Stress affects more than just your emotional health. Some people lose sleep, some get high blood pressure, and others experience red, itchy skin. Unfortunately, getting a skin rash when you’re already stressed isn’t going to help you destress—it will probably only add to your concerns.
Skin rashes caused by stress are sometimes known as “stress hives”. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this uncomfortable skin condition.
Can stress cause hives?
Stress levels can make hives worse but don't necessarily cause them. However, stress can cause a skin rash like hives. The terms “stress rash” and “stress hives” are often used interchangeably. But “skin rash” is an umbrella term for many different types of skin irritation. Hives are specifically a symptom of an allergic reaction.
“Stress generally makes any health condition worse,” says Dr. Allison Edwards, Sesame’s Medical Director. “Any chronic condition (i.e. eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, etc…) will get worse with stress.” This is because stress prompts your body releases to chemicals that cause these conditions to flare up.
Hives, like other conditions, get worse with stress. Studies show that stress can increase itchiness in women with chronic hives. Hives can also cause embarrassment, adding further to the stress levels. It’s a nasty catch-22: stress can make hives worse, and the worse they get, the more stress they may cause.
What’s the difference between a skin rash and hives?
Hives are a specific immune response to an allergen; in other words, they are an allergic reaction. Skin rash is a more broad term used to describe irritation of the skin.
Hives
“Hives are technically called urticaria and are a specific skin eruption due to a local histamine release,” Dr. Edwards says. “People usually get hives because of a trigger--like a bee sting or food they've eaten.” Allergic reactions are caused by your immune system mistaking these triggers as harmful. Your immune system attacks this allergen by releasing chemicals called histamines. Histamines are supposed to be helping you, but instead, they cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Hives is one of these reactions.
The symptoms of hives include:
- Red, raised welts
- Itchy bumps on the skin
- “Blanching” (whiteness at the center of a welt when pressed)
Common causes of hives include:
- Foods
- Medication
- Insect bites
- Allergens in the air (like pollen or dust mites)
Skin rash
“Skin rash” is a more general term used to describe irritated, inflamed skin.
Common symptoms of skin rashes include:
- Raised, red bumps on the skin
- Itchiness
- Blisters, clear or blood-filled
- Blotchiness
- Pain
- Dry or cracked skin
- Bruise-like lesions
- Lightened areas of the skin (a common symptom of fungal infections)
Common types of skin rashes include:
- Contact dermatitis
- Rosacea
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Impetigo
- Chickenpox
- Shingles
