.
This reaction from you will drive them further away from you despite their best intentions.
When I had chronic hives, they often showed up on my face and resembled another condition called "ring worms".
This look was not very attractive and it kept me from going outside most days.
My social life took a hit and it seemed like the stress was causing my hives to get worse.
It was becoming an endless downward spiral.
I had been healthy all my life so this illness took its toll on me more so than I had predicted.
When your body is attacking itself like it does with hives, you really feel helpless.
After a full month of having hives and finding no relief after seeing doctors and taking drugs, I went on a crusade to find a cure or some sort of relief.
What I learned online was less than good news.
I found that most people who had chronic hives never found a cause.
The term they use for this is called idiopathic.
Even more frightening is the fact that some people have hives for more than a decade without relief.
I began to lose hope as my research continued.
One day I came across a website which brought me some good news.
I found the website for the International Chronic Urticaria Society.
If you don't know Urticaria is the scientific term for hives.
This website has a lot of information on chronic hives and what steps you can take to find treatment.
Here is the site: http://chronichives.
com In order to fight the emotional impact of your chronic hives, you can start by learning as much as you can about this illness.
In some ways, having hives can be good for your health.
It will make you become more aware of how your body's immune system works so that you can treat it better through healthy living.
Another way to not let this illness drag you down is to learn how other people are managing their hives.
You can subscribe yourself to a specific Yahoo news group and hear about other people's management of their conditions.
This news group is run by the same organization I mentioned above.
Here is the link: http://health.
groups.
yahoo.
com/group/urticaria In life, when you're given a lemon, you make lemonade.
It's too easy to let an illness take over your life.
You just have to make a decision to fight as hard as you can.
You either fight your you give up altogether.
There is no middle ground as I see it.
Thankfully I chose to fight this condition and now I'm hives free.
I wish the best to you and if you need more resources, I have listed them in my site below.