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Red dots on the skin
contents
- definition
- Allergies and intolerances as the main cause
- Red dots in skin diseases
- Autoimmune diseases as a cause
- Skin infections and red spots on the skin
- Vascular disorders and coagulation disorders as the cause
- diagnosis
- therapy
- Medical therapy
- Operative therapy
- home remedies
- Naturopathic therapy
- Diseases at red spots
definition
Red dots or spots on the skin do not constitute a separate clinical picture. Rather, they are to be understood as a symptom that either appears as a disease sign or indicates a short-term skin irritation. In some cases, the red dots are not too worrying at all. For example, they can be used as so-called heat spots for a short time
- great heat,
- direct sunlight
- or local friction occur.
Sometimes red spots or patches are just a sign of high tension and are then colloquially referred to as hectic patches. They usually occur on the face and in the neck and décolleté area and are temporary
- nervousness,
- unrest
- or stress burden owed.
Like heat stains, hectic patches very often form a localized, reddened area of skin that is made up of smaller dots to larger patches of skin.
For skin irritations, there are many known reasons. Sometimes they occur over a large area, sometimes only sporadically. Red spots on the skin are a particularly versatile variant of skin changes and may require a medical examination. (Image: ArTo / fotolia.com) At the latest when the tension or the heat, sunlight or local friction have subsided again, both hectic and heat spots settle relatively quickly within a few hours again. On the other hand, if the red spots persist for several days or even weeks, sufferers should give them a bit more attention and, if uncertain, they may also consult the doctor. Because in addition to the rather harmless to classify causes can hide behind the skin irritation and serious underlying diseases. Very often are here
- Allergies (especially contact allergies),
- chronic skin diseases,
- Circulatory disorders,
- fevers,
- infectious diseases
- or even cancer
as the originator of the red spots. When fever in particular called corresponding points as a fever pick. They are able to spread over a particularly large area on the body and often affect the torso and the face.
Danger: Fever pimples are not to be confused with cold sores that arise in the context of cold sores! These blisters develop especially in children in the lip area and are usually caused by an infection caused by herpes simplex virus type I. The blisters, in contrast to small dots on the skin are relatively large, filled with infectious wound secretion and sometimes very painful.
Fever pimples are not to be confused with bubbles (pictured here), which arise in the context of cold sores! These vesicles develop around the lip and usually result from infection by herpes simplex virus type I. (Image: Janina Dierks / fotolia.com) Another variant of red spots are so-called blood spots (also: blood spots or purpura). They are usually associated with circulatory problems or a tendency to red moles. In both cases a medical clarification is suggested. Similarly, when red spots on the skin are specifically associated with disease symptoms such as fatigue, fever, itching, pain, swelling or general malaise. Here, an allergy, skin or infectious disease could hide behind the skin irritation.
Allergies and intolerances as the main cause
Red spots or spots on the skin are often an expression of allergy or intolerance. Both contact allergies of the skin as well as incompatibilities to various foods or medicines are considered. Particularly frequent triggers include the following allergens and irritants:
- Ingredients of disinfectants,
- Cosmetics or their ingredients and perfumes,
- Food additives (e.g., food acids, preservatives or flavorings),
- Food allergens (e.g., gluten, soy, cereals, nuts, milk or vegetable matter),
- Medications (e.g., antibiotics, hormone preparations, cortisone or blood thinners),
- Stress stimuli (such as anxiety, hectic, inner restlessness or mental problems),
- Temperature and climate (eg sun, heat, cold or humidity),
- Environmental allergens (e.g., plant pollen, plant or animal toxins or environmental pollutants).
The severity of the skin irritation can be very different for corresponding stimuli. Contact allergies are usually limited to the skin areas that come in contact with the allergen. For example, spotted skin rashes are usually limited to a hand-disinfectant allergy only to the hands and forearms or an allergy to certain cosmetics only on the face. But even here, the stains can later spread to the entire body, if no suitable countermeasures take place. Contact allergies are also often associated with itching, scaling and burning of the skin.
Intolerances to foods or medicines, on the other hand, are generally not localized because the allergen can spread throughout the body via the gastrointestinal tract and the bloodstream. Very often, for example, a punctate or patchy skin rash is described on the entire torso in a treatment with the antibiotic penicillin.
Basically, about a possible allergy to drugs or food but less the type, distribution and expression of the points on the skin information, but rather the temporal relationship between ingestion and occurrence of skin irritation. If an allergy is suspected as the cause, sufferers should discuss this with a doctor and initiate further diagnostic measures, because allergies can have serious or even life-threatening consequences, such as the anaphylactic shock.
