Home Remedies for Hives - Hives - Natural Home Remedies

Your kitchen is full of cures that can help you through an outbreak of hives. Give these home remedies a try the next time those red bumps flare up.

Home Remedies from the Cupboard

Baking soda. Add 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda to a warm bath to soothe your itching.

Herbal tea. De-stress yourself by relaxing with a soothing cup of herbal tea.

Oatmeal. Add 1 to 2 cups finely ground oatmeal to a warm bath (not hot or you might have breakfast for the next month in your tub) to ease your itches.

Home Remedies from the Drawer

Oven mitts. Putting something on your hands can keep you from scratching. Cotton gloves are a good option, as are oven mitts. Tape them at the wrist, and you'll be less tempted to remove them to start scratching. If you wear the gloves to bed at night, you won't do damage if you scratch your itches unconsciously.

Home Remedies from the Freezer

Ice. An ice pack helps shrink blood vessels, which alleviates swelling. Put the compress, wrapped in a thin towel, on your skin five minutes at a time, three or four times a day.

Home Remedies from the Refrigerator

Milk. Calm your hives with a milk compress. Wet a cloth with cold milk and put it on your skin for 10 to 15 minutes.

Home Remedies from the Spice Rack

Asafoetida. This cousin of onions and garlic may help relieve your hives. Look for asafoetida powder in the spice section of your grocery store. Add 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder to 4 tablespoons castor oil and mix well. Apply the solution directly to your hives. Be sure to do this when you won't be seeing anyone for a few hours. Asafoetida makes you smell like a piece of garlic.

Basil. The Chinese believe bathing in basil tea is a good antidote for hives. Put 1 ounce dried basil in a 1-quart jar and fill the jar with boiling water. Let cool to room temperature and use it as a wash.

Home Remedies from the Supplement Shelf

Vitamin C. High doses of vitamin C have been found to lower histamine levels. This may ward off an attack of the hives. Taking at least 2,000 mg a day is necessary to alter histamine levels. Check with your doctor before loading up on vitamin C. Too much of this valuable nutrient can cause kidney stones and diarrhea.

Keep that itch at bay by remembering these home remedies to prevent or manage your next outbreak of hives.