These symptoms and signs may indicate that a skin rash is due to an allergic reaction or other serious health problem.
This article explains when to worry about a rash in adults and the different types of rashes that can occur.
Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Types of Rash
A rash is simply a change in the skin that affects its color, appearance, or texture. There are many different causes of a rash that may involve an immune system response, toxins, irritants, diseases, infections, environmental factors, or a combination of these.
Some of the more common rashes include:
There are numerous other skin rashes, both common and uncommon, that people of all ages can experience. This list of 21 skin rashes only represents a small proportion.
13 Pictures of Common Skin Rashes
Verywell / Evan Polenghi
10 Signs Your Rash Requires Immediate Medical Attention
There are no hard-and-fast rules as to when you need to seek treatment for a rash. Oftentimes, you just need to follow your gut if you suspect something is unusual or wrong.
With that said, there are 10 signs that a skin rash may, in fact, be serious and requires immediate medical attention.
How to Tell If Your Rash Is Toxic Shock Syndrome
What’s Causing Your Beard Rash and How to Get Rid of It
You Have a Fever
Afeveris a common sign of an infection in which the body raises its temperature to kill a foreign invader. A rash that accompanied a fever suggests that the cause is infectious.
Examples include a bacterial infection calledscarlet fever.
Occasionally, certain medications can cause the combination of fever and rash.
What Causes Sweet Syndrome?
The Rash Covers Your Entire Body
People who areimmunocompromised(who have weakened immune defenses) can also have widespread rash when others might only have a localized rash. An example includes disseminated shingles in people withadvanced HIV infection.
Why Do I Have a Rash on My Palms?
The Rash Is Painful
There is a difference between a rash being itchy and a rash being painful. Painful rashes warrant an immediate investigation as they may be a sign of a potentially serious but treatable infection like shingles or genital herpes.
In both cases, early treatment withantiviral drugsmay reduce the duration and severity of the infection and, in the case of shingles, the risk ofchronic nerve painorvision damage.
Why There’s a Rash Behind Your Ear
You Have Difficulty Breathing
In addition to rash and breathing problems, symptoms of anaphylaxis may include diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, and swelling of the face, neck, or tongue.
If nottreatedimmediately, anaphylaxis can lead to shock, coma, suffocation, heart or respiratory failure, or death.
What Causes Anaphylaxis and Am I at Risk?
The Rash Is Blistering
If left untreated, SJS and TEN can lead toshockand death due to the massive loss of fluid from open, exposed tissues.
The Rash Is Spreading Quickly
A fast-spreading rash is something you should never ignore.With some rashes, like shingles, you can sometimes watch the blistering lesions develop and spread before your eyes. The same can occur with a drug rash, which often starts on the chest and back first before spreading to the arms and finally the legs.
If not treated promptly with antibiotics, cellulitis can be fatal.
How Cellulitis Is Treated
The Rash Appears Suddenly
Many rashes appear suddenly, such as a mosquito bite or heat rash, and are not a cause for alarm. However, when the sudden outbreak is severe and widespread, it is often a sign of a severe drug reaction. Generally speaking, the faster such an outbreak occurs, the more serious it is.
With SJS and TEN, the look of the rash may also be described as being “angry,” meaning that it is extremely red and painful looking.The same description may be applied to severe cases of cellulitis. In all of these situations, emergency medical care is needed.
The Rash Is Swelling or Bruising
Certain skin reactions, like hives, cause swelling due to the accumulation of fluids in the deeper layers of skin. In many cases, the swelling will resolve on its own with no harm to the tissues.
However, when the swelling is severe, you need to seek medical care immediately. This is especially true if you develop swelling of the tongue, face, or throat, all of which are signs of anaphylaxis. In cases like this, the swelling alone can block the airways and lead to suffocation and death.
Depending on the cause, vasculitis can be mild, severe, or life-threatening.
The Rash Is Circular
Many rashes are round, but only a handful cause a circular or coin-shaped rash, referred to asnummular lesions. There is a type of eczema called discoid eczema that falls within this category and may require medications to resolve. Ringworm also causes a circular rash that benefits from treatment with antifungal creams or lotions.
Erythema multiforme can also cause a bullseye rash, usually as a result of a drug reaction. Although erythema multiforme is generally self-limiting and not usually severe, it can sometimes be a prelude to SJS and TEN and should be looked at.
The Rash Is Infected
Rashes that are eruptive (meaning that they break open or burst) leave the underlying tissues vulnerable to bacterial infections. These types of infections are calledsecondary infectionsbecause they occur on top of the first (primary) infection.
People with herpes, shingles, chickenpox, eczema, and psoriasis are especially vulnerable to this unless they make effort to keep the broken skin clean.
