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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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Skin Care and Diseases |
Rash / Hive08/23/2004 |
For the second time in the last few weeks, I have had a spell where I had intense itching in my hands and feet accompanied by a breakout of a rash / hives on my rear end. The only connection between the two episodes (that I can determine), is that about two days prior to each, I had received a number of mosquito bites. The first episode, which occurred a few weeks ago, I had been weeding in my yard, and had several bites on both legs. The most recent, which occurred just last night, I had just returned from a trip to Florida, where I had received some bug bites from an outdoor gathering. Also, the rash did not appear until after I had showered.
Insect bites can produce papular urticaria that is made worse by warm showers. The use of topical antihistamines such as Zonalon (Doxepin cream) can be very useful; nonsedating antihistamines can be very useful; topical steroids may or may not have a place depending on how severe the process becomes. I would urge you to take at least an antihistamine at bedtime and use a topical antihistamine to the sites after your shower. It would appear that this will be a temporary phenomenon.
However, it is important that you prevent bites since you may be developing hypersensitivity to the saliva and/or enzymes that are injected at the time of the bite. I would urge you to use insect repellents that contain Deet. You will find that the concentrations of Deet varies quite widely from 7 to 100% which suggests that as an adult you use somewhere in the 10-20% range. Spray this on your clothing, minimize the exposure on your skin. Wear protective clothing so that the insects do not bite exposed skin or bite through very thin clothing.
Good luck!
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Charles L. Heaton, MD Professor Department of Dermatology College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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