As featured on: Need Help with an IRS or State Tax Problem? Call the experts at 1-800-TAX-LEVY (829-5389) Ŕ Tax Liens Ŕ Collection Notices Ŕ Penalties Ŕ Unfi led Tax Returns Ŕ Audits S.D.: Owed the IRS $207,214. With our help, the case was settled for $7352. D.D.: Client owed the IRS $110,203. Our fi rm negotiated an Offer in Compromise to settle the debt for $12,226. L.J.: With our assistance, client’s IRS debt of $1,014,078 was reduced to $100,490. Let our team of Attorneys, CPAs, Tax Consultants and former IRS Revenue Offi cers provide you with immediate relief from IRS and State tax problems. Why Choose Levy & Associates to help with your tax problems? Ŕ 22 years of specializing in tax resolution and working with the IRS and State Taxing Authorities Ŕ We have helped thousands of clients nationwide to save tens of millions of dollars each year! Ŕ Unlike other fi rms, all work on your account is kept in-house Ŕ A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau Sincerely, Lawrence B. Levy, President We Listen …. We Care … We Help! Call us today to answer your questions or to schedule a meeting and say goodbye to those sleepless nights! 1-800-TAX-LEVY (829-5389) www.levytaxhelp.com HQ: 28400 Southfi eld Road., Southfi eld, Michigan 48076 000000 Ask Dr. Vieder What are hives? Hives are small areas of swelling that occur on the skin surface in random areas on the body. Other commonly known names for hives include welts or urticaria. The medical term for hives is wheals. Hives typically appear very suddenly and may be pink or red with a raised surface around the edges with associated itching. The vast majority of hives last for a few minutes to a few hours, but in some cases can last for days, despite treatment. Rarely, hivescan progress to a more signifi cant allergic reaction that includes swelling of the tongue and throat with diffi culty breathing, in which case they are potentially life-threatening. Are they caused by an allergic reaction or something else? Allergic reactions are the primary cause of hives. It can be diffi cult to determine the specifi c inciting factors, but there are numerous stimuli that can cause them to appear. Food products, plant contact or ingested medications can cause hives. Physiologically, they occur when there is a large histamine release in the body from specialized blood cells called mast cells. The histamines cause fl uid to leak around the blood vessels in the area they appear leading to the skin changes that can be easily seen. How can you diagnose them and what is the best treatment? The diagnosis of hives is visual. There are no specifi c diagnostic lab or x-ray tests required for the diagnosis. Since the physiologic cause of hives is due to histamine release, we use antihistamine medications in addition to topical or oral steroids as the mainstay of treatment. Applying a cool compress of the affected area can also be symptomatically helpful. If the hives are associated with tongue, lip or throat swelling and diffi culty breathing you should seek medical attention immediately at a certifi ed urgent care or emergency department. The vast majority of times, hives occur independent of these more signifi cant symptoms. If you are able to identify the specifi c stimulus that may have caused hives, it should be eliminated. If you believe the hives are due to direct skin contact, the affected area should be washed to avoid continued exposure and ongoing symptoms. For more health information, visit the Ask Dr. Vieder page at LakesUrgentCare.com Dr. Sanford Vieder, DO, FACEP, FACOEP, Medical Director at Lakes Urgent Care, West Bloomfi eld/Livonia jn May 24 • 2018 29