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Rash all over the body
contents
- How the rash can look
- Infectious diseases - teething
- measles
- chickenpox
- rubella
- scarlet
- Dreitagefieber
- Fifth disease
- Pfeiffer's glandular fever
- hepatitis
- Dengue fever
- Food allergy
- Sun
- eczema
- psoriasis
- drugs
- The walk to the doctor
- Caution - shock
- Naturopathic treatment
- Skin - mirror of the soul
How the rash can look
A rash, termed efflorescence in the jargon, can show itself in many ways: as a spot (macula), wheal (vesicles), blisters (vesicles) or pustules (pustules).
Rash on the whole body can have different causes and should be clarified urgently by a doctor. (Photo: kanachaifoto / fotolia.com) A stain is any color change in a circumscribed area of the skin. The stain is at the same level as the skin and shows no change in surface texture or consistency. Such discolouration is caused, for example, by circulatory disorders such as vasodilation. These are redness, which in technical language is called erythema.
A rash can also appear in the form of wheals - often in conjunction with an allergy. Wheals are flat, soft sublimities. These can be as small as a pin or much larger. As a rule, wheals develop as part of an allergic reaction - either locally limited or throughout the body. Surely you know the wheal formation after contact with stinging nettles.
Bubbles are fluid accumulations. If these are larger than five millimeters, they are referred to as a bubble. Blisters and blisters also often develop in conjunction with an allergy or synonymous with herpes and a shingles.
Another skin condition is the pustule. This small vesicle is filled with pus.
A rash can be multifaceted. Standards are not available for this. The skin may burn, itch, dandruff or feel warm. Color changes towards reddish, brownish or whitish are possible.
Skin rash with blisters formation shows up, for example, in herpes infections. (Image: nengredeye / fotolia.com) Infectious diseases - teething
The cause of a rash all over the body is often a contagious infectious disease. It is therefore important to consult a doctor to clarify the causes and avoid possible infection.
Infectious diseases differ by their type of rash. In addition, there are other symptoms such as sore throat, fever, itching and general malaise. Chickenpox, measles, marigold, rubella, scarlet fever - these are diseases that accompany a rash.
measles
Measles are transmitted by a virus and are very contagious. Unfortunately, the rash on the body occurs only when the child is already infectious. Initially, there are initial symptoms reminiscent of a flu infection: fatigue, fever, headache, abdominal pain, dry cough, runny nose and sore throat. The affected person's face is bloated and often conjunctivitis is added. These nonspecific symptoms do not cause any measles disease. If, however, a look into the mouth of the affected person on the cheek mucosa shows so-called Koplik spots - these are red spots that have a white point in the middle, this is a relatively clear indication.
After a few days, the fever goes back and it follows the actual rash, which expands after a short time over the whole body. The red spots begin behind the ears and gradually spread over the face and back, arms and legs. The fever rises again, sometimes very high to over 40 ° C. By the fourth day, the rash has also reached the feet. The rash can be associated with itching. When the fever returns, sufferers recover slowly. Measles is no longer a simple childhood disease. In bad cases, tissue is destroyed, the immune system is attacked, and middle ear infection, pneumonia, hepatitis, to life-threatening meningitis or encephalitis, can be the result of measles disease.
chickenpox
Chickenpox is highly contagious and is associated with an itchy rash all over the body. The rash consists of small bubbles that crust over time. Significant for the chickenpox rash is that different stages are present at the same time. That is, fresh bubbles appear next to already encrusted. Scratching can infect these sites and leave scars behind. The disease is transmitted by the varicella-zoster virus. This infectious disease also begins with atypical symptoms such as drowsiness, mild fever and general malaise. Only then does the typical rash with the itchy blisters appear. Chickenpox is a condition that usually heals in healthy patients without complications.
Many infectious diseases are associated with various forms of rash. For example, the picture shows the typical rash of chickenpox. (Image: nengredeye / fotolia.com) rubella
Rubella is a contagious infectious disease that causes a rash all over the body. It is spread by a virus, the so-called rubella virus, and is a typical childhood disease that can affect even adults who have not been vaccinated or have had the disease. Rubella is highly contagious and can damage the unborn child during pregnancy. The rash is reddish, patchy and can extend over the entire body. The symptoms are not always clear, the illnesses can also be very weak.
scarlet
Scarlet attacks mainly children in kindergarten and elementary school. This infectious disease is transmitted by a bacterium. It starts with massive sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever and chills. Abdominal pain and / or vomiting are also possible. The palate and the throat are crimson and the almonds are inflamed, possibly whitish. The lymph nodes in the neck are painfully enlarged.
The typical scarlet rash begins after one to two days and usually spreads over the entire body. Pinheads develop large, raised bright red dots. Palms and soles are not affected. Typical is the perioral paleness, which means that the cheeks are crimson and the skin around the mouth is pale. After about six to nine days, the rash disappears. Only then does the skin peel off, especially on palms and soles of the feet. Also typical of scarlet is the so-called raspberry tongue - this is first white and then raspberry.
Dreitagefieber
The three-day fever is a mostly harmless infectious disease, in which - as the name implies - are three days of fever in the foreground. This disease affects mainly small children between the 6th and 24th month. Most children already had contact with the causative viruses at the age of three. The three-day fever shows a small patchy rash on the whole body, which occurs after the fever episodes. Often then only the diagnosis becomes clear.
Fifth disease
Ringelröteln show up with a crimson rash, which spreads garland-shaped and can affect almost the whole body. The responsible parovirus can survive on the skin for a long time, as this is very stable. According to this, veritable epidemics are possible in kindergartens and schools. Ringelrötel can also go unnoticed, like a flu infection. Ringlets are very dangerous for an unborn child.
Pfeiffer's glandular fever
The Pfeiffer's glandular fever is triggered by the Eppstein-Barr virus and transmitted by droplet infection. This virus belongs to the herpes viruses. The disease can be completely unremarkable, but also quite severe. The sufferers suffer from severe sore throat, fever and swollen cervical lymph nodes. The almonds are heavily swollen and may have a white coating.
In about ten percent of cases, bacterial infections join. These are usually treated with an antibiotic. However, certain broad spectrum antibiotics may trigger a hypersensitivity reaction and cause an itchy, whole body rash.
hepatitis
In the case of hepatitis, a viral infection of the liver, symptoms such as severe tiredness, fatigue, headache, rib pain, and joint pain may also show an itchy rash on the whole body. At the slightest suspicion, those affected immediately receive medical treatment.
Dengue fever
The dengue fever is a tropical disease and is transmitted through the bite of the tiger mosquito. The infected suffer from severe flu-like symptoms with massive muscle and joint pain, rash with itching, to bleeding of various organs, circulatory failure and shock. With flu-like symptoms after returning from a trip from Central and South America, South and Southeast Asia or Africa, caution is advised. You may need to go to a tropical institute.
Food allergy
A variety of foods (such as kiwis, nuts, strawberries, cheese, seafood) can trigger allergies. The complaints take place in the digestive tract, in the area of the mucous membranes or as rashes, possibly all over the body. If the rash is very pronounced and uncomfortable, the doctor usually prescribes an antihistamine.
Sun
Too much sun exposure, possibly in combination with a sunscreen, can cause rash, limited or even on the whole body. This creates wheals, spots, blisters or pimples. Also, the skin often reacts with an exanthem to the combination of sun and taking certain medicines such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories or St. John's wort.
eczema
Those who suffer from eczema usually have dry skin. On this recurrent inflammatory itchy rash develops. In children, especially the head, face, trunk, diaper area and later then backs of the arms and legs are affected. In adults, the rash can affect the whole body, which is quite rare.
