An erythematous rash is a red rash caused by skin inflammation, falling into three categories. Symptoms vary depending on the type of rash, and causes range from medication reactions to infections. Treatment options include avoiding sunlight, antihistamines, antibiotics, and photomodulation therapy.
An erythematous rash is characterized by redness resulting from inflammation of the skin surrounding a patch of skin where a rash is found. This type of rash falls into one of three categories: knotty, photosensitivity, and multiform. A number of irritants could cause rashes to form on a person’s skin, requiring a doctor to properly determine the source of the rash and prescribe proper treatment.
Common symptoms of an erythematous rash include fever or flu-like symptoms, with other symptoms depending on the type of rash a person has developed. An erythematous multiforme rash has raised spots at the site of the rash that have white rings surrounding the white spots, making the spots look like targets. With multiform erythematous rashes, other lesions may be present on the rash. Patients with erythema nodosum have raised points that are normally found below the knees and are sensitive to any touch. Photosensitivity rashes appear as redness of the skin, concentrated on areas that have been exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time.
The causes of an erythematous rash vary depending on the type of rash that develops. Photosensitivity rashes develop when ultraviolet rays from the sun react with medications or infections in the person’s skin, causing skin irritation. With nodular and multiform eruptions, many times the exact cause of the rash is unknown. Herpes simplex has been shown to cause the development of erythema multiforme in individuals, as have penicillin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and drugs used to prevent seizures. Pregnancy, mononucleosis, taking birth control pills, and lupus have all been proven to cause knotty development on an individual’s skin.
There are different treatments to get rid of an erythematous rash, depending on what type a patient is suffering from. Photosensitivity rash requires a person to stay out of sunlight as much as possible, either by staying indoors or covering their skin whenever they go out. A doctor cannot prescribe any treatment for a mild rash, but they might still refer a patient to use antihistamines to relieve itching. If the rash is the result of an infection, the patient may need to take antibiotics, antiviral drugs, or aspirin to reduce skin inflammation. In some extreme cases, a doctor might order that a patient regularly expose their rashes to a light-emitting diode, engaging in what’s called photomodulation therapy, which reduces the amount of time the rash takes to heal.
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