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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes The Developing Of Itchy Rashes That Are Spreading When Scratched?

Hi Dr. Grief, My 15 yr. old son has been developing itchy rashes off and on for a couple of weeks. They mostly appear as a long thin welted lines. He says that if he scratches, it seems to spread. Yesterday, when this happened, small round raised bumps appeared on his inside forearm as well. Antihistamines help. As far as we can tell, he has not used any new products or eaten any new foods. It seems to appear out of nowhere for no reason. Thank you for any advise. Sharon
posted on Sat, 15 Mar 2014
Twitter Mon, 24 Mar 2014 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 25 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on
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Dermatologist,  's  Response

Hi,

I can understand your concern for itchy rashes that are spreading. There can be multiple possibilities of the red rashes and it requires a close physical examination to diagnose the exact entity of the problem.

In my view correlating with the facts you have provided it appears to be either urticaria (or hives) or allergic dermatitis of the area due to multiple causes.

I suggest you to meet a dermatologist to for proper therapy. In between you should avoid sun exposure and friction to the area properly. If I were your dermatologist then presumptively would have preferred to apply fluticasone with mupirocin cream. You can take an antihistamine such as loratadine for twice a day if itching is present.

Do not try to pinch, pop or squeeze the area as it may cause secondary infection of the area.

All the best
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What Causes The Developing Of Itchy Rashes That Are Spreading When Scratched?

Hi, I can understand your concern for itchy rashes that are spreading. There can be multiple possibilities of the red rashes and it requires a close physical examination to diagnose the exact entity of the problem. In my view correlating with the facts you have provided it appears to be either urticaria (or hives) or allergic dermatitis of the area due to multiple causes. I suggest you to meet a dermatologist to for proper therapy. In between you should avoid sun exposure and friction to the area properly. If I were your dermatologist then presumptively would have preferred to apply fluticasone with mupirocin cream. You can take an antihistamine such as loratadine for twice a day if itching is present. Do not try to pinch, pop or squeeze the area as it may cause secondary infection of the area. All the best