“Some of the rashes we see are dangerous because of the rash themselves,” Crew says. Common symptoms that accompany the rash are fever and inflammation in the liver, heart, lungs or thyroid. This condition may take weeks to appear after you start a new medication.
Rashes can develop from an allergy to a medication, also known as DRESS syndrome (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms). Caused by an allergic reaction to medications or food, hives can be a sign of a life-threatening problem when accompanied by difficulty breathing and a drop in blood pressure. Hives appear as a rapidly spreading, red, raised and itchy rash in splotches or all over the body. Typically, you will feel tired before the rash appears and might experience a mild fever. When your immune system is weakened, perhaps by something as simple as a cold, the shingles virus can infect your skin cells. Pain can be moderate or severe, lasting up to five days and taking up to four weeks to heal. Shingles are reddish patches of skin with small bumps that blister and itch. If you’ve ever had chicken pox or been vaccinated against chicken pox, you’re at risk of developing shingles later in life. Hardening and darkening of the skin could be signs of diabetes. Do you have skin discolorations or changes in your skin texture? A yellowing of the skin could indicate liver disease.Is the rash circular in shape? This could be a sign of Lyme disease.Seek immediate medical attention if breathing becomes difficult. Did the rash appear and spread quickly? This could be an allergic reaction to medication or food.Is there any discharge or secretion from the rash? Any colored discharge or bad odor is a sign of infection.Is there any bruising or swelling around it? The rash may be preventing proper blood flow.Does your rash persist without improvement from over-the-counter medications? If antihistamines or hydrocortisone cream offer no improvement, a visit with your doctor is advised.Do you have blisters? A rash that begins to blister but that can’t be explained by exposure to poison oak or ivy could be shingles.
Crew, MD, a dermatologist at Keck Medicine of USC and clinical associate professor of dermatology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.īecause skin is the largest organ in the body, it can show signs of an internal disease before the disease shows typical symptoms. “In dermatology, we treat a wide variety of rashes, from life-threatening to simply bothersome,” says Ashley B. But in some cases, your skin may be telling you that you have a more serious condition. Many of these can be treated effectively with over-the-counter medications. Rashes are caused by exposure to any number of environmental allergens such as food, weather, sunlight and even stress.
Do you have a rash? Know the difference between common conditions and when it could signal a more serious health concern.
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