A rash is when the skin changes colour, appearance or texture. It is often itchy or painful, but sometimes you can not feel that you have a rash.

A rash, together with other symptoms, can be used to diagnose specific diseases.

Some conditions, such as poison ivy have characteristic rashes that strongly indicate the likely cause of the rash.

Another example is measles, which has a rash starting a few days after the onset of a fever, and usually starts at the head and spreads down the body.

Visible Signs of a Rash

• Change of skin color
• Itchy skin
• Hot or warm sensation on skin
• Bumpy skin
• Dry skin
• Cracked skin
• Blistered skin
• Swollen skin
• Painful skin

Common Rash Causes

• Anxiety
• allergies (called hives)
• Skin contact with an irritant
• Bacterial infection
• Viral infection (e.g. chickenpox, smallpox, cold sores and measles)
• Fungal infection (e.g. ringworm)
• Vaccinaion reaction
• Eczema (itself a symtom of some other disorder, ofteh unexplained by doctors)
• Acne
• Sunburn
• Heat
• Friction, chafing of the skin
• Irritation by abrasives in clothing
• Irritation by some types of rough cloth

Uncommon Rash Causes

• Autoimmune disorders (e.g. psoriasis)
• Lead poisoning
• Pregnancy
  
  

ICD-10: Rr20.htm+ r21 21
ICD-9 782.1

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