Skin Rashes

Skin Rashes That Itch, Burns, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Remedy

January 19, 2018

A rash is defined as a noticeable change in the texture or color of the skin. It is usually associated with scaly, bumpy, itchy and irritated skin. Other sources define a rash as a widespread eruption of skin lesions. It is usually a very broad medical term. Skin rashes usually vary very greatly on their appearance depending on the underlying infection that caused it to occur. Due to their numerous underlying causes, there are several types of treatments that area used to treat them.

Skin Rashes that Itch – Overview

skin rashes that itch

Skin rashes that itch affect a big number of people across the world. Some of these rashes may just clear on their own without medical intervention, while other may go away with just simple remedies. However, serious cases should be addressed in the doctor’s office to prevent severity.

Itchy skin rashes are usually very uncomfortable, and the irritation may make you always want to scratch the area. Some rashes are normal and they may be just an indication of a change in environment or some of the body cosmetics you use. Scratching an itchy rash can result in raised, thickened areas that may either cause an infection to spread or result in open wounds. A skin that itches is usually referred to as pruritus.

Causes of skin rashes that itch

Conditions that cause an itchy skin with rashes are very many and some of them may be very severe while other area not. This may range from allergies, diseases, reactions and medication side effects. Rashes can as well result from infections causes by organisms such as bacteria, fungus, virus and parasites. Causes of rashes on the skin may include the following:

Contact dermatitis

This is one of the common causes of an itchy rash on the skin. Contact dermatitis occurs when the skin has reacted to some of the substances that it came in contact with. This is usually visible with a red and inflamed skin, and the rash formed in this case is usually weepy and oozy. Some of the reactions that result in contact dermatitis include; reaction to clothe materials, cosmetic products, poisonous plants such as poison ivy and sumac, and chemical reactions from materials such as latex or rubber.

Medications

Certain medications can results in an itchy rash on the body as a side effect to some people who easily react to drugs. In addition to allergic reaction, some medications such as antibiotics may cause photosensitivity whereby they make a person using them to be more susceptible to sunlight. This may result in a skin rash that looks like sunburn.

Infections

Infections can be caused by disease causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi and they may be seen as skin rashes that itch. The rashes usually vary according to the organism that caused an infection. For example, candidiasis is a common infection that is usually caused by fungal organism and may result in an itchy rash that generally appears in the folds of the skin. If you do not know how to identify certain infections, it better you let your medical provider do it for you as you may be treating something you are not sure of.

Autoimmune conditions

Autoimmune conditions may include things like when someone’s immune system begins to attack his/her healthy tissues. There are numerous autoimmune diseases that can cause skin rashes that are very itchy. For example, a condition referred to as lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects a number of body systems, such as the skin tissue. It produces a rash on the face that looks like a butterfly shape.

Insect bites

Some insects have a very dangerous poison that they release while they bite and therefore some of the symptoms revealed by this are rashes and itchiness of the skin. Insects like wasps, fire ants, mosquito, spider or bees are commonly associated with these symptoms. A skin rash due to insect bite is usually an allergic reaction that result in skin such symptoms. usually, it is very common that after an insect bite, your skin will develop hives, however, the severity of the hives formed usually vary from one person to another or according to the insect that bite you.

Skin rashes that itch from insect bites usually occur in people who have hypersensitive skin that react to the venom of a particular insect. Some rashes of these kinds may disappear on their own after the body immune respond or after a few home remedies.

Underlying conditions

There are numerous conditions or diseases that can cause a rash to develop on your skin with a lot of itchiness. Some of these diseases may include the following:

Liver disease
Anemia
Leukemia
Thyroid disease
Lymphoma
Kidney failure

Types of skin rashes that itch

There are numerous types of skin rashes that may form with itchiness as part of their symptoms. If you have a new itchy rash that is associated with much more serious symptoms such as headache and fever, or, associated with generalized sickness, you may need to visit your medical provider. These are as follows;

Atopic dermatitis

This is most commonly referred to as eczema. It is a common condition that affects children and may produce a red, itchy, weeping rash on inner areas of the elbows and the inner back knees as well as neck, cheeks, wrists, and ankles. It is a common condition in people suffering from asthma and hay fever.

Seborrheic dermatitis

This is a single and most common rash that affects grownups. It usually occurs with a red scaling usually itchy eruption that is specifically affects the scalp, brows, forehead, cheeks, and outside part of the ears. In small children it may occur on the scalp and the diaper areas.

Contact dermatitis

These are skin rashes that are brought about by the body coming into contact with a specific chemical to which the affected person is allergic to or with a substance that may irritate the skin directly. Some chemical are both irritants and allergens. These rashes are usually weepy and oozy and they usually affect the specific area where the ski n came into contact with the offending substance. Common examples of allergic contact dermatitis are poisonous ivy, poison sumac and reactions to costume jewelry that have nickel content.

Diaper rash

This is a very common skin rash that itches and it affects children who still use diapers. It is a type of contact dermatitis and it usually occurs when the diaper allows the feces and urine to come into contact with the body.

