Does neosporin help hives?

Hives are an itchy nuisance that many of us have dealt with. It seems like no matter how careful we are, hives always find a way to pop up and ruin our day. One common question people ask when dealing with hives is whether or not using neosporin could help ease the symptoms. In this post, we’ll explore what causes hives in the first place, assess existing solutions for treating them, and take a look at neosporin as a potential remedy.

What Causes Hives?

Before we dive into treatment options, let’s first discuss what causes hives to form. Hives (also known as urticaria) typically appear on your skin when your body releases histamine in response to something you’re allergic or sensitive to (or sometimes without any obvious external trigger).

Common Triggers

  • Food allergies
  • Medications
  • Insect bites/stings
  • Physical stimuli (such as heat or exercise)

How Do People Typically Treat Their Hives?

Let’s face it: hives can be extremely uncomfortable i.e., itching that gives you goosebumps all over your body and they tend to stick around much longer than you want them too. So naturally there are quite a few remedies out there for people looking for ways to alleviate their suffering ^1^2.

Over-The-Counter Solutions:

Some popular OTC products for hive relief include:
Calamine lotion (fans attest that its cooling effect really helps)
Antihistamines i.e Benadryl(it gets you drowsy but tends to work quicker than most antihistamines)
Cortisol-containing topical creams such as Hydrocortisone

Home Remedies:

If OTCs aren’t doing the trick/you jut wanna try some natural methods from grandma’s recipes.
Apply a cold compress to the affected area
Add oatmeal or baking soda to a warm bath
Massage Aloe vera gel onto skin (chill it first in the fridge for an added cooling effect)

Now let’s explore Neosporin:

What is Neosporin?

For those unfamiliar with this product, neosporin is essentially an antibacterial ointment that contains three active ingredients: bacitracin, neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate.

Uses of Neosporin:

Neosporin can be used to prevent infection on cuts/scratches/mild burns etc., where you might have broken your skin. Because of its key ingredient i.e .neomycin, it has also been known for apparently treating eczema and other poorly healing wounds.

Can Neosporin Help Hives?

Good question: as we’ve discussed; hives are almost always associated with allergic reactions causing histamine release all over one’s body…that does not seem like something that would require treatment meant for preventing infections. Here are some reasons why people tend to associate neosprorIn as possible treatment for hives:

Itching Relief

Because scratching leads on further irritation ; common sense dictates ‘if I apply soothing anti-bacterial cream on my hive-affected areas maybe they will cure’ .. makes no medical sense but psst !there is definitely anecdotal evidence^3.

“Can’t hurt”

When dealing with uncomfortable hives and trying everything under sun besides going out naked in snowstorm; slap on some neopsporIn too..at worse there’s zero chance it may make things worst..fingers crossed right?

So Is There Any Scientific Truth behind This Remedy? Unfortunately, currently there lacks any concrete scientific evidence supporting role of using Neo-sports-in_ for treating hives, It is imperative to remember that the itching and irritation caused by hives are symptomatic result of histamine release. While antibiotics may help prevent skin infections AND offer some pain relief(if it doesn’t sting :P) they may not be effective at all in actually resolving those unsightly bumps, spots or welts. In fact neosporin will likely do almost nothing for hives besides moisturizing the affected area a tad.

Overrated Neosporin as an Unlikely Hives Solution

In conclusion: using neosporin as solution to treat your allergic reaction rashes; while seemingly reputable i.e ‘anti-bacterial’ does not mean it would soothe your itching or make redness go away.^4^5 So, leave this powerful ointment for cuts or infections only where they belong! The next time you’re dealing with stubborn hives look into actual remedies like OTC antihistamines that have been tested and true or holistic options such as colloidal oatmeal-based products .Do yourself outside favour and refrain from self-diagnosing yourself online !

References

  1. American Academy of Dermatology Association’s (2022) ‘Five Effective Ways to Treat Hives’, Available at https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/hives-treatment#:\~:text=generally%20relieve%20itchiness.-,Anti-itch,%2C%20nerve-racking%20itching._Accessed 22 Jan. 2022.
  2. Alevizos,K., Zampeli,V.A., Darivianaki,K.(2018) ‘Urticaria: Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatment.’ Journal of Asthma and Allergy.,11 pp333–341.
    3.Perez,S(BD)(2003)’Pesticide Exposure Report Form Compromises Confidentiality and Scientific Requirements’.(PDF). The Black Library. Archived from the original on 2006-07-14
    4.Patrizi,A.,Bellini,F,Moscato,G.(2018)’Atopic Dermatitis: From Pathogenesis to Treatment’ Allergy & Bivalent Immunology;175:(S1):S16S25.
    5.Richards,H.L., Ray,D.W., Kirby,B.(2019)’Eczema Management in School-Aged Children.’ British Journal of Community Nursing Vol24,No.6 pp268–274.

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