Allergy rash...

There are many theories about the development of skin rashes, and experts do not know what causes most of these ailments. Skin rashes generally occur intermittently, fading and reappearing periodically.

Skin Rash: A skin rash, also called dermatitis, is any swelling, puffiness or irritation of the skin. The skin can get red, dry, scaly and itchy. Lumps, bumps and blisters can also be referred to as a skin rash. In fact, any inflammation of the skin is termed as a skin rash, and usually, this condition is a symptom of an underlying disorder. A rash may be restricted to a particular area or spread all over the body. However, most rashes are not life threatening, and temporary skin rashes like allergy rash, are usually not a serious problem.

Different types of skin rashes have varied causes and symptoms: Rashes combined with fever can be a symptom of serious illness, and conditions like hives, eczema and contact dermatitis are caused by allergic reaction. For example, red skin rashes that occur on the face could be caused by the use of a lotion. Additionally, many childhood infectious diseases like chicken pox, scarlet fever, spotted fever or ringworm can have skin rash as a symptom. Rashes are also caused by adverse reactions to drugs, autoimmune and nutritional disorders. A few types of cancers like ‘chronic lymphocytic leukemia’ also emerge with rashes as a symptom.

Allergic Reactions Caused By Food: The hypersensitive response of the body to foreign substances is termed as an allergy. Food can be a cause of allergic reactions. The symptoms are itchiness, accompanied by rashes that can spread all over the body. Food allergies are more common in infants and young children than adults. In adults, it manifests itself in the form of hives, angioderma, eczema, gastrointestinal disorders and general systematic reactions that appear just after eating. Legumes, nuts, seafood (especially shellfish), berries, carbohydrates, fats, food additives and drug contamination are a few examples of food causing allergic reaction. Eczema in infants and children is usually an allergy skin rash caused by foods like milk, wheat, eggs, fish, and soybean products.

The diagnosis and treatment of skin rashes caused by food allergy are based on the patient’s allergic history to a food, along with the trial eliminations of suspected food causing allergic reactions from the patient’s diet.

To Picture Rashes caused by Allergy: Allergies are caused by the response of the body to foreign substances called antigens, which stimulate the formation of antibodies to combat them. In allergic individuals, the body’s antibody defense mechanism is disrupted.

The most frequent allergic reaction is an itchy skin rash. To picture rashes caused by allergy, they are chiefly hives or urticaria, eczema or atopic dermatitis, and contact dermatitis. Hives are red, itchy, inflamed patches of skin, which appear in various shapes and sizes at different areas of the body. Eczema is described as dry, red and extremely itchy patches on the skin. When scratched, it results in rashes. Contact dermatitis is the one of the most frequent kinds of rash, and is caused by exposure or contact of the skin to any allergen like metal, rubber, cosmetics or lotions, and plants like poison ivy. Allergic reactions to drugs like penicillin can also cause rashes, which appear just after taking the first dose of a medicine, and is accompanied by a range of disorders and conditions.

Physicians treat these rashes by determining the symptoms and resolving the underlying disorder. Soothing lotions and oral antihistamines are prescribed to provide relief for itchy rashes. To treat rashes caused by allergies, the allergen has to be identified and removed. For instance, drug rashes disappear once the patient stops taking it.

Sun Rash: The skin can be very sensitive to the sun in the spring and summer, causing a sun allergy rash. The symptoms of a sun rash are small, reddish blisters or large spots on the face and other exposed areas. These allergy skin rashes caused by the sun can be extremely itchy, and one of the remedies is a sunscreen with a ‘high sun protection factor’ or SPF. The action of sunlight on skin exposed to chemicals causes photo-allergic dermatitis, which is a drug-induced photosensitivity that occurs when an individual is exposed to the sun while taking a drug.