[Review] Food allergy symptoms and treatment

I had a meal at a traditional Korean herbal bossam restaurant with close friends. Then we went to a cafe, each had a cup of coffee, and then went home.

My husband says his body feels a little itchy.

So, when I looked at my body, I saw small red bumps that looked like tiny pimples gradually appearing.

My husband has a very allergy-prone constitution, so I thought maybe the ingredients in the bossam restaurant or the cafe we ate at caused an allergic reaction, and I applied allergy ointment. A few hours later, he said his legs were extremely itchy, and when I checked, the hives had become more prominent and swollen.

I went to the dermatologist the very next day.

The doctor prescribed medication for hives. Even after taking the medication for two days, my symptoms haven't improved, and the hives have spread all over my body.ㅜㅜ

Red hives appeared on the body as a symptom, hives caused swelling in the legs, dizziness, feverish sensation, cold sweat, loss of appetite, and body weakness.

The hives on my body spread further, so I went to another dermatology clinic (since the previous one was closed). After examining the hives, they said that the hives had spread to all parts of my body except my face and neck, indicating that I was experiencing a severe food allergy reaction.

Hives spread all over my husband's body, from his face and neck down to his legs and soles of his feet. There was some variation in the severity of the hives, but overall, he had hives everywhere.

I received a steroid injection at the hospital, and they prescribed a slightly stronger medication than the initial prescription, along with ointment.

And since the hives symptoms are severe, they told me to go straight to the university hospital if the pus happens to burst or anything.ㅜㅜ

The hives have spread all over and are quite severe, but fortunately after receiving a steroid injection, taking prescribed medication, and applying ointment, they no longer spread. The next day, the red hives turned a bit wine-colored, and the swelling significantly subsided.

My acquaintances and I had dinner together, and I was fine, but only my husband developed hives. (My husband is the only one with an allergy-prone constitution.) I showed the hive photos to one of the acquaintances who dined with us, and they said it could be hives, but since the symptoms are very severe, it might also be erythema multiforme or another issue, so we decided to go to a university hospital for blood tests, urine tests, and blood work. They said that even if it’s hives, it’s better to know for sure through blood tests to feel at ease... The acquaintance is an internal medicine doctor at a university hospital, and they said they’ve never seen such severe hives before, so they directed us to the dermatology department at the university hospital. Although the symptoms were improving, the hives were still very severe, so we decided to do other tests as well. Still, it’s reassuring to confirm that there’s no other abnormality elsewhere... We had blood tests, urine tests, and blood work done.

There are some inflammation levels, but fortunately, other areas are fine. When food-related hives occur severely, the symptoms can be very frightening. It's not just the itching on the body, but also dizziness, fatigue, and nausea, so it makes it even harder for her.

Still, now my symptoms have definitely improved, my husband's condition has recovered, and my appetite has returned.

The hives symptoms were more severe below the waist, so the lower body still has marks from the hives. However, the upper body has improved significantly, and the extent of the hives is gradually getting better, with the redness of the hives also significantly reduced. I am truly grateful.