Skin Rash Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Skin rash is not a disease diagnosis, but a skin symptom.
This condition is characterized by redness of the skin due to inflammation or changes in skin pigment.
This condition can also cause itching, peeling, scaly, or irritated skin.
There are dozens of diseases that have skin rash symptoms, such as dermatitis, diaper rash, yeast infections, impetigo, chickenpox, measles, ringworm, rubella, allergies, lupus, and many other diseases.
Basically, skin rashes can occur in both adults and children.
However, what makes the difference is the underlying cause of the skin rash and the risk factors. Take for example the case of a rash due to a fungal infection.
In children, this condition is usually more often caused by a damp groin area due to wet diapers that are left on for too long or are rarely changed.
In adults, the risk factor is more due to clothes that are damp with sweat.
Skin Rash Symptom
Skin rashes are characterized by the presence of red spots on the skin. Other accompanying symptoms depend on the cause of the rash.
- Red rashes on the skin caused by allergies can be accompanied by spots on the skin and are generally itchy. The skin can appear drier than the skin around it.
- In skin rashes caused by insect bites, bumps also appear on the skin that feel hot and itchy.
- If the rash is caused by a fungal infection, there are usually circular reddish spots on the skin, and there are fine scales on it.
Rashes due to fungal infections will usually feel itchy when the skin sweats.
- If the rash is caused by a bacterial infection, it may be accompanied by purulent spots, pain, and swelling of the affected skin.
- If the rash is caused by a viral infection, fever usually occurs before the redness appears.
Red spots caused by a viral infection usually appear on the face or chest, which gradually spread throughout the body.
Skin Rash Reason
There are many causes of a red rash on the skin. Some of the common causes include:
- food allergy
- medicine Allergy
- allergies due to contact with certain objects (eg metal allergies)
- skin irritation due to certain chemicals, such as detergents
- insect bites
- fungal infection
- bacterial infection
- parasitic infection
- viral infection
- sun exposure
- minor burns
- autoimmune
- excessive sweating
- inflammation
Risk Factors
The risk factor for the occurrence of red spots on the skin is strongly influenced by the main underlying cause.
If you are allergic, it is caused by an allergen which can trigger a hypersensitivity reaction so that a rash occurs on the skin.
It’s the same with rashes due to infection. If it is caused by a fungal infection, the risk factors are damp clothing and lack of keeping the skin clean in the area with the rash.
Diagnosis
To find out the presence of a skin rash and its underlying cause, doctors generally only need to examine the skin.
If the rash is suspected to be caused by an allergy, a skin prick test or IgE examination from the blood can be done to find out the cause of the allergy.
If the rash is suspected to be due to a fungal infection, it is necessary to examine the skin scrapings to find out the fungus causing it.
If the rash is suspected to be due to a bacterial or viral infection, an examination of the fluid smear from the skin can be done to determine the type of bacteria or virus.
Skin Rash Treatment
Skin rashes are generally harmless, but require appropriate treatment depending on the cause.
Here are some ways to treat skin rashes that can be done:
- Treat itching by taking antihistamines
- Provides moisture to the skin
- Rashes due to allergies are treated by giving corticosteroid creams
- Rashes due to fungus are treated by administering anti-fungal creams, such as clotrimazole and miconazole
- Rashes due to bacterial infections are treated with antibiotic creams
The doctor will determine which treatment is most appropriate to treat the skin rash that occurs.
Prevention
Not all skin rashes can be prevented. If the skin rash is triggered by allergies, avoid substances that can cause allergies to prevent the rash from appearing.
Rashes due to measles or rubella can be prevented by administering the MR immunization ( measles rubella ).
Complications
In general, rashes on the skin are classified as harmless. However, back to the main causes of rashes on the skin.
If the rash is caused by an infection, the infection may spread and get worse, causing complications in other organs.
When to See a Doctor?
If the rash is caused by an infection, you need to pay attention to whether the treatment given is appropriate or not.
If within 3-5 days the complaint does not improve, it is strongly recommended to consult again with the doctor to evaluate whether additional medication is needed or not.