Contrary to what most of us believe, soaps, food and detergents are rarely what cause rashes on the skin. A heat rash is probably one of the most common rashes found in people, as it is caused by profuse sweating in hot and humid weathers. While anyone can suffer from this problem, children tend to be most susceptible to it. A heat rash appears in the form of a cluster of tiny blisters or pimples, which causes the affected area to turn red. This kind of a rash normally shows up on the upper chest, neck, groin area, elbow creases and under the breasts. Rashes on the skin could also be caused by hives, the symptoms of which are red, itchy welts that appear on different parts of the body. These rashes do not require any treatment and they disappear on their own.
In many cases, an outbreak of red and itchy bumps on the skin is the result of a viral attack or a drug-allergic reaction. A viral rash would be found throughout the skin, in symmetrical patterns and at times, could be accompanied by viral symptoms like nausea, coughing and sneezing. Viral rashes do not really require any treatment, as they normally disappear on their own, after a couple of days or a week at the most. However, a person suffering from a viral rash may require some form of treatment to get relief from the itch. Rashes caused by allergic reactions to drugs begin a few weeks after taking new medication for the first time. If this occurs, the doctor may advise that the medicine be stopped for a while. If the rash does not go away within a week, it probably has not been caused by a drug allergy.
Most rashes aren’t really harmful, dangerous, or contagious, (unless they are caused by a disease like chickenpox). Many of them disappear on their own accord, without any treatment. It is best to observe symptoms such as dry skin or itchiness for a while, before trying to treat it. After waiting for a couple of days, you could also use some over the counter medication. You can apply an anti-itch cream that contains menthol, camphor, diphenhydramine and pramoxine. You could also try a moisturizing lotion to soothe the discomfort and give your skin relief. In case you do not experience any relief from the red, itchy bumps on your skin after a couple of days, it is best to visit your dermatologist.