Herbal Cure for Hives

April 27, 2009 by  
Filed under Herbal Remedies

Hives are the last thing that anyone wants on his skin. When you have this condition, the condition looks bad enough, but itches worse. It can appear anywhere, but usually appears more commonly on places like face, lips, throat, or tongue, and manifests as pale red bumps. Some of the bumps may even join together to form what is known as plaques. To cure hives, what is mainly necessary is to remove the cause itself, which is perhaps easier said than done. However, there are allopathic medicines and herbal remedies that provide relief. Allopathic medications are mainly those that contain cortisone and antihistamines.

While the allopathic stuff works reasonably well, it comes with the burden of side effects like drowsiness etc. Here is where the importance of herbal medicines come in. regular use of cortisone containing medicines can lead to serious health problems, while even continued use of herbal remedies are completely free of negative upshots. And herbal medicine works also by probing the root cause of hives, rather than just quell the symptoms of the disease. Unraveling the cause may not always be possible because it is not yet fully established as to what exactly causes hives, though certain allergic reactions are found to be leading to it.

However, herbal remedies can work well even for affecting a cure, without establishing the cause. Some of the better known herbal remedies are listed below.

1. Taking Quercetin is a proven herbal treatment for hives. This is a plant pigment found in many natural food items like apples, onions, leafy vegetables etc. This herbal extract has the ability to bring down hives to a very large extent. Most practitioners of herbal medicine recommend the intake of 500 mg of quercetin twice a day. This herbal medicine is apparently the most effective of herbal remedies for hives.

2. In the alternative system of medicine of India known as Ayurveda, a popular herbal remedy for hive is Sandalwood essential oil. This extract of the sandalwood tree is an herbal cure not just for hives, but for many of the itchy conditions of the skin. Such is the soothing properties of this herbal medicine that it goes by the name sedative of the skin. All that one needs to do to use this herbal remedy is to dip a cotton ball slightly in the oil and apply it on the affected areas. Alternatively, sandalwood essential oil can be mixed with coconut oil or almond oil and applied. That will also work as a good herbal cure.

3. The everyday Mint that we use in sweets as well as savories is the third of the natural herbs that work as herbal cure for hives. Mint ice is generally used as an herbal cure that can be directly placed on the affected area. Mint ice is prepared by boiling crushed mint leaves in water and then freezing the strained liquid from this mixture. As in the case of any frozen product, this herbal remedy of mint ice can be stored for pretty long. Mint is a good herbal cure even for rather strong cases of hives.