Red dots in skin diseases
Skin diseases as a cause of red spots on the skin can be caused by various factors. These include, among others
- hormonal influences (for example during puberty, pregnancy or menopause),
- genetic predisposition (especially in chronic skin diseases and birthmarks),
- Infection germs (mostly bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses).
Hormonal effects of pregnancy, menopause or puberty may be the cause of red spots on the skin and its underlying disease. Usually these diseases disappear after the end of the hormonal changes. (Image: demphoto / fotolia.com) Hormonal changes particularly favor skin diseases such as acne or pregnancy dermatosis. Usually these diseases disappear again after the end of the hormone changes, whereby the time until the skin irritation is reduced is often very painful for those affected. Even more annoying, the symptoms of genetic skin diseases such as
- Dyshidrosis,
- hemangiomas,
- mastocytosis,
- eczema,
- and psoriasis.
Relatively unknown is dyshidrosis. Physicians are still not quite in agreement on how this disease arises, however, it is striking that it occurs frequently in wet-cold seasons, ie autumn and spring. In the context of the disease it comes to the formation of raised skin dots, especially on the fingers or finger sides. These dots contain an inflammatory fluid, which spreads in the further course of the disease in the skin tissue as soon as the skin elevations burst inward. As a result, there is much itchy to painful swelling, as well as flaking and inflammation in the finger. In some cases, dyshidrosis is also a precursor to atopic dermatitis.
Autoimmune diseases as a cause
In addition to some skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, which already have an autoimmune background, there are other autoimmune diseases that come as a trigger for red dotted skin irritation in question. They have in common that the body is due to immunological disorders directed against itself or against the body's own tissue structures and secretions. The causes of such events are still being researched in many cases of autoimmune diseases. Very often, however, an interaction of genetic factors and environmental factors can be identified as the originator.
Some autoimmune processes directly target the skin and the cell and tissue types in it, leading to red spots or other skin defects. This is the case for diseases such as
- Bullous pemphigoid,
- Behcet's disease
- and forms of purpura.
In turn, other examples of autoimmune diseases are initially directed against other organ systems and tissue types, but they may also show up in red spots or spots on the skin. These include:
- celiac Disease,
- Lupus erythematosus,
- Crohn's disease,
- sarcoidosis.
Skin infections and red spots on the skin
The range of infectious diseases associated with red spots or spots on the skin is particularly large. In some diseases, an extremely pronounced skin irritation is one of the main or leading symptoms. This is the case, for example, for the following infectious diseases:
- shingles
- skin fungus,
- scabies,
- lice infestation,
- measles,
- rubella,
- Fifth disease,
- chickenpox.
The range of infectious diseases associated with red spots or spots on the skin is particularly large. The shingles show, for example, a very pronounced skin irritation. (Image: snesivan / fotolia.com) It can be seen that the infectious diseases associated with red spots do not necessarily have to be skin-restricted. This is especially true for infections in which the skin irritation rather form a weak complication. The pathogens are mainly caused by certain viral and bacterial strains, including:
- Lyme Bacteria (in Lyme Disease)
- HI viruses (in HIV or AIDS)
- Hepatitis viruses (in hepatitis)
- Syphillis bacteria (in syphillis)
- Epstein-Barr virus (in glandular fever)
Vascular disorders and coagulation disorders as the cause
Diseases of the blood and blood vessels can sometimes cause very extreme red spots on the skin. These appear either very small and pinhead-sized (so-called petechiae), but can also grow to a size of several centimeters. They are usually blood red to violet discolored and slightly raised above the normal skin level. Possible clinical pictures are:
- hemangioma,
- Osler's disease,
- Wegener's disease,
- bleeding disorders.
Such diseases are in urgent need of a medical examination, as they can mean a massive intervention in the systemic processes of the body.
diagnosis
As already shown, the spectrum of causes for red skin points is very diverse. In addition to the common causes, such as allergies, intolerances and skin diseases, also infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, vascular diseases and coagulation disorders come into question. In order to limit the possible causes, it is therefore important that the person concerned and the attending physician observe the skin irritation with regard to various characteristics. The following questions should be clarified:
- Occur the skin irritations on a daily or seasonal basis?
- Is it a single or a patchy distribution of points?
- Do the dots have a sublime structure or are they adapted to the skin level?
- Are the red dots scattered all over the body or localized??
- There are concomitant symptoms such as itching, burning, scaling, pain, swelling?
- The symptoms worsen due to certain stimuli such as hand washing, exposure to sunlight or contact with certain substances?
