Common Summertime Rashes

Summertime in Michigan means beautiful days spent lounging on the beach or hiking in one of our many great state parks. It also means opening yourself up to possible skin irritants and unwanted rashes.

Bronson QuickCare™ offers these tips to help protect your skin—your body’s largest organ—this summer. Here are some common summertime rashes and the symptoms you should look out for.

Poison Ivy

• What is it?
  Poison ivy grows as vines or low shrubs in most climates. Each leaf on a poison ivy plant has three smaller leaflets. Contact with any part of the poison ivy plant can cause a skin rash reaction.
• What are some of the symptoms?
  Some of the symptoms that might accompany the rash are:
  • Red, swollen skin
  • Blisters
  • Itchy skin

Ragweed

• What is it?
  Ragweed plants typically bloom in late summer/early fall. Ragweed pollen can cause hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and a rash for those who are sensitive to it.
• What are some of the symptoms?
  Some of the symptoms that might accompany the rash are:
  • Small bumps
  • Blisters
  • Itchy skin
  • Minor to mild discomfort

Heat Rash

• What is it?
  Heat rash or prickly heat develops when the sweat ducts become blocked and perspiration is trapped under your skin.
• What are some of the symptoms?
  Some of the symptoms that might accompany the rash are:
  • Red clustered bumps
  • Itchy skin
  • Mild discomfort

Swimmer's Itch

• What is it?
  Swimmer's itch is an itchy rash caused by certain parasites that normally live on waterfowl and freshwater snails. On warm, sunny days — especially in calm freshwater lakes or ponds — these parasites can be released into the water. While you swim, the parasites might burrow into your skin and then die.
• What are some of the symptoms?
  Some of the symptoms that might accompany the rash are:
  • Red raised spots
  • Itchy skin
  • Mild discomfort

Lyme Disease

• What is it?
  Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by a tick. The rash begins as a small, red bump that appears after a tick bite. Over the next few days, the redness expands and might resemble a bull's-eye.
• What are some of the symptoms?
  Some of the symptoms that might accompany the rash are:
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Headache

*Source: webmd.com