Sarbjit Singh Saini, M.D., The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Question: Why does a hot shower make my hives worse?
Answer: In some patients with chronic hives, they notice that there are certain situations that may make their hives seem worse. Raising body temperature such as what occurs when one enters the shower is one situation where when the body's temperature is raised, and then one exits the shower and towels off, this can be a trigger to the cells of the skin that carry the itch chemical histamine.
It's also known that when one warms the skin, such as when you go out in the sun or when you exercise and sweat, you increase the blood flow to the skin of the body. That can be another reason why you see more hives shortly after the body has its temperature raised.
It is also an interesting phenomena that some people also get hives when they're nervous. This can also be related to the body's nervous system connecting to the skin and showing some release of the same itch chemical that can trigger hives.
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