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Multiple Choice

During a food allergy, histamine release in the skin commonly causes which symptom?

Histamine released in the skin causes hives (uriticaria) by increasing blood vessel permeability and triggering itch and swelling in the dermis. This leads to raised, itchy welts that are characteristic of a skin reaction to an allergen. Diarrhea and nausea involve the gastrointestinal tract, while coughing involves the airways; these are not the skin’s reaction. So the skin-specific symptom you’d expect from histamine release during a food allergy is hives.

Histamine released in the skin causes hives (uriticaria) by increasing blood vessel permeability and triggering itch and swelling in the dermis. This leads to raised, itchy welts that are characteristic of a skin reaction to an allergen. Diarrhea and nausea involve the gastrointestinal tract, while coughing involves the airways; these are not the skin’s reaction. So the skin-specific symptom you’d expect from histamine release during a food allergy is hives.