Question:

I Have been waking up with severe “HIVES” for the past week. also develop a very sore throat. my palms are itchy and have red spots on them, but my biggest concern is the severe joint pain i get in my hands, knee, and wrist, Are There allergies that can affect your joints? I am worried that such disease`s such as lupus could be possible, none of your previous questions had anything about joint pain.

Answer:

Hives can be caused by a number of underlying chronic illnesses including thyroid disease, infections, connective tissue disorders (like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), vasculitis and malignancies (rarely).  Other more common causes include medications (prescription and over the counter) and foods (rare in adults and usually there is good correlation with history).  The most common cause of hives is we don’t know what is causing them (idiopathic).  Over the last 10 years, we now recognize that around 40% of subjects with chronic hives may have antibodies directed against IgE receptors on their mast cells in their skin that can cause activation of these cells and release of mediators such as histamine.  This further supports an autoimmune cause for hives.  I would highly recommend you see an allergist experienced in the management of hives who can assist you with this problem. 

For more information:

Go to the Allergies health topic.