Skin Rashes

A rash is an area of irritated or swollen skin. It might be red and itchy, bumpy, scaly, crusty or blistered. Rashes are a symptom of many different medical conditions. Things that can cause a rash include other diseases, irritating substances, allergies and your genetic makeup.

Contact dermatitis is a common cause of rashes. It causes redness, itching and burning where you have touched an irritant, such as a chemical, or something you are allergic to, like poison ivy.

Some rashes develop immediately. Others form over several days. If you scratch your rash, it might take longer to heal. The treatment for a rash usually depends on its cause. Options include moisturizers, lotions, baths, cortisone creams that relieve swelling, and antihistamines, which relieve itching.

Common causes of rashes include:

• anxiety
• allergies, for example to foods, dyes, medicines, insect stings, metals such as zinc or nickel; such rashes are often called hives.
• skin contact with an irritant
• bacterial or viral infection, e.g., by the viruses that cause chickenpox, smallpox, cold sores and measles
• fungal infection, such as ringworm
• reaction to vaccination
• skin diseases such as eczema or acne
• exposure to sun (sunburn) or heat
• irritation such as caused by abrasives impregnated in clothing rubbing the skin. The cloth itself may be abrasive enough for some people

Uncommon causes:

• autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis
• lead poisoning
• pregnancy

Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care serves the Chicago North Shore Communities of Lake County, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Highland Park, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Des Plaines, Palatine, Glenview, Highwood, Northfield, Libertyville, Winnetka, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Mundelein, and Bannockburn.