A rash is an area of skin that can be inflamed, irritated, itchy, or blistered. Skin rashes are widespread, and everyone gets a rash at some point in their life. There are so many different types of skin rashes, which makes it challenging to know what you are dealing with. Even dermatologists have confusion diagnosing rashes without actually seeing them.
However, skin rashes could be a symptom of a medical condition that requires treatment, such as infection, allergic reaction, or a disease. Either your skin gives you a sign that you are exposed to an irritant, which needs skin rash treatment in CA. You can get treated by teleurgent care for a skin rash in CA, immediately, because tortured skin is exposed to viruses and bacteria. Most of the rashes are mild and treated by over-the-counter remedies, but some need a broader treatment.
What Causes Skin Rashes?
There are many potential causes of skin rashes, but we will categorize them into two categories. The first one is formed by outsiders, like your skin exposed to some allergens, chemicals, or organisms. These agents could be household cleaners as chemicals, allergens like poison ivy, organisms like ringworm, scabies, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
The rashes caused by internal factors can be genetic, allergies, or infections. Genital rashes can be eczema or psoriasis, triggered by your skin and immune system. Allergic reactions, such as drug rash, and viral infections, such as coronavirus, can also result in rashes.
Rashes with outside factors can be cleared up with the proper treatment. At the same time, other rashes are tricky, which are caused by genetic problems. If your symptoms do not go away, consult with a dermatologist. They will diagnose and help you come up with ideas about what you could be dealing with. In this guide, we will explore some types of skin rashes, with their symptoms, and potential treatments.
Common Types of Skin Rashes and What They Look Like
The purpose of explaining these rashes in detail is to guide you in preventing, diagnosing, and taking steps to get relief.
Some common types of skin rashes include:
Eczema
It is medically known as atopic dermatitis. Eczema is an umbrella term for a range of skin rashes characterized by red, splotchy, dry, cracked, and flaky skin. It emits clear fluid after a scratch, and can appear anywhere, but is clustered inside the elbow and knees. It is usually itchy and common in young people, exacerbated by cold, dry weather and exposure to water.
There is a range of potential treatment options for eczema, but the right one depends on the severity of your eczema. Providers mostly recommend moisturizer for everyone, but for severe eczema, they require ointment creams like corticosteroids. The better option is to search for an eczema specialist near me.
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis has the same symptoms as eczema. And can have red rash with scaly and blistered appearance depending on the cause and severity. It is the most common rash that appears due to exposure to irritants or allergens. This rash often has a distinct border.
The common factors can be chemicals, acids, botanicals, and acids. The allergens usually cause shiny, blistered, itchy rash, while irritants tend to cause dry, scaly, less itchy rash. It appears hours or days after exposure to agents. Steroid creams or ointments are used for their treatment, but in severe cases, pills are prescribed for pain relief or to fight bacteria.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis appears with thickened patches and silver scaly scales on the skin. It is usually found near elbows, feet, knees, and palms. Telltale scales are distinct in psoriasis. It is not contagious, but the result of overactivity of the immune system, and causes skin inflammation.
Corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, retinoids, and coal tar treat psoriasis. Consulting with a dermatologist is the best decision to find a better treatment plan.
Hives
Hives are also called urticaria, and their raised welts appear on the skin with a red or discolored tone. Hives range from minor bumps to large patches. Hives are caused by exposure to allergens and could be a sign of a severe allergic reaction. They do not appear without color in dark skin. It could occur in minutes as a side effect of medication.
If you experience short breath, throat tightening, or tongue swelling, it could be a sign of hives, and you should seek medical help right away. The ideal treatment for hives is antihistamines, which are available over the counter.
Heat Rash
Heat rash, also known as prickly heat or miliaria, is seen most often in babies and children. It appears that due to overheating, the sweat glands get blocked and perspiration can not escape. The rash looks like patches of small pink or red bumps or blisters under the clothing where skin is folded.
It usually appears on the neck, elbow, armpits, or thighs, but can also occur on the covered areas of the body. Women can dress up the kids so that their skin stays cool and dry. Use cool water, as air conditioner heat rash occurs. Don’t apply skin ointments for kids. Professionals can prescribe calamine lotion or antihistamines for young children.
Shingles
Shingles is a blistering rash, also known as herpes zoster. It appears on the stripe or in the top quadrant of the head, but only on one side of the body. Local tingling and pain occur before blisters appear. Blisters are also painful and sometimes come with fever, headache, and chills. Shingles affect the eye and can cause vision loss.
The same virus causes shingles as in chickenpox. People infected with COVID-19 are at high risk for shingles. Apply cool compresses, oatmeal baths, and use calamine lotion. Providers may prescribe antivirals, such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir.
When to See a Dermatologist for Skin Rashes Treatment in CA?
While home remedies can manage some rashes, if you don’t see improvement within five to seven days, it’s time to see your doctor for skin rash treatment in CA. There are some key signs you should not ignore and go to an urgent care clinic or even emergency care. These signs include: Fever, chills, neck pain, fatigue, inability to eat or drink, and photophobia.
Dermatologists will likely take a careful health history and see if you have been in contact recently with substances or irritants that may have irritated your skin. They will be diagnosed through a physical exam, and may perform skin scraping, biopsy, or a culture. They will pinpoint the reason behind rashes and recommend treatment.
