Rashes - Symptom Evaluation

A rash is a skin eruption that results in change in color or texture of the skin. A rash could be due to a local cause like a fungal infection of the skin or due to a problem affecting the whole body like chicken pox. In some cases, a rash may be a sign of a serious infection. Rash may be accompanied by fever in some cases.

A careful examination of different types of rashes will show that the spots of the rash vary in different conditions. In some cases, the rash consists of small flat spots with a change in color over them. These are referred to as macules. Slightly raised small lesions are referred to as papules. Larger raised lesions are called nodules; if they have a flat top, they are called plaques. Wheals or hives are raised and pale pink. They are commonly seen in allergies. Vesicles are small fluid-filled raised lesions; larger vesicles are called bullae.Pustules on the other hand contain pus. Different types of rashes may be present in a single condition.

The causes of rashes are multiple. We thus present here a brief overview and description of some common types of rashes.