Cold water hives?

Yes, this is very common in people who are already prone to hives! The cold will bring out hives. You may also notice this if your child is outside for long periods of time. Hope this helps!

Yes, very common. I have no food allergies but as a kid I often got hives when swimming in cold water (especially the freezing Atlantic Ocean). I also get hives wherever my clothing binds (like around my waist) if I'm out in the cold.

I haven't dealt with cold urticaria (that's what cold-induced hives are called), but I have dealt with the opposite problem. Ever since I can remember, I've broken out in hives after being in WARM water. Lukewarm is fine, but anything more than that and I'm a horrible itchy, miserable mess. I still take hot showers (love em!) though. I just know that I will suffer about 15-20min of itchy hives and sometimes puffy, watery eyes, and intense sneezing in exchane for that nice hot shower. It happens in hot tubs and steam rooms (or steamy bath rooms...) too. I don't have problems with dry heat, just wet heat.
A couple of months ago, the bathroom was colder than normal, so I made the kids bath warmer than normal (lukey). Guess what? Matt does the same thing! He broke out in hives and started sneezing within just a few minutes. I'm glad I had been dealing with it myself so long that I knew what was going on. Otherwise, I probably would have freaked and thought he was having a peanut reaction!

I had this when I was younger, along with the ability to lightly scrape my skin with my fingernail and make superraised letters! that comes in handy when you grow up LOL
Seriously though, the cold water hives are not dangerous, I remember some doctor explaining it to me about the speed of the blood or something warming the skin not exactly at the same time or something.
Anyway, I don't get it now and I can't get the raised welts either, oh well, it was great while it lasted!

My son's friend gets these, but he also anaphylaxes from extreme cold water/weather. They have been advised to send him to college in a warm climate.

Raising

Hi:
MY DS (not PA ) has a condition called Mastosytosis. Which he reacts to cold wheater and cold water, asprin and codine are also a no no with this condition. It can cause anaphalaxis, it also can attack body organs requiring chemotheraphy. We were told he was born with the condition ( we noticed it at 2 months, he is now 7 years old. ) It leaves brown marks on the skin like frekels and sometimes if those spots are rubbed they will swell up . The specialist says it is very rare condition , and every doctor or nurse that has ever treated him for anything has always questiond the spots , and has never heard of the condition, it is in medical dicionaries, if anyone is interested in reading up on it.
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ssmd mom of 3

This used to happen to me when I was a kid. My parents made sure to dry me off really quickly after I swam or bathed. I grew out of it by junior high. Here's hoping your child does too!

There's an article in the Washington Post about this today. It's on washingtonpost.com and can be found under the Health heading. A mom wrote about her experience with her son's allergy to cold.
Here's the link to the article:
[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27199-2004Feb9.html"]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27199-2004Feb9.html[/url]

my friend from support groups husband gets cold induced hives. now even when he breaths in the air from the freezer he feels funny. her son is allergic to nuts, eggs and dairy.