What are hives and how are they caused?

Ive never had hives and i dont really know what they are but i think i have them....i only noticed them today and i cant think of why i would get them, im not allergic to anything?

but then again, they might not be hives...anybody help me out??

The medical term for hives is urticaria. If you are white, it will appear as raised, red skin welts that are more than 5mm in diameter. Hives are extremely itchy, and often have a pale border surrounding the red area. They usually come on pretty quickly and the itching feeling can be fierce. I know you say you are not allergic to anything, but if you have hives, you are allergic. Now, you get to play detective and figure out what caused the hives.
I searched and found a picture of hives that is pretty clear. Follow the link to look at the pic and see if this is what is happening with you.

hives is basically when your skin is covered in these bumps and its normally caused by a reaction to something

They probably are hives when you eat or drank something ...

My daughter wasn't allergic to anything til she was 9 years old all of the sudden she got hives and went to the doctor ... The doctor says to take Claridan Hives pills (they're a little bit hard to find but ask for help to get it) Take one pill a day ...

My daughter turned out to have allergic recation to anything that was dyed in #40 ... I had avoided giving her strawberries and Kiwi cuz I thought they caused it til she drank some kool-aid that was dyed in #40 and she broke out again ... and broke again when she ate strawberry pop tarts ... again dyed with #40 ...

Today she doesn't eat anything that has #40 in it ... She eats organic strawberries and she's fine ...

Try Claridan Hives (I might spell it wrong) The box is blue and purple ...

Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They range in size from a few millimeters to several inches in diameter. Hives can be round, or they can form rings or large patches. Wheals (welts), red lesions with a red "flare" at the borders, are one manifestation of hives. Hives can occur anywhere on the body, such as the trunk, arms, and legs.

One hallmark of hives is their tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours. An outbreak that looks impressive.