What Causes Itchy Red Bumps All Over Feet And Ankles?

Posted on Wed, 24 Sep 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 24 Sep 2014 Answered on

Sat, 18 Oct 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I have itchy red bumps all over the tops of my feet and ankles. They started out colorless then have turned red. I try not to scratch. Could they be hives? Or flea bites? How long should I wait before goig to get them checked out? I do feel like they have kind of spread. I have a few random spots now on my arms.

Answered by Dr. Hardik Pitroda (13 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Oral antihistaminics

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for posting on HCM.
From your description its looks like you are having episodes of urticaria or hives, a kind of allergic skin eruption.
I would advise you to consult a dermatologist for proper management.
Usually, I advise a short course of various antihistaminics with or without corticosteroids.
For better relief, apply hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion over affected areas
If there are recurrent bouts of hives, a few months long course with different antihistamnics has to be started.
Also, in certain non-responding cases various other medications like dapsone, montelukast, cyclosporine, omalizumab can be tried.
Thank you
Dr Hardik Pitroda

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar