Scratching your head over a new rash? MainStreet shares the triggers and treatments for common rashes to clear up the confusion and calm your skin.

Symptoms of Skin Rash

Have you noticed a new rash? Some mild symptoms may include skin that is:

  • Bumpy
  • Dry
  • Irritated
  • Itchy
  • Pink or red on lighter skin and brown or purple on darker skin

The good news is that most mild rashes can be treated at home.

More severe symptoms may include:

  • Blisters
  • Fever
  • Full body rash
  • Hives
  • Signs of infection
  • Sore throat
  • Swelling

More severe symptoms need medical attention. MainStreet Family Care urgent care services can help!

Skin Rash Causes

We’ll cover five general types of rashes:

  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Bacterial infections
  • Fungal infections
  • Viral infections
  • Dermatitis

Let’s look at some examples of each type, along with their triggers and treatments to provide you with relief.

Autoimmune Skin Rashes

An autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy cells of your organs and tissues. Your skin is your largest organ. Autoimmune rashes are not contagious, but they often run in families. Antimetabolite, biologic, or corticosteroid medications are used to treat autoimmune rashes. Two examples of autoimmune rashes are:

  • Psoriasis looks like patches of silvery or scaly skin that itches. This rash often occurs in people with other chronic diseases, such as arthritis, depression, diabetes, and heart disease.  
  • Rosacea usually appears as a red rash on the face, especially the nose and eyelids. You may have red bumps, dryness, and some pain. It is a long-term skin condition that may fade and then recur with triggers such as alcoholic drinks, intestinal bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, stress, and direct sunlight.

Bacterial Rashes

Bacterial rashes are contagious and require topical or oral antibiotic treatment. Two common bacterial rashes are:

  • Cellulitis is a pink or red rash on the skin caused by bacteria entering through a cut or scratch. This rash usually does not itch but feels warm to the touch, painful, swollen, and may have drainage. If the infection spreads throughout your body and causes a systemic infection called sepsis, it can be a life-threatening condition.
  • Folliculitis is usually caused by bacteria found in untreated hot tubs and swimming pools. It causes irritation, itching, redness, and swelling of a hair follicle.

Fungal Skin Rashes

Some fungal infection skin rashes are contagious and require topical or oral antifungal treatments. Fungi like to live in warm, moist areas like sweaty skin, shoes, and underwear. Two common fungal skin rashes you might experience include:

  • Ringworm—don’t panic—worms do not cause it! Ringworm is caused by fungi that live on the dead tissue on our hair, top skin layers, and toenails. It got its name because the rash looks like a ring with a clear center. It is usually red and itchy.
  • Athlete’s Foot is a type of ringworm skin rash on the feet. It can be prevented by avoiding tight, wet shoes or socks and wearing shower shoes in common bathing areas like public pools.  

Viral Skin Rashes

As the name implies, viral skin rashes are caused by various viral infections. Vaccines can prevent some viral infections, such as chickenpox, measles, rubella, and shingles.

Viral skin rashes are usually treated with supportive care, such as acetaminophen for fevers and anti-itch creams for itching while the viral infection runs its course. A few common viral rashes are:

  • Mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It is spread through bodily fluids, such as saliva, and is often called the “kissing disease.” The rash of small, red bumps is usually accompanied by fever, headache, sore throat, and tiredness.
  • Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once you have chickenpox, the virus remains in your nerve cells and can be triggered by stress or other illnesses. It is a very painful, red, blistering rash that can occur anywhere but usually remains on one side of the body. It is generally accompanied by fever, headache, and nerve pain. The CDC recommends that people aged 50 and older get the shingles vaccine to prevent this painful rash.

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is a skin condition that triggers irritation and rash. Some examples include atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and seasonal allergies.  

The most common type of dermatitis is contact dermatitis. This occurs when your skin comes into contact with a substance that causes an itchy rash as an allergic reaction. Some common irritants that may cause contact dermatitis include:

  • Chemicals such as laundry detergents, soaps, and fabric softeners
  • Insect bites and stings
  • Poison Ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac

If you get frequent rashes, try eliminating detergents, fabric softeners, soaps, or other personal care items with added scents. Your healthcare provider can perform an allergy test to uncover triggers for your rashes.

