Prevention of hives?

i get hives when i'm exposed to extreme heat or sunlight. i will be going for a compulsory school camp soon where all students are required to take part in activities which are in the sun. last year i went for a similar camp and broke out in hives. it was very embarressing and i looked HIDEOUS. can anything be done to prevent hives from occuring during the camp? it is a 5D4N camp by the way and antihistamines dont seem to work.

Prevention of hives?
This sounds like a case of solar urticaria.





Solar urticaria sometimes develops in patients who are taking a drug (aspirin and morphine-like pain relieving medicines), and some antibiotics, or who are exposed to a particular chemical. By avoiding these medicines or chemical agents, the condition may resolve.





My wife had solar urticaria once, as a side effect of an antibiotic she was on. When she finished taking the antibiotic, no more solar urticaria. :)





From http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/fact...





These are some ways to prevent %26amp; treat the condition:





# Avoid sunlight when possible, particularly between the hours of 11am and 3pm. (Stay in the shade. Maybe get a doctor's note, excusing you from activities which are in full sun.) Or wear a big-brimmed cowboy hat if male, wear a big floppy hat with flowers or carry a parasol if female. Hats can be held onto the head with a chin strap.





# Use 'protective' clothing, like a long-sleeved top, and long trousers. If the weather will be hot, wear thinner, lighter, breathable fabrics like white cotton broadcloth and linen, but do stick to long sleeves and long pants! If the school wants you to wear some school uniform involving shorts and/or short sleeves, get a doctor's note allowing you to wear long clothing.





# Apply high-protection, waterproof, broad-spectrum sun barriers (at least SPF 45) every 2 hours. If it isn't waterproof, it will sweat right off and be useless.





# Antihistamine tablets can help to abolish or partially induce a remission of the condition in 60 per cent of subjects. If they seem not to work for you so far, you might need a different drug or a higher dose, so see a doctor to discuss these options! :)





# Phototherapy or desensitisation phototherapy can be used to artificially toughen the skin of those affected by the condition. Patients are usually treated three to five times per week, receiving a total of 15 exposures. The result is skin thickening and pigmentation, which can improve a patient's tolerance to light.





# Occasionally, specialised forms of treatment are needed.





* Plasmapheresis - a technique in which some of the patient's blood plasma is removed by machine and the red blood cells are then returned to the patient's circulation. This removes a circulating factor from the blood that may be involved in causing the urticaria, and is demonstrably present in a small proportion of patients. The technique is still being evaluated and is not always effective.





* Medicines that suppress the immune system - such as prednisolone (eg Deltacortril) and ciclosporin (Neoral) may be effective but because of their potential side effects, their use is restricted to the most severely affected people.





Hope this helps!