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- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
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- How to Lower Cholesterol
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Rashes
Summary
A rash is an area of irritated or swollen skin. Many rashes are itchy, red, painful, and irritated. Some rashes can also lead to blisters or patches of raw skin. Rashes are a symptom of many different medical problems. Other causes include irritating substances and allergies. Certain genes can make people more likely to get rashes.
Contact dermatitis is a common type of rash. It causes redness, itching, and sometimes small bumps. You get the rash where you have touched an irritant, such as a chemical, or something you are allergic to, like poison ivy.
Some rashes develop right away. Others form over several days. Although most rashes clear up fairly quickly, others are long-lasting and need long-term treatment.
Because rashes can be caused by many different things, it’s important to figure out what kind you have before you treat it. If it is a bad rash, if it does not go away, or if you have other symptoms, you should see your health care provider. Treatments may include moisturizers, lotions, baths, cortisone creams that relieve swelling, and antihistamines, which relieve itching.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Patient Handouts
- “Hot Tub Rash” and “Swimmer’s Ear” (Pseudomonas) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Contact dermatitis Medical Encyclopedia
- Diaper rash Medical Encyclopedia
- Hot tub folliculitis Medical Encyclopedia
- Pityriasis rosea Medical Encyclopedia
- Rash – child under 2 years Medical Encyclopedia
- Rashes Medical Encyclopedia
Images
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis VisualDX
- Drug Eruption VisualDX
- Dyshidrotic Eczema VisualDX
- Irritant Contact Dermatitis VisualDX
- Miliaria Rubra VisualDX
- Pityriasis Rosea VisualDX
- Viral Exanthem VisualDX
Specifics
- Breast Rash Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Contact Dermatitis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Dyshidrosis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Heat Rash American Academy of Family Physicians
- Hot Tub Rash (Pseudomonas Dermatitis/Folliculitis) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Nickel Allergy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Children
- Chronic Itchy Skin Rashes in Children VisualDX
- Dermatitis, Diaper Irritant VisualDX
- Diaper Rash American Academy of Family Physicians
- Drug Eruption (Pediatric) VisualDX
- How to Treat Diaper Rash American Academy of Dermatology
- Miliaria Rubra VisualDX
- New Itchy Skin Rashes in Children VisualDX
- Rashes (For Kids) Nemours Foundation
- Viral Exanthem VisualDX
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dermatitis National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Dermatitis, Contact National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Diaper Rash National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Exanthema National Institutes of Health
Encyclopedia
- Erysipeloid Medical Encyclopedia
- Erythroderma Medical Encyclopedia
Find an Expert
- Find a Dermatologist American Academy of Dermatology
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Treatments and Therapies
- First Aid: Rashes Nemours Foundation
Start Here
- New Itchy Skin Rashes in Adults VisualDX
- Rash Decisions: How to Deal With Itchy, Red Skin National Institutes of Health
Journal Articles
Diagnosis and Tests
- Rash Evaluation National Library of Medicine
- Skin Rashes and Other Problems American Academy of Family Physicians
Related Issues
- Scratching the Surface on Skin Allergies American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
Games
- Skin Allergy Quiz American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology