Chocolate is intended to be a pleasurable treat, but for some people it can trigger an allergic reaction that is painful and irritating. If you notice that hives form within minutes of eating chocolate, you need to see a general physician or an allergist for evaluation. Hives are an itchy rash that is commonly triggered by an allergy to food or a medication. Although you may notice hives form after you eat chocolate, the allergic reaction may be related to only one ingredient in the chocolate.
Hives
Hives are a rash that is marked by extreme itching and swelling on the surface of the skin. Hives appear as red welts that are defined by clear edges. Hives can form in clusters and migrate from part of the body to another. Hives can grow, spread and join together for no reason. They develop in different shapes and can appear and disappear in a matter of minutes. If you press on the welt, the middle of the welt will turn white, while the rest of the welt remains red. Itching hives will irritate the skin and cause them to spread more.
Allergic Reaction
Hives that form after you eat chocolate are the result of increased histamine levels in the surface of the skin. Chocolate commonly contains highly allergic ingredients. For example, you may be allergic to the cocoa beans, milk, nuts, soy, peanuts or wheat that is used in the chocolate. If your immune system mistakes any of the ingredients in the chocolate as unsafe, your body will attack the proteins found in the food with immunoglobulin E or histamine. Histamine is a chemical that protects the body from infection, but during an allergic reaction the amount of histamine causes inflammation and irritation in soft tissue, such as the skin.
Treatment
Hives from a chocolate-related allergy are treated by eliminating chocolate from your diet and treating the affected areas of the skin. Minor cases of hives from an allergic reaction may respond well to taking an oral antihistamine and applying hydrocortisone cream. If the rash doesn't respond to these over-the-counter medications, talk with your doctor about receiving a prescription for a corticosteroid cream. Corticosteroids will typically reduce the inflammation and itching in the skin.
Identification and Avoidance
In order to effectively avoid the allergen that triggers your allergic reaction, you will need to identify which ingredient is causing the reactions. An allergist can perform tests to determine which ingredients in the chocolate have caused your body to create immunoglobulin E and histamine. Once identified, your allergist will recommend that you avoid ingesting those ingredients.
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