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Have A Rash On My Back Looks Like Patch. Is This Fungal Rash. Treatment?
Posted on
Tue, 12 Mar 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 12 Mar 2013
Answered on
Tue, 2 Apr 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : I have a rash on top right side of my back. Its like spread in small patches in a particular region. I compared it to some pics on the internet and it looks like a fungal rash. There is some pain in it but its not itchy. can you suggest some cream based on this information.
Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks fore writing to us.
If it is a fungal rash then an antifungal cream like clotrimazole cream applied twice daily would help. Fungal rash is usually itchy and is not usually accompanied by pain.
Hence I would advise you to upload an image of concerned area so that I can analyse your skin lesion and offer appropriate advise.
Hoping to hear from you soon
Take care
Thanks fore writing to us.
If it is a fungal rash then an antifungal cream like clotrimazole cream applied twice daily would help. Fungal rash is usually itchy and is not usually accompanied by pain.
Hence I would advise you to upload an image of concerned area so that I can analyse your skin lesion and offer appropriate advise.
Hoping to hear from you soon
Take care
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Doctor,
The pain from the rash was driving me crazy, so I went to see a dermatologist. She said that its Herpes Zoster. She has given me some antiviral medicine for 7 days and a lotion to apply on it.
I wanted to know why has this rash occured in the first place so that I can avoid it in future. Also, is this thing contagious?
Thanks.
The pain from the rash was driving me crazy, so I went to see a dermatologist. She said that its Herpes Zoster. She has given me some antiviral medicine for 7 days and a lotion to apply on it.
I wanted to know why has this rash occured in the first place so that I can avoid it in future. Also, is this thing contagious?
Thanks.
Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing back.
When the lesions are painful and there is an involvement of particular region with red rash, the first differential that we think of is herpes zoster. Hence I wanted to see your skin lesions before offering advise. It is really commendable on your part that you visited a dermatologist and started with proper treatment.
Now to answer your questions specifically,
Herpes zoster is a viral infection caused by a virus varicella zoster that also causes chicken pox. Once a person gets chicken pox, virus lies dormant in nerves only to manifest itself on skin later on in form of red painful rash and blisters in a particular area only. Herpes zoster manifests usually in elderly or sometimes when the immunity gets low. It may manifest in young adults also.
Usually herpes zoster is not seen to occur after a single episode. So do not worry about recurrence
If a child or an adult who never had chicken pox infection comes in contact with herpes rash, they will develop chicken pox not shingles and someone who already had chicken pox or shingles will not develop any infection.
As far as treatment is concerned, its good that you have started with antiviral drug. Antivirals not only prevent progression of the disease but also prevent post herpetic pain. As you are having pain, I hope she has advised you pain killer too. I guess you are applying calamine lotion over the lesions. Personally I prefer antibiotic cream application over the lesions as it prevents any superseding bacterial infection of the lesion.
Hope I have cleared your doubts. Should there be any other query, feel free to write back.
Wish you a speedy recovery
Thanks for writing back.
When the lesions are painful and there is an involvement of particular region with red rash, the first differential that we think of is herpes zoster. Hence I wanted to see your skin lesions before offering advise. It is really commendable on your part that you visited a dermatologist and started with proper treatment.
Now to answer your questions specifically,
Herpes zoster is a viral infection caused by a virus varicella zoster that also causes chicken pox. Once a person gets chicken pox, virus lies dormant in nerves only to manifest itself on skin later on in form of red painful rash and blisters in a particular area only. Herpes zoster manifests usually in elderly or sometimes when the immunity gets low. It may manifest in young adults also.
Usually herpes zoster is not seen to occur after a single episode. So do not worry about recurrence
If a child or an adult who never had chicken pox infection comes in contact with herpes rash, they will develop chicken pox not shingles and someone who already had chicken pox or shingles will not develop any infection.
As far as treatment is concerned, its good that you have started with antiviral drug. Antivirals not only prevent progression of the disease but also prevent post herpetic pain. As you are having pain, I hope she has advised you pain killer too. I guess you are applying calamine lotion over the lesions. Personally I prefer antibiotic cream application over the lesions as it prevents any superseding bacterial infection of the lesion.
Hope I have cleared your doubts. Should there be any other query, feel free to write back.
Wish you a speedy recovery
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for the advice doctor, my dermatologist has given me all those medicines that you just mentioned including a pain killer. There is some pain in the rash but I don't think that I need a pain killer, so I am not really taking them.
I have one more question, by how much time should I expect to see visible improvement in the rash? and also these is something fishy that I feel in the nerves on the right part of my body(my rash is on the rmiddle right side of the back), sometimes there is slight pain but it is just momentary. is it normal to experience such pain in such condition?
I have one more question, by how much time should I expect to see visible improvement in the rash? and also these is something fishy that I feel in the nerves on the right part of my body(my rash is on the rmiddle right side of the back), sometimes there is slight pain but it is just momentary. is it normal to experience such pain in such condition?
Hi XXXXXXX,
Herpes zoster rash usually improves in seven to ten days time.
As there is nerve involvement in herpes zoster therefore pain is neuralgic in origin and may manifest as sharp shooting pain, mild pain, tingling or numbing sensation or itching.
So the momentary pain you are noticing is normal with shingles. I would advise you to take pain killer though you might just take it once in a day if you are not having much pain.
Hope that answers all your queries. Take care.
PS should there be no other query, we may close the discussion.
Herpes zoster rash usually improves in seven to ten days time.
As there is nerve involvement in herpes zoster therefore pain is neuralgic in origin and may manifest as sharp shooting pain, mild pain, tingling or numbing sensation or itching.
So the momentary pain you are noticing is normal with shingles. I would advise you to take pain killer though you might just take it once in a day if you are not having much pain.
Hope that answers all your queries. Take care.
PS should there be no other query, we may close the discussion.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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