Psoriasis causes a rash, which often occurs on the extensor sides of the arms, but can also extend over a large area. (Image: Farina3000 / fotolia.com) psoriasis
Psoriasis (psoriasis) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, which may also affect the joints and internal organs. The disease is not contagious. The predisposition to it can be inherited. Psoriasis runs in spurts, in longer or shorter, with many or even a few symptoms. In this disease, the epidermis grows rapidly. The new cells of the top skin layer migrate seven times faster to the surface than is normally the case. As a result, silvery-white scales form on the skin on limited inflammatory reddened skin areas. Very rarely and only in bad cases does the rash spread to the whole body. As a rule, the extensor sides of the arms and legs, scalp, buttocks, chest and back are affected. The face may be affected as well.
drugs
When taking certain medications, a rash may occur as a side effect, possibly all over the body. The most common drugs that can cause this so-called Arnzeimittelexanthem are antibiotics, analgesics, thyroid hormones, insulins, vaccines, contrast agents, psychotropic drugs and muscle relaxants.
The walk to the doctor
In case of a rash on the whole body, the walk to the doctor is recommended. Especially if general symptoms such as massive itching, fever, malaise, sore throat, vomiting or similar occur. The doctor looks closely at the rash and ensures his diagnosis through a detailed history: When did the rash occur? In which context? What was ahead? What side effects are there? In most cases, an infectious disease is the cause of the rash. It may be necessary to diagnose a skin swab and it is antibiotics, painkillers and prescribed for the itching an antihistamine - in the form of matching ointments or gels.
If the rash changes suddenly, pus, skin bleeding or even ulcers occur and this also in connection with a trip to the tropics, it is essential to consult a doctor immediately.
Caution - shock
An allergic reaction can in the worst case lead to a so-called anaphylaxis, a shock reaction. These include burning, itchy wheals, especially on the palms and soles of the feet, possibly the rash spreads over the entire body. This is followed by shortness of breath, drop in blood pressure, diarrhea, vomiting, palpitations and consciousness cloudiness. The rescue service must be called here as early as possible.
Naturopathic treatment
If the rash occurs due to an existing allergy, a naturopathic treatment is very helpful. For example, acupuncture can help in acute cases. To protect themselves against further allergy episodes and the associated rash, homeopathy, self-blood therapy, anthroposophic medicine and orthomolecular medicine are used.
In case of food allergies, the triggering allergen should be avoided at all costs. However, after a successful therapy, one or the other food may be eaten again without any problems. In rash associated with itching, the homeopathic remedy Rhus Toxicodendron helps. This is also given to the chickenpox children, so they do not scratch their bubbles. In addition, a powder containing Echinacea, Calendula and Quartz will help. This is available at the pharmacy.
Calendula's cream has anti-inflammatory and healing properties, which can help with many forms of rash. (Image: GreenArt Photography / fotolia.com) Healing and anti-inflammatory effect the calendula ointment (marigold ointment). It can also be applied over a large area. Also helpful is the aloe vera gel. This cools and relieves the itching. A simple home remedy is to apply high-quality almond oil to which lavender essential oil has been added (to 50 ml of oil 1 - 2 drops of lavender essential oil). Cooling Quarkauflagen or cool casts have a soothing effect. Thereafter, the skin should be dabbed only slightly.
In the presence of infectious diseases, the rash heals in the course of the disease on its own. This can be supported by the Schüssler salts No. 3 Ferrum phosphoricum (never in fever> 38.5 ° C), No. 4 potassium chloratum and No. 11 Silicea.
Skin - mirror of the soul
Not always can a diagnosis be made if a rash occurs all over the body. Perhaps this is the cause of stress, grief, worry or something similar. If a person can not process an event in their lives, it can manifest through the skin - in the form of a rash. Outwardly help marigold ointment or St. John's Wort oil. Even inside, in the form of a mother tincture, helps the marigold, as it can also cure mental wounds. Other "soul plants" are lavender, lemon balm, St. John's wort and chamomile. Acupuncture can also soothe the body and soul, thus having a positive effect on the healing of the rash. The Schuessler salt of choice in this case is the No. 5 potassium phosphoricum. (Sw)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)