 [ Symptoms ] what do hives urticaria look like [ Disease ] urticaria also known as hives is an outbreak of swollen pale red bumps or plaques wheals on the skin that appear suddenly    either as a result of the body is adverse reaction to certain allergens or for unknown reasons hives usually cause itching but may also burn or sting they can appear anywhere on the body including the face lips tongue throat or ears hives vary in size from a pencil eraser to a dinner plate and may join together to form larger areas known as plaques