Control Hives with Herbal Remedies

Hives are those nasty red bumps that erupt on your skin. Their appearance is usually just part of the problem. The most irritating things about most bad cases of hives are the itch factor that usually accompanies them. Most people who have survived a bad hive attack will usually go to any measure to avoid another one. There are many commercially available preparations and prescription medications that are used to control hives. Most of the prescription medications contain antihistamines and cortisone, and they usually work pretty well at controlling hives. However, most prescription medications also contain a handful of side effects. They can make you drowsy, or more serious reactions. Cortisone can be particularly potent and potentially damaging. Taking cortisone on a regular basis can lead to major health problems, so if you are a chronic hives sufferer, you may want to consider going the natural route.

Most herbalists recommend finding the root cause for your hives before attempting to treat the condition. Finding the cause of your hives may be a difficult process, but it may often prove your best bet for finding a permanent condition to this very aggravating problem. However, even if you fail to find the root cause for your hives immediately, there are still many things you can do to help control your condition. Here are a few natural solutions to a very irritating problem.

1. Take your quercetin. Quercetin is a plant pigment that is found in leafy green vegetables, onions, apples, and other natural foods. It is well known as a natural antihistamine. Taking quercetin has been shown to help reduce or even completely eliminate hives in many people. Most herbalists recommend taking 500 milligrams of quercetin two times a day. Quercetin is perhaps the most important natural remedy for controlling hives.

2. Sandalwood essential oil. In traditional Indian Ayurveda medicine, hives are believed to be a "pitta" or fiery condition. One of the most highly regarded remedies for treating itchy and fiery conditions is the use of sandalwood essential oil. Sandalwood essential oil is well known for its calming and cooling properties, prompting some herbalists to refer to it as a sedative for the skin. To use sandalwood essential oil on irritated skin, simply add several drops of sandalwood essential oil on cotton ball and apply to the infected area every three hours or so. You can also apply sandalwood essential oil via carrier oils such as almond or coconut oil.

3. Mint. This classic cooling oil can be used to soothe the irritating symptoms of hives. One good way to use mint is to create mint ice cubes that can be placed directly on the skin. Simply take two teaspoons of freshly crushed mint leaves and seep them in boiling water for roughly five minutes. Then strain this tea and pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Use your special mint ice cubes to treat the most inflamed and irritated case of hives. Put your mint ice cubes into a labeled plastic freezer bag and save them for future hives outbreaks.