Which rashes to worry about

But in some cases, your skin may be telling you that you have a more serious condition. Because skin is the largest organ in the body, it can show signs of an internal disease before the disease shows typical symptoms. A minor rash is easily treatable with antihistamines or hydrocortisone cream. But you should speak with your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:. Shingles are reddish patches of skin with small bumps that blister and itch.

Pain can be moderate or severe, lasting up to five days and taking up to four weeks to heal. When your immune system is weakened, perhaps by something as simple as a cold, the shingles virus can infect your skin cells.

Typically, you will feel tired before the rash appears and might experience a mild fever. Many things can cause a rash in babies and children, and they're often nothing to worry about. These can be signs of meningitis.

It can be harder to see a change in skin colour on brown and black skin. Check the soles of the feet, palms, lips, tongue and inside the eyelids for colour changes.

As a parent, you may know if your child seems seriously unwell and should trust your own judgement. A rash on 1 or both cheeks plus a high temperature, runny nose, sore throat and headache may be slapped cheek syndrome. After a few days, a rash may appear on their body. Slapped cheek syndrome usually gets better on its own within 3 weeks. Children's paracetamol or ibuprofen can bring down a high temperature.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common childhood illness that causes blisters on the hands and feet, and ulcers in the mouth. It also causes a high temperature and your child may have a sore throat. It usually gets better in 7 to 10 days. Children's paracetamol can bring down a high temperature. Scarlet fever causes a rash that looks like pinpricks and feels rough, like sandpaper.

The rash can be red, but this may be less noticeable on brown and black skin. Scarlet fever usually starts with a white coating on the tongue, a sore throat, headache and a high temperature.

See a GP immediately if you think your child has scarlet fever. It's treated with antibiotics. Measles usually starts with the same symptoms as a cold, plus a high temperature, sore eyes that are sensitive to light and grey spots inside the cheeks. After a few days, a spotty rash appears on the head or neck and spreads to the rest of the body. The spots can appear red or brown, but they may be less noticeable on brown and black skin. A rash that looks like large purple patches or dark bruises can be a sign of a serious condition.

It could be a warning sign of an infection spreading throughout your body or of a blood clotting problem. It could also indicate a condition called vasculitis that causes your blood vessels to become inflamed. A rash with bruising or swelling around it might have been caused by an insect bite. The bruises and swelling are a warning that that poison from the bite could be cutting off blood flow to the area. A circular-shaped rash could indicate Lyme disease. A rash that persists for more than a week is worth getting looked at by a medical professional.

There might be a reason your body is having trouble healing the rash. Plus, even if your rash is mild, a medical professional can give you tips to treat it at home. Rashes are a common skin condition. Most rashes are temporary and clear up on their own. However, a rash can be a sign of something more serious. Allergic reactions, infections, autoimmune conditions, and more can also cause rashes that need to be seen by a medical professional.

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