• Covid-19
  • Find A Provider
  • Patient Portal (eCare)
  • Careers
  • Make a Gift
  • (330) 263-8100

Just another iHealthSpot WP03 site

Wooster Community Hospital - Health System
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Immediate Care
    • COVID-19
    • Emergency Care
    • Telehealth (WCH Virtual Visits)
    • Walk-In Care (Mt. Hope NowClinic)
    • Walk-In Care (NowClinic)
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Gift Shop
    • For Patients
      • Advance Directive
      • Estimate Cost of Care
      • Discrimination Policy
      • Financial Assistance
      • HCAP Care Assurance Application
      • Home Medical Equipment
      • Language Services
      • Medical Records
      • Pricing/Package Prices
      • Patient Care & Privacy
      • Patient Registration
      • Spiritual Care
    • For Visitors
      • Call a Patient
      • Dining Options
      • Inpatient Units
      • Visiting Hours
    • Recognize An Employee (STARS Program)
    • Send a Card
  • Services
        • Custom Services Menu Nov2021

          • View All Services
          • Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal Program
          • Emergency Care
          • Endocrinology
          • Gastroenterology
          • Health & Wellness – HealthPoint
          • Obstetrics
          • Pharmacy
          • Cancer Care Cancer Care
          • Rehabilitation Rehabilitation
          • Women's Health Women's Health
          • Behavioral Health Behavioral Health
          • Cardiovascular Care Cardiovascular Care
          • Surgery Surgery
  • Services
        • Behavioral Health Services
        • Bloomington Orthopedic Specialists
        • Cardiovascular Services – The Cardiovascular Institute
        • Cancer Care – Comprehensive Cancer Care
        • HealthPoint Chiropractic Services
        • Colonoscopy
        • Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal Program
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Emergency Care
        • Endocrinology
        • Endoscopy
        • ERcheckin
        • Gastroenterology
        • Health & Wellness – HealthPoint
        • Home Health Services
        • Home Helpers
        • Hospitalists
        • Internal Medicine
        • Intensive Care Unit - ICU
        • Inpatient Rehabilitation
        • Joint Center
        • Laboratory
        • Medical/Surgical Unit
        • Neurology
        • Nutrition & Diabetes
        • Obstetrics – Women’s Pavilion
        • Occupational Health/Corporate Care
        • Orthopedics
        • Outpatient Rehab – HealthPoint
        • Pain Management
        • Pharmacy
        • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
        • Progressive Care Unit - PCU
        • Pulmonary Health
        • Skilled Nursing – Transitional Care Unit
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Speech Therapy
        • Spine Surgery
        • Stroke Center
        • Surgery
        • Vascular Lab & Blood Flow Screening
        • Women’s Health – Women’s Specialty Center
        • Wound Healing Center
        • NowClinic (Walk-In Care)
        • Vascular Surgery
  • Community
    • Amish Liaison
    • Annual Reports
    • CPR Courses
    • Community Care Network
    • Giving to WCH
    • Medical Alert Device
    • Senior Partners
    • Support Groups
    • Sustainability
    • Transportation Services
    • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Shop for a Gift
      • Volunteer Services
      • WCH Auxiliary
  • Health & Wellness
  • About Us
    • Awards
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • Job Shadowing
    • Contact Us
    • News
    • Our History
    • Our Mission & Vision
    • Providers – WCH Affiliated
    • Read Reviews
  • FIND A PROVIDER
  • PATIENT PORTAL
  • PAY BILL
  • MAKE A GIFT
Wooster Community Hospital - Health System
You are here: Home / Patient Education Article

Rashes

Back to Patient Education
  • Introduction
  • Anatomy
  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Prevention
  • Complications

Introduction

Rashes are a common skin condition that everyone experiences at one time or another.  There are numerous causes of rashes, ranging from allergic reactions, infections, and medical conditions to insect stings.  Some types of rashes can be treated at home with over-the-counter or home remedies.  A doctor should evaluate severe rashes or those that  get worse instead of better.
Back to top

Anatomy

Your skin covers your body and protects it from the environment.  The outermost layer of skin is called the epidermis.
Back to top

Causes

Rashes can occur for many different reasons and there are different types of rashes.  Some common causes of rashes include:

• Allergens or irritants that directly contact the skin cause contact dermatitis.  Examples of allergens include poison ivy and latex.  Examples of irritants include toxic chemicals.
• Bacterial skin infections, such as Staph infections
• Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a hereditary condition
• Fungal infections, such as athlete's foot
• Impetigo is a bacterial infection that is common in children
• Insect stings
• Medical conditions, such as lupus
• Medication allergies
• Psoriasis is a hereditary condition
• Viral rashes are caused by viral infections, such as shingles and chicken pox
Back to top

Symptoms

Symptoms of rashes differ depending on the cause.  Some rashes are widespread, while others are in just one area of the body.  Rashes can appear as reddened skin, red raised bumps, blisters, or scales. Rashes can itch and  cause swelling.  Rashes can make the skin appear dry, leathery, or crusty.
Back to top

Diagnosis

A doctor can diagnose a rash by  examining your skin.  Blood tests, allergy testing, skin cultures, or a biopsy may be used to help determine the cause of your rash.
Back to top

Treatment

The treatment for a rash depends on its cause and severity.  Common treatments include over-the-counter or prescription medications, lotions, or powders.

