Skin rashes can occur at any age, with some, such as roseola infantum, being associated with viruses acquired during childhood. Many skin rashes are not serious and go away on their own. A thorough physical exam by the doctor can help decide what type of rash is present and how it should be appropriately treated.
Contact Dermatitis
When the skin has an inflammatory response because of contact with an allergen or irritant, this is known as contact dermatitis. Examples of an irritant include chemicals, viruses, bacteria, plants, smoke, food and perfumes. According to the Medline Plus website, the allergic reaction is often delayed, with the rash appearing in 24 to 48 hours from time of exposure. The rash could be mild or so severe that open sores exists, the site notes. Common allergens are poison ivy, oak and sumac, rubber, latex, nickel and other metals, topical antibiotics and detergents.
Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Hand-foot-mouth disease is caused by the the coxsackievirus A 16 and enterovirus 71, or EV71. It can be spread from person to person by coming in contact with the nose and throat discharge of an infected person as well as infected blisters. Also, it can be spread by coming in contact with infected stool, notes the book "Clinical Dermatology."
Medline Plus notes that this disease occurs most frequently in children under the age of 10. The first sign is oral lesions followed by skin lesions, which appear in approximately two-thirds of the patients. The red rash has tiny blisters in the center and may be painful. The rash appears on the hands, feet and diaper area. There is no specific treatment except comfort measures, notes Medline Plus. It takes about five to seven days to recover from the disease.
Roseola Infanum
Roseola infantum, also know as sixth disease, is caused by human herpesvirus 6 HHV-6, which is similar to the cytomegalovirus. The virus is frequently spread from the saliva of the mother to the baby. Most cases occur between 6 months and 4 years of age, notes Thomas Habif in his book "Clinical Dermatology."
Habif notes that 90 to 100 percent of the population has HHV-6 antibodies by the age of 2. The rash evident with roseola appears after the fever subsides. Many pale pink, almost almond-shaped macules, or alterations in skin color, appear on the trunk and neck. It is not unusual for the rash to begin to fade within a few hours to two days, notes Habif. The rash may be mistaken for rubella or measles.
References
- Medline Plus: Allergen
- Medline Plus: Contact Dermatitis
- "Clinical Dermatology"; Thomas Habif; 2009
- Medline Plus: Hand-foot-mouth-disease
