Is Your Rash Just Irritation or a Sign of Something More?

Skin rashes are very common, but the reasons behind them are many. They are classified by the underlying cause, which includes infection and disease, inflammation, and those that arise from an immune system response.

Making a definitive skin rash diagnosis can often be quite complex, requiring special dermatologist help to get the root issue. Of course, not every rash means you need to book an appointment with your local skin doctor. However, the appearance of a rash that doesn’t have an immediately obvious cause or won’t go away would warrant seeking help.

What is a Rash, Anyway…?

A rash occurs when something triggers the skin to become inflamed. This leads to a variety of symptoms, which include:

• Redness.
• Irritation.
• Sensitivity.
• Dryness.
• Scaley.
• Warm.
• Painful.
• Excessively dry.
• Skin spots—either pinprick or larger welts.
• Blistering.

One or multiple symptoms might occur simultaneously. The key is that a rash is defined as any area of the skin that has changes in color and texture. It’s not always the classic red spots that spring to mind when the word “rash” is mentioned.

Examples of different types of skin rashes include:

• Those caused by inflammation: Such as eczema, psoriasis, or contact dermatitis (where the skin reacts to direct contact with an allergen or irritant).
• Immune system rashes: Redness, discoloration, hives, etc. that appear in response to an ingested allergen or disease-related rashes, such as lupus or Kawasaki disease. They are a result of the body releasing too much histamine in response to a perceived threat. The worst type of immune system rash is an anaphylactic reaction, which requires immediate emergency attention as it can ultimately be fatal without treatment.
• Rashes caused by infection: Bacterial, viral, and fungal infections can trigger a skin rash in response.

Knowing when to see a dermatologist for a rash will be determined by a number of things. 

If, for example, you’ve shaved an intimate area, which then becomes inflamed, you can be pretty sure that it’s a razor rash. Perhaps you’ve started using a new washing powder and, once you stop using it, your rash fades. Or maybe you got an itchy rash that went away with a dose of Zyrtec or Claritin. All of these scenarios are highly indicative of a minor skin reaction that’s quite suitable for self-diagnosis and treatment. 

However, should any of the following apply, then it’s probably time to seek professional medical help.

• A rash that doesn’t go away.
• A sudden onset and spreading rash.
• If the rash is painful.
• The rash covers a large area of the body.
• A rash accompanied by illness and/or a fever.
• Any rash that evolves into blisters or open sores.
• Any rash on the face, especially the lips and mouth, or rash that’s spreading upwards from the neck.
• Genital rashes.
• A rash that repeatedly appears and disappears without any identifiable cause.
• Any long-staying rash that makes you self-conscious.

Crucially, any rash that’s accompanied by difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue, eyes, or facial area, or makes it difficult to swallow needs immediate emergency care.

Getting a Skin Rash Diagnosis

As dermatologists, we have a vast toolkit to help us find the root cause of a rash. This includes diagnostics, such as:

• Allergy tests: These are especially useful for determining the cause of contact dermatitis and urticaria (hives).
• A skin biopsy: That can be sent to the lab to check for any virus or bacteria.
• Blood tests: To determine if there are any antibodies, which could be indicative of an underlying infection or a systemic illness.

Treatment will be dependent on the root cause, but might include oral and topical antihistamines, steroids, immunomodulators, immunosuppressants, and actions that soothe and relieve itching.

Rashes are one of the most common reasons patients visit Bayou City Dermatology. The sooner you get help, the quicker we can diagnose, treat, and—if necessary—put an action plan in place to reduce symptoms over the longer-term for conditions like contact dermatitis and allergies.

Discover more at Services | Bayou City Dermatology and call today to book a consultation.