Psoriasis

This is a rash that forms on the skin without weeping or oozing. It usually appears as scaling on the skin. It usually occurs on the scalp, elbows, and knees. The affected skin may produce silvery flakes of skin that scale and fall off.

Hives

These are skin rashes that itch and they may form in a sudden fashion and then resolve on their own after few hours. They usually tend to recur frequently. Anything that causes hives to form on the skin should be avoided immediately.

Heat rash ( miliaria)

This is a rash that is caused by the occlusion of sweat ducts during hot, humid weather. It usually affects people at any age but it is most commonly seen in infants who are kept too warm. Heat rash usually appears as a cluster of acne or small blisters. It usually forms on the neck and upper chest, in the groin, under the breasts and in elbow creases. Treatments may involve the affected individual moving to a cooler environment.

Rash with burning sensation on Skin

A human skin can perceive a number of sensations that give a warning sign on what could be going on. Pain, burning and itching are some of the main sensations that produce a signal for action to be taken by either removing the offending agent or moving away from it. A rash that occurs on skin with a burning sensation is usually an indicator of a body reacting to certain allergies, drug reaction, and poisoning or nerve disease.

Inflammation is the way your body will prevent tissue damage. This is usually a short-lived mechanism that is associated with a rash, pain, swelling, heat and redness. The effect is caused by the release of inflammatory chemicals at the affected area. Skin rashes that itch with a burning sensation are mostly temporary and immediately the thing that cause the rash is eliminated, the skin resolves to its normal state. However, if cautious activates are not taken in time, this may result into tissue damage.

Some of the things that may result into a rash with burning sensation on the skin include the following:

Trauma or injury to the skin
Allergic reactions to irritants
Plants or herbs
Skin diseases
Cutaneous decompression sickness

Symptoms of Skin Rashes that Itch

A skin rash can be localized in a small specific part of the body, or in other cases it can cover a very large area on the skin. Different rashes will form with different signs and symptoms such as being dry, sometimes moist, bumpy or smooth, cracked or blistered, with or without pain, itchy, and even change the color of the skin where it formed. Rashes that itch on the skin are normally associated with the following symptoms:

Redness of the skin around the rash
The itchy rash may become dark after some time
Bumps, spots or blisters on the skin
Dry and cracked skin
Leathery or scaly texture to the skin
Skin ulceration

There are cases where the itchiness can be intense and last for long time. As you try to scratch or rub the area, the itchiness may become irritating, and the more it itches, the more you rub or scratch. Eliminating this itch-scratch circle can be very difficult but if you continue scratching an itchy skin, you may cause wounds to develop and infections thereafter.

How to Get Rid of Skin Rashes that Itch

Getting rid of an itchy skin rash will start by stopping to scratch the rash. This is because scratching the rash or hives may create more irritation which may add more problems by resulting into an infection. Frequent washing of the affected area followed by adequate application of moisturizing creams may help to reduce the discomfort from the rash. If your condition is caused by reaction to a certain substance, make sure you stay away from that irritating agent and if it is a medicine, you may talk to your doctor to see if he can give you an option.

The following are some of the home remedies may help while dealing with a rash on your skin that produce a burning sensation, itch, or has pain.

Home remedies for skin rashes that itch

Cold compress

Usually, an allergic reaction may show up as a red, itchy, rash on the skin. In some cases, the affected area may feel warm to the touch, and the symptoms may continue long as you are in contact with the causing agent. Clod compress may help to reduce that pain or itchiness from the rash and within no time the burning sensation will have gone. Make sure you put clean cold water in a basin and use a clean cloth to dip and rinse excess water before compressing the cloth on the affected area.

Oatmeal bath

Bathing the affected area with colloidal oatmeal may show good results when it comes to dealing with itchy rashes on the skin. Oatmeal is an essential product that helps to moisturize the skin and therefore prevent dryness and scaling. It also contains an anti-inflammatory agent that helps in reducing itchiness.

Oatmeal bath may help greatly when dealing with rashes on the skin that result from psoriasis and eczema. You just have to add a cup of colloidal oatmeal to slightly warm water and soak for at least half an hour. Do not use hot water as it can increase the itchiness.

Itchy Skin Rashes Treatment

Medical treatment for skin rashes that itch may include the us e of conventional treatments that may always include topical ointments or creams that can be acquired over the counter as well as prescription strength corticosteroids like hydrocortisone creams. Some of these ointments when used for long time may produce some side effects such as thinning of the skin.

Medical treatment for skin rashes in most cases will depend on the causing agent that resulted in the rash. This means, diagnosis may be done first before any treatment is administered. Your skin doctor may prescribe a cream or oral medication to help in alleviating the discomfort.
Anti-histamines and also moisturizing ointments may help to ease irritation and dryness from your rash. In recent times, new medications such as ointments have been approved to be used for mild and moderate atopic dermatitis and a biologic for moderate and severe atopic dermatitis.

Medical treatments should be discussed in the doctor’s office so that no mistake is made when it comes to choosing the right treatment for the right course.

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