How to Diagnose a Rash
Rashes are a common symptom of many diseases, especially diseases of the skin. Rashes can be a result of a skin infection, an infection elsewhere in the body or an allergic reaction to medication or something in the environment. While it is not advised to attempt to make a definitive diagnosis without consulting a physician, the following article has some tips to help you decide how serious a rash is.
Instructions
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How to Diagnose a Rash
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Go see a doctor. If a rash is really bothering you and you have serious concerns about it, the best thing to do is to visit a doctor. If you can't easily get an appointment with a dermatologist, a general practitioner, at the very least, can tell you if it is something serious.
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Note how long you have had the rash. The longer a rash persists, the more serious it is likely to be. Rashes that last for a day or two are usually nothing serious, and can be either a mild allergic reaction or just a result of your skin getting irritated.
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Note activities that precede the rash. Did you do something unusual just before your rash appeared, such as yard work? Did you use a new brand of soap or eat something unusual? If something is triggering the rash, going through your recent activities can help you diagnose the cause.
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Determine if this is a repeat rash. Often, if someone gets a recurrence of a rash, he assumes that the original diagnosis was wrong. On the other hand, most rash treatments aim at controlling a rash, not preventing it, so it is possible that a rash can come back. If you have had a similar rash before, consider the possibility of a recurrence.
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Compare with pictures. One of the reasons why rashes can be diagnosed at home is that the primary symptom is right there and visible to your eye. This means that you can compare the rash you have with medical pictures. If you have a rash that looks like the characteristic rash from ringworm, you could possibly have ringworm.
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