Symptoms of a Secondary Skin InfectionThe signs of a secondary skin infection include:Increasing discoloration or redness, swelling, warmth, and pain at the site of the primary outbreakOozing or a pus-like dischargeFever with chillsA secondary rash made up of red bumps with redness
Symptoms of a Secondary Skin Infection
The signs of a secondary skin infection include:Increasing discoloration or redness, swelling, warmth, and pain at the site of the primary outbreakOozing or a pus-like dischargeFever with chillsA secondary rash made up of red bumps with redness
The signs of a secondary skin infection include:
A secondary infection typically requires treatment with oral and/or topical antibiotics.
All About Anxiety Rash
Summary
There are many different types of rashes ranging from mild and short-lasting to severe and life-threatening. Knowing the differences can help you determine when it is time to seek treatment for yourself or someone you know.
As a general rule, you should seek medical attention if a rash:
A Word of Verywell
If a rash is persistent or unsightly but is not causing any other troubling symptoms, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a skin specialist, called adermatologist, who can begin an investigation and diagnose the cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fungal skin infections like athlete’s foot or ringworm usually cause a discolored or red, scaly, itchy rash.Bacterial skin infections like impetigo or cellulitis often cause hot, swollen skin with sores or blisters.Even so, rashes, swelling, being discolored or red, pain, pus, and itching are common to all skin infections and may require a dermatologist to pinpoint the cause.Learn More9 Common Bacterial Skin Infections
Fungal skin infections like athlete’s foot or ringworm usually cause a discolored or red, scaly, itchy rash.Bacterial skin infections like impetigo or cellulitis often cause hot, swollen skin with sores or blisters.Even so, rashes, swelling, being discolored or red, pain, pus, and itching are common to all skin infections and may require a dermatologist to pinpoint the cause.
Learn More9 Common Bacterial Skin Infections
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rash 101 in adults: when to see a doctor.Drago F, Ciccarese G, Gasparini G, et al.Contemporary infectious exanthems: an update.Future Microbiol. 2017 Feb;12:171-93. doi:10.2217/fmb-2016-0147Mocroft A, Furrer HJ, Miro JM, et al. The incidence of AIDS-defining illnesses at a current CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/μL in the post-combination antiretroviral therapy era.Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57(7):1038-47. doi:10.1093/cid/cit423Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.Fischer D, Vander Leek TK, Ellis AK, Kim H.Anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14(S2):54. doi:10.1186/s13223-018-0283-4National Institutes for Health.Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis.Giuseppe C, Fabrizio F, Silvia C, et al.Mild cutaneous reactions to drugs.Acta Biomed.2019;90(Suppl 3):36–43. doi:10.23750/abm.v90i3-S.8159Raff AB, Kroshinsky D.Cellulitis: a review.JAMA. 2016;316(3):325-37. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.8825American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Drug allergies.Frumholtz L, Laurent-Roussel SL, Lipsker D, Terrier B.Cutaneous vasculitis: review on diagnosis and clinicopathologic correlations.Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2021 Oct;61(2):181-93. doi:10.1007/s12016-020-08788-4Jacquet C, Goehringer F, Baux E, et al.Multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with Lyme disease suspicion.Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses. 2019;49(2):112-20. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2018.06.002National Organization of Rare Disorders.Erythema multiforme.Holt M, Zerden M.Adolescent primary genital herpes simplex virus type 1 infection with sepsis secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes bacteremia.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2022 Feb;35(1):91-93. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2021.07.001American College of Osteopathic Dermatology.Fungal infections; preventing recurrence.Napierkowski, D.Uncovering common bacterial skin infections.Nurse Practitioner.2013 Mar;38(3):30-7. doi:10.1097/01.NPR.0000426410.39605.a5MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rash 101 in adults: when to see a doctor.Drago F, Ciccarese G, Gasparini G, et al.Contemporary infectious exanthems: an update.Future Microbiol. 2017 Feb;12:171-93. doi:10.2217/fmb-2016-0147Mocroft A, Furrer HJ, Miro JM, et al. The incidence of AIDS-defining illnesses at a current CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/μL in the post-combination antiretroviral therapy era.Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57(7):1038-47. doi:10.1093/cid/cit423Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.Fischer D, Vander Leek TK, Ellis AK, Kim H.Anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14(S2):54. doi:10.1186/s13223-018-0283-4National Institutes for Health.Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis.Giuseppe C, Fabrizio F, Silvia C, et al.Mild cutaneous reactions to drugs.Acta Biomed.2019;90(Suppl 3):36–43. doi:10.23750/abm.v90i3-S.8159Raff AB, Kroshinsky D.Cellulitis: a review.JAMA. 2016;316(3):325-37. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.8825American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Drug allergies.Frumholtz L, Laurent-Roussel SL, Lipsker D, Terrier B.Cutaneous vasculitis: review on diagnosis and clinicopathologic correlations.Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2021 Oct;61(2):181-93. doi:10.1007/s12016-020-08788-4Jacquet C, Goehringer F, Baux E, et al.Multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with Lyme disease suspicion.Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses. 2019;49(2):112-20. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2018.06.002National Organization of Rare Disorders.Erythema multiforme.Holt M, Zerden M.Adolescent primary genital herpes simplex virus type 1 infection with sepsis secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes bacteremia.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2022 Feb;35(1):91-93. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2021.07.001American College of Osteopathic Dermatology.Fungal infections; preventing recurrence.Napierkowski, D.Uncovering common bacterial skin infections.Nurse Practitioner.2013 Mar;38(3):30-7. doi:10.1097/01.NPR.0000426410.39605.a5MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rash 101 in adults: when to see a doctor.Drago F, Ciccarese G, Gasparini G, et al.Contemporary infectious exanthems: an update.Future Microbiol. 2017 Feb;12:171-93. doi:10.2217/fmb-2016-0147Mocroft A, Furrer HJ, Miro JM, et al. The incidence of AIDS-defining illnesses at a current CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/μL in the post-combination antiretroviral therapy era.Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57(7):1038-47. doi:10.1093/cid/cit423Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.Fischer D, Vander Leek TK, Ellis AK, Kim H.Anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14(S2):54. doi:10.1186/s13223-018-0283-4National Institutes for Health.Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis.Giuseppe C, Fabrizio F, Silvia C, et al.Mild cutaneous reactions to drugs.Acta Biomed.2019;90(Suppl 3):36–43. doi:10.23750/abm.v90i3-S.8159Raff AB, Kroshinsky D.Cellulitis: a review.JAMA. 2016;316(3):325-37. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.8825American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Drug allergies.Frumholtz L, Laurent-Roussel SL, Lipsker D, Terrier B.Cutaneous vasculitis: review on diagnosis and clinicopathologic correlations.Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2021 Oct;61(2):181-93. doi:10.1007/s12016-020-08788-4Jacquet C, Goehringer F, Baux E, et al.Multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with Lyme disease suspicion.Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses. 2019;49(2):112-20. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2018.06.002National Organization of Rare Disorders.Erythema multiforme.Holt M, Zerden M.Adolescent primary genital herpes simplex virus type 1 infection with sepsis secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes bacteremia.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2022 Feb;35(1):91-93. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2021.07.001American College of Osteopathic Dermatology.Fungal infections; preventing recurrence.Napierkowski, D.Uncovering common bacterial skin infections.Nurse Practitioner.2013 Mar;38(3):30-7. doi:10.1097/01.NPR.0000426410.39605.a5MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Rash 101 in adults: when to see a doctor.
Drago F, Ciccarese G, Gasparini G, et al.Contemporary infectious exanthems: an update.Future Microbiol. 2017 Feb;12:171-93. doi:10.2217/fmb-2016-0147
Mocroft A, Furrer HJ, Miro JM, et al. The incidence of AIDS-defining illnesses at a current CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/μL in the post-combination antiretroviral therapy era.Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57(7):1038-47. doi:10.1093/cid/cit423
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.
Fischer D, Vander Leek TK, Ellis AK, Kim H.Anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14(S2):54. doi:10.1186/s13223-018-0283-4
National Institutes for Health.Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Giuseppe C, Fabrizio F, Silvia C, et al.Mild cutaneous reactions to drugs.Acta Biomed.2019;90(Suppl 3):36–43. doi:10.23750/abm.v90i3-S.8159
Raff AB, Kroshinsky D.Cellulitis: a review.JAMA. 2016;316(3):325-37. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.8825
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Drug allergies.
Frumholtz L, Laurent-Roussel SL, Lipsker D, Terrier B.Cutaneous vasculitis: review on diagnosis and clinicopathologic correlations.Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2021 Oct;61(2):181-93. doi:10.1007/s12016-020-08788-4
Jacquet C, Goehringer F, Baux E, et al.Multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with Lyme disease suspicion.Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses. 2019;49(2):112-20. doi:10.1016/j.medmal.2018.06.002
National Organization of Rare Disorders.Erythema multiforme.
Holt M, Zerden M.Adolescent primary genital herpes simplex virus type 1 infection with sepsis secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes bacteremia.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2022 Feb;35(1):91-93. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2021.07.001
American College of Osteopathic Dermatology.Fungal infections; preventing recurrence.
Napierkowski, D.Uncovering common bacterial skin infections.Nurse Practitioner.2013 Mar;38(3):30-7. doi:10.1097/01.NPR.0000426410.39605.a5
MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
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