What is a Rash

Rash is a change in the color of the skin.

A rash can also change the way your skin feels. There are many different conditions and factors that can cause a rash.

Follow these instructions at home:

Pay attention to any changes in your symptoms. Follow these instructions to help with your condition:

Medicine

Take or apply over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor. These may include:

• Corticosteroid cream.
• Anti-itch lotions.
• Oral antihistamines.

Skin Care

• Put cool compresses on the affected areas.
• Try taking a bath with:
  • Epsom salts. Follow the instructions on the packaging. You can get these at your local pharmacy or grocery store.
  • Baking soda. Pour a small amount into the bath as told by your doctor.
  • Colloidal oatmeal. Follow the instructions on the packaging. You can get this at your local pharmacy or grocery store.
• Try putting baking soda paste onto your skin. Stir water into baking soda until it gets like a paste.
• Do not scratch or rub your skin.
• Avoid covering the rash. Make sure the rash is exposed to air as much as possible.

General instructions

• Avoid hot showers or baths, which can make itching worse. A cold shower may help.
• Avoid scented soaps, detergents, and perfumes. Use gentle soaps, detergents, perfumes, and other cosmetic products.
• Avoid anything that causes your rash. Keep a journal to help track what causes your rash. Write down:
  • What you eat.
  • What cosmetic products you use.
  • What you drink.
  • What you wear. This includes jewelry.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.

Contact a doctor if:

• You sweat at night.
• You lose weight.
• You pee (urinate) more than normal.
• You feel weak.
• You throw up (vomit).
• Your skin or the whites of your eyes look yellow (jaundice).
• Your skin:
  • Tingles.
  • Is numb.
• Your rash:
  • Does not go away after a few days.
  • Gets worse.
• You are:
  • More thirsty than normal.
  • More tired than normal.
• You have:
  • New symptoms.
  • Pain in your belly (abdomen).
  • A fever.
  • Watery poop (diarrhea).

Get help right away if:

• Your rash covers all or most of your body. The rash may or may not be painful.
• You have blisters that:
  • Are on top of the rash.
  • Grow larger.
  • Grow together.
  • Are painful.
  • Are inside your nose or mouth.
• You have a rash that:
  • Looks like purple pinprick-sized spots all over your body.
  • Has a “bull’s eye” or looks like a target.
  • Is red and painful, causes your skin to peel, and is not from being in the sun too long.