Poison Ivy

A rash from poison ivy is usually not life-threatening, but it can be itchy and frustrating. Since more than 90 percent of people are sensitive to it, poison ivy rash is common, but you can prevent it. Let’s look closer at its causes, prevention, and how to get relief!

Causes of Poison Ivy Rash

Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac emit an oil called urushiol when their leaves are disturbed, which causes an allergic reaction in most people. You may develop a poison ivy rash if you touch the plant or any objects such as backpacks, clothing, garden tools, or pets that may have contact with the plant and urushiol.

Poison Ivy Symptoms

The most common symptoms of poison ivy, oak, and sumac include:

  • Blisters and bumps that may ooze and crust
  • Itchy rash
  • Leathery patches that are darker – more commonly in darker skin
  • Scaly, dry, cracked skin – seen more commonly in lighter skin
  • Swelling
  • Tenderness

The rash can appear in the first few minutes after exposure or take hours to develop. Some people develop skin sensitivities over time, so it is possible to develop a rash as an adult, even if poison ivy did not trigger a rash for you as a child. Poison ivy rashes last about one to three weeks.

You cannot spread the rash from one person to another. You can only get the rash from touching the urushiol from the leaves.

Preventing Poison Ivy Rash

The best advice to prevent a poison ivy rash is to avoid the sources. Knowing what the poisonous plants look like and where they grow can help.

  • The phrase, “leaves of three, leave them be” is common advice as poison ivy and poison oak usually have three leaves on each stem and grow as vines or shrubs. However, poison sumac usually has five to seven leaves on each stem and grows as a shrub or small tree.
  • Poison ivy can be found throughout the United States; poison oak typically grows on the West Coast and in the Southeast, and poison sumac grows in wet, marshy areas.

Additional tips for avoiding poison ivy exposure include:

  • If poison ivy grows near your home, point it out to your family and friends so everyone can avoid touching it.
  • Keep pets away from poison ivy, as the oil could get on their fur and spread to you and others. If you think your pet has come in contact with poison ivy, wash them while wearing gloves so you do not transfer the oil to your skin.
  • Wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed shoes when hiking or walking in or near wooded areas with poison ivy.
  • If poison ivy is present, wear protective clothing, including gloves, while working in your garden, and wash your garden tools to prevent transferring the oil to yourself or others.
  • If you are concerned that you may have touched poison ivy, wash your hands and clothes immediately. Pro-tip: washing your hands with dish soap will help break down the plant oil better.

Treating Poison Ivy Rash at Home

Most poison ivy rashes can be treated at home. Here are our best home remedies to get relief from your rash:

  • Apply calamine lotion to the rash, but avoid your face and genitals.
  • Apply cortisol cream to the rash.
  • Apply cold compresses to the rash.
  • Avoid scratching. Although it can be difficult, scratching can break the skin and introduce infection. Try cutting your nails short.
  • Bathe in a soothing oatmeal bath, or add baking soda to your bath.
  • Take over-the-counter antihistamines such as Benadryl® at night to help rest.

When to Seek Medical Care for a Poison Ivy Rash

You should see a medical provider if the rash:

  • Covers one-fourth or more of your body.
  • Is on your face or genitals.
  • Is getting worse.
  • Looks infected, such as red streaking, swelling, or increased pain.

You should go to your nearest emergency room if you have a known severe allergy to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac or if you develop:

  • Chest pain
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Swollen tongue or throat

Turn to MainStreet Family Care

Itchy skin driving you crazy? MainStreet Family Care urgent care services can help you heal and feel better fast!

Register online to visit one of our clinics. You can wait from home or in your car until we’re ready to see you. We’ll text you when it’s time to head to the clinic.

We also accept walk-ins! However, please be aware that walk-ins join the same queue as those who register online and may experience a longer in-clinic wait time.