Condition

Another skin condition which is very common and has a variety of causes is skin rash. Although most cases do not pose a life-threatening condition, rashes are still nuisances that need to be treated. Critical rashes occur rarely and need immediate medical attention for early treatment and effective prevention.

There are five known diseases which have rashes as its main symptom. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSS), pemphigus vulgaris (PV), toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

The above mentioned conditions are not only skin deep but they also penetrate other organs of the body. They particularly invade mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth, rectum, urethra, penis in men, and vagina in women. Usually the rashes develop into blisters which cause further complication.

Common Causes

The common skin rash or dermatitis can be caused by a lot of factors such as skin contact with:

• Soaps, cosmetics, or detergents.

• Clothing chemicals like dyes Poisonous plants like poison oak, ivy or sumac.

• Latex and other rubber products.

The following diseases are also common causes for skin rashes in patients:

• Several of known childhood illnesses like scarlet fever, measles, roseola, and chicken pox

• Immediate reactions from medications

• Impetigo – a bacterial infection which is found on the top layers of the skin

• Eczema – found in individuals with severe allergies or even asthma

Shingles – coming from the same virus as that of chickenpox, this condition is accompanied with several blisters.

Symptoms

Since rashes can come from a number of skin conditions, let us try to cover every symptom of these conditions:

• Allergic reactions – light-red bumps appear on the skin with its raised edges. There is also the presence of severe itching.

• Drug or Medicinal allergies – itching rash may develop.

• Skin disorder due to stress – there is skin redness, itching and scaling. Sometimes moist rash may develop especially on the hands.

• Obstruction in the sweat glands – the patient may develop a localized rash in areas where there is heavy perspiration.

• Rashes due to parasites – usually there is severe itching at night time. Red rash are scattered over the body.

• Bacterial or Fungal infection – rashes in this case is associated with blisters that is usually filled with pus. Fungal infections appear to red and scaled patches with a distinct ring at its edges.

• Viral infection – rash begins at the cheeks and it may spread to other parts of the body.

• Rashes due to sunlight – prolonged sun exposure might lead to red skin rash that can be accompanied with blisters.

• Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac rash – symptoms usually are delayed within 8-48 hours after direct contact with the poisonous plant. Red rash may appear at random and at different body parts with multiple blisters. There is also severe itching, fever and headache in severe cases.

Diagnosis

Once a patient proceeds to medical attention for the rashes, it is safe to presume that there may be underlying skin conditions preceding the rash. Most of the cases are difficult to diagnose in the clinics. Common procedures like clinical presentation, blood tests, and skin biopsies are all essential to properly diagnose the condition. The more accurate the diagnosis is, the better for the doctor to prescribe the treatment.

In skin biopsy, a special medical instrument is used to “punch out” a small sample of the skin. Biopsy specimens may be extracted from a normal skin or in areas where there is redness but without any blisters yet. If it is inevitable to conduct skin biopsy on blistered areas, the skin covering the blisters are taken out as specimens.

Blood Tests are performed to determine the specific antibodies that may help in defending the body’s immune system.

For life-threatening rashes, the common procedures may also make diagnosis easier. There are however specific tests for the different conditions.

In Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the basis of its diagnosis is basically on the mucous membrane involvement, symptoms of the rash, and intake of medications. This is also true for toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Treatment

Treatment for the common dermatitis can come in the form of over-the-counter (OTC) cream or ointment. Kenalog cream, Lorindeni C, Flucinar, and Celestoderm are examples of steroid creams for rashes.

1% of hydrpcpstisone cream is also an OCT treatment that can soothe rashes. Moisturizers are effective in treating eczema. While oatmeal bath and its products can alleviate the symptoms of shingles, eczema, psoriasis.

Usually, skin rashes respond immediately to quality grades of ionic colloidal silver. It serves both as antiviral and antibacterial agents. However, it may also be an immunosupressor in some conditions. Rashes due to direct contact with poisonous plants (ivy, oak, and sumac) suggest an immune system disturbance which often results to itching, irritation, and even blisters. By applying colloidal silver, these reactions are prevented and can provide an immediate relief.

The immunosuppressive character of colloidal silver is clearly manifested on burns. The burning sensation quickly stops upon application of colloidal silver, plus it prevents the development of redness or blistering of the skin.

The use of Aloe and Vitamin E creams are great treatments for you skin. These are specifically effective after a remedy of rashes. Not only do these treatments act as skin cell nutrients but also repair cells that are damaged.

Prevention

Make sure to identify objects, chemicals, or products which cause skin irritation. It may be varied according to an individual’s defense system. If you do have doubts on certain allergens, you can ask your doctors to conduct skin testing.

Infants and children should be given appropriate and up to date vaccines against notorious illnesses such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, and rubella.

Practice constant hygiene such as washing of the hands frequently to prevent spreading of the viruses. Relaxation may also help in conditioning your skin against any other disease that may be acquired.