Depending on the suspicion, specific laboratory tests and imaging test methods can then be used. Even skin tests to detect incompatibilities are conceivable. If necessary, the referral to a specialist or dermatologist will follow after the initial examination.
Skin tests for the detection of allergies can be used for diagnosis, as well as laboratory tests and imaging methods - the range of causes of red spots is very diverse. (Image: Gerhard Seybert / fotolia.com) therapy
The treatment of red spots on the skin is very much dependent on the underlying disease. In some cases (especially in the case of local skin irritation), the skin irritation will resolve itself within a few hours and will not require any medical treatment. However, sufferers should consult a doctor if the red spots or patches on the skin persist or even multiply. Alarm signs are the following concomitant symptoms in this regard:
- difficulty in breathing,
- fever,
- strong malaise,
- Pain, burning, itching,
- Wet or festering skin irritation,
- increased occurrence of rash after stimulus (e.g., food allergens),
- Flu symptoms (eg cough or runny nose).
Medical therapy
If the red dots are based on an allergy or intolerance, it is not absolutely necessary to initiate a drug therapy, as the symptom usually disappears as soon as the causative agent is metabolized and excreted. However, it is advisable to avoid the responsible allergen in the future or, if this is not completely possible, at least to stem the contact. In addition, it is recommended to have a comprehensive allergy test carried out in order to exclude further allergies. In case of severe allergic attacks, antihistamines can reduce the severity of the symptoms.
In the case of skin diseases, the attending physician will first try to prevent spread of the rash and promote healing before starting the diagnosis procedure. For this creams, lotions and gels with wound healing and anti-inflammatory ingredients are available. An application of cortisone-containing creams is very common in this area. In particularly severe cases, cortisone can also provide relief as a tablet or infusion solution. Wound healing substances often contain panthenol, linolen or zinc. When microorganisms cause skin defects, lotions can be used with drugs that prevent and kill these microorganisms (e.g., antifungals, antiscabiosis, acaricides)..
If the symptom of red spots or spots on the skin is caused by infectious diseases, physicians will have access to various antibiotics (for microbial agents) or antivirals (for viral agents). These must be taken regularly for several days and the treatment should not be prematurely terminated even when the symptoms disappear, otherwise it can lead to a renewed outbreak of the disease. Accompanying medication is often given, such as antipyretics and analgesics.
If autoimmune diseases are suspected as the cause, the drug therapy is very complex and necessarily dependent on the correct diagnosis. Above all, it is important to have a comprehensive diagnosis that goes far beyond the skin. Both sufferers and the attending physician should keep in mind that sufferers of autoimmune disease often have more autoimmune diseases.
Operative therapy
Surgical methods are used for this symptom when it comes to pronounced vascular malformations (for example, hemangiomas), which cause a considerable cosmetic distress in those affected. Here are surgical distances, laser treatments and cryotherapy in question to reduce the extent of malformation or, if possible, to remove them completely.
Surgical methods such as cryotherapy or laser treatment are used when it comes to pronounced vascular malformations (for example, hemangiomas), which cause considerable pain in the affected person. (Image: Jacob Lund / fotolia.com) home remedies
To promote wound healing of affected skin areas, ointments or lotions with the active ingredients panthenol, linolen or zinc can be used, which are available in the pharmacy. A lot of rest and a balanced fluid balance are also just in infectious diseases as the causer an easy to use and above all very effective home remedy, because only a little strained body can provide its own immune system, the necessary energy to fight the pathogens. For this reason, the attending physician will issue a certificate of incapacity for work or prevent the child from visiting the school or care facility for a certain period of time in order to avoid possible contagion of his fellow human beings.
In the field of autoimmune diseases, long-term dietary changes often have a positive influence on the course of the disease. For example, Crohn's disease patients can be particularly rich in vitamins and minerals to counteract the disease-related vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For those with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is currently still the best treatment option.
Naturopathic therapy
In naturopathy moist-cold or warm envelopes with the extracts of the following plants can be successful:
- Aloe vera,
- chamomile,
- marigold,
- peppermint,
- Tea tree oil,
- yarrow.
Especially with atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, regular full or partial baths or therapeutic packings in Totem sea salt, healing earth or silica can affect the affected areas of the skin to promote healing and relieve itching.
Diseases at red spots
Bullous pemphigoid, Behcet's disease, celiac disease, lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, shingles, skin fungus, scabies, lice infestation, measles, rubella / marigold, chickenpox, Lyme disease, AIDS / HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, glandular fever, hemangioma, Osler's disease , Wegener's Disease, Blood Coagulation Disorders (ma)