Skin Rash Treatment Specialist Q&A

A rash is identified as a sudden blowup of lesions on the skin. Rashes may be widespread across your body or just limited to specific areas. They may also vary in appearance. Some of the visual indicators of an allergy rash include redness, blisters, dryness, inflammation, bumps, and much more. It may also cause you to feel itchiness and pain. On top of this, allergy rashes may be a gateway for infection, scarring, and other complications. The appearance may differ depending on the cause and severity of the rash too.

Despite this, rashes may be caused by a variety of issues, meaning it may be difficult to pinpoint the problem without proper allergy testing.

Allergy rashes, also known as contact dermatitis, are often treated through home remedies and lifestyle changes, as well as medication provided by your healthcare provider.

Home remedies and lifestyle changes are often the first thing you should implement to soothe allergic reactions and avoid future reactions to the allergen. You may ask your healthcare provider for a list of products that typically contain the allergen, so you know what to avoid using. Getting to know products that do not contain the allergen is just as important so that you can find substitutes and continue to protect yourself. Protecting the affected skin is another crucial, yet often overlooked step. Avoid itching and leave the rash to heal on its own.

To help soothe itchy and irritated skin, some may opt for non-prescription anti-itch drugs. Depending on the drug and its proper usage, these may be taken orally or topically. Some popular oral drugs are Advil, Benadryl, Alavert, and Claritin, while popular topical anti-itch creams include Cortizone-10 or calamine lotion. Other methods you can utilize at home consist of bathing the rash in cool water, soaking it with a wet towel, or wrapping the rash in a dressing.

If the at-home solutions prove to be inadequate, you may be a candidate for further treatment. Treatment may be prescribed by your healthcare provider as steroid creams, ointments, or pills to help combat the itchiness and swelling of the rash.

In general, rashes may be caused by bacteria, viruses, allergens, or preexisting conditions such as eczema, hives, or psoriasis. While there may be many reasons for spontaneous rash, the most common reason is dermatitis, which happens when an allergen or irritant makes contact with your skin and causes an allergic reaction. At its core, an allergic reaction means that your body is overreacting to certain substances called allergens. As your immune system intends to eliminate these allergens, swelling, itchiness, blisters, and other symptoms may take shape.

Besides allergic reaction, rashes may be induced by stress factors like age, stress, and excess oil on the skin and body. People that have the condition atopic dermatitis (eczema) and people with asthma and other allergies may be even more prone to rashes. Typically, sudden rashes are not too harmful and will go away with time, however in certain cases they may allude to more serious conditions. If you are worried about whether your rashes are harmful or not, you may want to consult your doctor and see if allergy testing is right for you.

Allergic reactions are rarely ever immediate. After the allergen makes contact with your skin, it can take anywhere from 10 hours to 3 days for a rash to develop. In some extreme cases, a rash won’t develop for 10 whole days. It will usually take 2-4 weeks for your rash to completely heal. Even when treated, symptoms may last for the whole 2-4 weeks, so it is important to keep treating it even if there is no visual difference over the course of just a few days. The severity of the reaction will also play a part in determining how long the rash will stay. If a rash persists for an unusually long period of time, you may want to contact your healthcare provider to help identify the cause and treatment options. For more information, please contact us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Lawrenceville GA, Atlanta GA, Conyers GA, Suwanee GA, Duluth GA, Grayson GA, Decatur GA, Brookhaven GA, Lithonia GA and Covington GA.