Menopause and Hives

Menopause is the wonderful time in a woman’s life when everything seems to change (a little sarcasm there). If in your late forties or early fifties and have begun to notice changes, it is very possible that you are heading into a new phase of your life called early menopause. During this time, your body is literally changing. All your life, your ovaries have been working and the body producing the hormone estrogen. Now, the ovaries are not working as they once did and the production of estrogen is beginning to slow down.

As you can imagine, this type of change means that you would expect to feel differently. In this article, we wanted to address some of the more common symptoms of this change to include menopause and hives, something many women face. First, early menopause will change the monthly menstrual cycle. You may begin to notice your periods are irregular, heavier, lighter, or longer. Typically, this sign is the first of many telling you that the years of menopause are about to begin. Then as time progresses, other things will be noticed.

Usually, you would start to experience what is known as hot flashes and night sweats. With hot flashes, you would suddenly feel as though someone had just struck a match and set you on fire. This intense sensation of heat will affect the chest, arms, and head but last just 30 seconds to a few minutes. Then, as quickly as it came, it disappears. The night sweats are usually associated with nighttime hot flashes where you wake up to find yourself in a bed of wet pajamas and sheets. Although disturbing, both of these symptoms are perfectly normal and harmless.

With menopause and hives, the interesting thing is that there is no known medical reason for the two yet they are somehow some women have them. For example, more and more women are coming forward to say they have menopause and hives. This can affect just parts of the body or the entire body. Regardless, the result is bumpy, red hives and extreme itching. In fact, some women state the menopause hives affect the face and lips, causing periodic swelling. Now, here is where it gets interesting. What most doctors believe is that the stress associated with menopause is the culprit.

Because women going through menopause are dealing with not only the physical changes but the psychological changes as well, they deal with a tremendous amount of stress. After all, the entire life has been turned upside down and unfortunately, not every woman has a good family support system. This added stress can be manifested in a number of ways to include heart palpitations, joint pain, and insomnia, a loss of appetite, fatigue, and then, the hives. For this reason, many doctors will treat menopause hives with an antidepressant to help curb the stress.

Now, you can certainly request some type of topical cream to help ease the itching of the menopause hives or purchase a cream from your pharmacy. However, remember that the underlying problem is typically the stress so unless that is dealt with, chances are the hives will continue to come back. In addition, for many women, treating menopause and hives is not an overnight fix. Sometimes, it can take several months because not only are the hives being treated but all the symptoms of menopause that are causing the hives in the first place.

Keep in mind that menopause hives could be a one-time occurrence or it might be a chronic condition of Urticaria, or "hives". If just a one-time thing, then the hives could easily go away in a few weeks but if the condition is chronic, again it could last up to six months. Another problem with menopause hives is that they can be small, red patches or as large as a half dollar. If the condition is severe, it could turn into Angioedema, which means fluid accumulates around the eyes, lips, hands, and sometimes, the intestinal or throat lining.

In addition to stress being a possible cause of menopause hives, they could also be caused by an allergic reaction to food. Many women going through menopause will begin to experiment with different foods, trying to find relief for symptoms. In doing this, they are introducing the body to things not normally consumed and the result could be an allergic reaction, thus the hives. Although it has not been proven, some doctors are now suspecting that during menopause peaks, the hives are more of a problem. The bottom line is that if you are going through menopause and have developed hives, talk to your doctor about possible causes and solutions.