A rash could be a condition such as eczema or psoriasis or due to a food, medication, chemical exposure or even a pet. It’s the pattern of the rash that helps determine what it is. Medical history is also a clue to the treating doctor.
Rashes Allergists Treat
- Eczema (scaly rashes with redness, usually in skin folds (neck, arms, behind knees, face). This usually occurs in people with other allergies so allergy skin testing and patch testing to check for chemical sensitivities is usually done. Even normal looking skin of people with eczema can turn into an eczematous area which is one reason that moisturizing is so important. Dr. Stadtmauer has extensive experience in managing eczema (both in patients as well as his own!)
- Contact Dermatitis, may take different forms—acute or chronic and sometimes may be hard to distinguish from eczema, especially on the face or hands. Chemical allergy testing is extremely helpful in figuring out the cause.
- Hives are itchy, red welts that usually do not last more than 24 hours. Typical hives respond to antihistamines but sometimes more inflammatory hives last a few days.
- Swelling episodes (angioedema) that occurs in patients with hives is common but doesn’t respond as quickly to antihistamines. Rarely angioedema is due to a much more serious condition that is usually inherited (hereditary angioedema, HAE).
- Drug rashes are the most common form of a drug allergy. Some drug reactions only cause a mild drug rash but more severe reactions can develop including those affecting other body parts. fairly mild but others are more severe and life-threatening. The key is stop the medication causing the eruption and treat the rash. Diagnosis and testing is done at a later date.