Back to top

Prevention

You can prevent skin rashes by avoiding the substances that cause them.  Practice good hand washing.  Keep your skin clean and dry.  If you suspect that you have allergies, an allergist can perform skin testing to identify the substances to which you are allergic.

Back to top

Complications

A secondary infection is a complication that can result from open areas in the skin caused by itching.  Signs of infection include red streaks, increasing redness, swelling, pain, or fever.  Call your doctor if you suspect that you have a skin infection.
Back to top

Copyright ©  - iHealthSpot Interactive - www.iHealthSpot.com

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on February 16, 2022. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.

Footer

Patient Education

Learn about common medical conditions and treatments in our interactive patient education center.

Read More

Tell us what you think!

Tell us what you think!

We’d love to hear from you! Send us your feedback and read about the experiences others have had at Wooster Community Hospital.

Leave a Review Read Reviews
  • Patients & Visitors
  • Services
  • About Us
  • Community
  • Careers
  • Telehealth
  • Locations
  • Contact Us

1761 Beall Avenue, Wooster, Ohio 44691 | Phone: (330) 263-8100

Copyright © Wooster Community Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

  • Employees/Physicians
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Discrimination Policy
  • News
iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) Health System offers a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services serving the residents of Wayne County, Ohio. Our health care services include urgent care, cardiac rehabilitation, diagnostic imaging, wound healing, behavioral health services, weight loss management, emergency care, cardiovascular services, outpatient rehabilitation services, inpatient withdrawal treatments, comprehensive cancer care, women's health care, diabetic services, robotic-assisted surgery, anesthesiology, chiropractic services, colonoscopy, endocrinology, endoscopy, internal medicine, pulmonary health services, pharmacy services, orthopedics, speech therapy, sleep medicine, and oncology and infusion services.

  • Home
  • Immediate Care
    • COVID-19
    • Emergency Care
    • Telehealth (WCH Virtual Visits)
    • Walk-In Care (Mt. Hope NowClinic)
    • Walk-In Care (NowClinic)
    • Back
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Gift Shop
    • For Patients
      • Advance Directive
      • Estimate Cost of Care
      • Discrimination Policy
      • Financial Assistance
      • HCAP Care Assurance Application
      • Home Medical Equipment
      • Language Services
      • Medical Records
      • Pricing/Package Prices
      • Patient Care & Privacy
      • Patient Registration
      • Spiritual Care
      • Back
    • For Visitors
      • Call a Patient
      • Dining Options
      • Inpatient Units
      • Visiting Hours
      • Back
    • Recognize An Employee (STARS Program)
    • Send a Card
    • Back
  • Services
  • Services
    • Behavioral Health Services
    • Bloomington Orthopedic Specialists
    • Cardiovascular Services – The Cardiovascular Institute
    • Cancer Care – Comprehensive Cancer Care
    • HealthPoint Chiropractic Services
    • Colonoscopy
    • Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal Program
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency Care
    • Endocrinology
    • Endoscopy
    • ERcheckin
    • Gastroenterology
    • Health & Wellness – HealthPoint
    • Home Health Services
    • Home Helpers
    • Hospitalists
    • Internal Medicine
    • Intensive Care Unit – ICU
    • Inpatient Rehabilitation
    • Joint Center
    • Laboratory
    • Medical/Surgical Unit
    • NowClinic (Walk-In Care)
    • Neurology
    • Nutrition & Diabetes
    • Obstetrics – Women’s Pavilion
    • Occupational Health/Corporate Care
    • Orthopedics
    • Outpatient Rehab – HealthPoint
    • Pain Management
    • Pharmacy
    • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
    • Progressive Care Unit – PCU
    • Pulmonary Health
    • Skilled Nursing – Transitional Care Unit
    • Sleep Medicine
    • Speech Therapy
    • Spine Surgery
    • Stroke Center
    • Surgery
    • Vascular Lab & Blood Flow Screening
    • Vascular Surgery
    • Women’s Health – Women’s Specialty Center
    • Wound Healing Center
    • Back
  • Community
    • Amish Liaison
    • Annual Reports
    • CPR Courses
    • Community Care Network
    • Giving to WCH
    • Medical Alert Device
    • Senior Partners
    • Support Groups
    • Sustainability
    • Transportation Services
    • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Shop for a Gift
      • Volunteer Services
      • WCH Auxiliary
      • Back
    • Back
  • Health & Wellness
  • About Us
    • Awards
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • Job Shadowing
    • Contact Us
    • News
    • Our History
    • Our Mission & Vision
    • Providers – WCH Affiliated
    • Read Reviews
    • Back
  • FIND A PROVIDER
  • PATIENT PORTAL
  • PAY BILL
  • MAKE A GIFT