a raised rash of spots on the hands and feet, and sometimes the thighs and bottom
The rash of spots can look pink, red, or darker than the surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone.
The spots can turn into blisters, which might be grey or lighter than surrounding skin and can be painful.
The symptoms are usually the same in adults and children, but can be worse in babies and children under 5.
Mouth ulcers
Spots on the hands and feet
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A rash of small, raised bumps that feels rough, like sandpaper, could be scarlet fever.
Speak to a GP if you think your child has scarlet fever.
Scarlet fever symptoms and what to do
Check if you have scarlet fever
The first signs of scarlet fever can be flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature, a sore throat and swollen neck glands (a large lump on the side of your neck).
A rash appears 12 to 48 hours later. It looks like small, raised bumps and starts on the chest and tummy, then spreads. The rash makes your skin feel rough, like sandpaper.
On white skin the rash looks pink or red. On brown and black skin it might be harder to see a change in colour, but you can still feel the rash and see the raised bumps.
A white coating also appears on the tongue. This peels, leaving the tongue red, swollen and covered in little bumps (called "strawberry tongue").
The rash does not appear on the face, but the cheeks can look red. The redness may be harder to see on brown and black skin.
The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you or your child:
have scarlet fever symptoms
do not get better in a week (after seeing a GP)
have scarlet fever and chickenpox at the same time
are ill again, weeks after scarlet fever got better – this can be a sign of a complication, such as rheumatic fever
are feeling unwell and have been in contact with someone who has scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is very easily spread. Check with a GP before you go in. They may suggest a phone consultation.
Raised, itchy patches or spots could be caused by an allergic reaction (hives).
Hives can usually be treated at home. But call 999 if there's swelling around your child's mouth or they're struggling to breathe.
Hives symptoms and what to do
Check if it's hives
The main symptom of hives is an itchy rash.
The rash can:
be raised bumps or patches in many shapes and sizes
appear anywhere on the body
be on 1 area or spread across the body
feel itchy, sting or burn
look pink or red when affecting someone with white skin; the colour of the rash can be harder to see on brown and black skin
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your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
someone faints and cannot be woken up
a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)
You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised or itchy.
These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
An itchy, dry, ring-shaped patch of skin may be ringworm. The patch may look red, pink, silver, or darker than surrounding skin.
Ringworm can usually be treated at home.
Ringworm symptoms and what to do
Check if it's ringworm
The main symptom of ringworm is a rash. It may look red or darker than the surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone.
The rash may be scaly, dry, swollen or itchy.
Ringworm can appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp (tinea capitis) and groin (jock itch).
A pharmacist can help with ringworm
Speak to a pharmacist first if you think you have ringworm.
They can look at the rash and recommend the best antifungal medicine. This might be tablets, cream, gel or spray depending on where the rash is.
You may need to use an antifungal medicine every day for up to 4 weeks. It's important to use it for the right amount of time, even if the rash has gone away.
A pharmacist will tell you if they think you should see a GP.
Small, itchy spots that turn into blisters and scabs could be chickenpox.
Chickenpox can usually be treated at home.
Chickenpox symptoms and what to do
Check if it's chickenpox
An itchy, spotty rash is the main symptom of chickenpox. It can be anywhere on the body.
Chickenpox happens in 3 stages. But new spots can appear while others are becoming blisters or forming a scab.
Stage 1: small spots appear
The spots can:
be anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth and around the genitals, which can be painful
spread or stay in a small area
be red, pink, darker or the same colour as surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone
be harder to see on brown and black skin
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The spots fill with fluid and become blisters. The blisters are very itchy and may burst.
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The spots form a scab. Some scabs are flaky while others leak fluid.
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Sores or blisters that burst and leave crusty, golden-brown patches could be impetigo. The sores or blisters can be itchy, get bigger or spread to other parts of the body.
Speak to a GP if you think your child may have impetigo.
Impetigo symptoms and what to do
Check if you have impetigo
Impetigo starts with red sores or blisters, but the redness may be harder to see in brown and black skin.
The sores or blisters quickly burst and leave crusty, golden-brown patches.
The patches can:
look a bit like cornflakes stuck to your skin
get bigger
spread to other parts of your body
be itchy
sometimes be painful
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you or your child:
might have impetigo
had treatment for impetigo but the symptoms change or get worse
had impetigo before and it keeps coming back
Impetigo is very infectious. Check with the GP before you go into the surgery. They may suggest a phone consultation.
Very itchy raised spots could be caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin (scabies). There may be raised lines with a dot at one end, often first appearing between the fingers.
Scabies can usually be treated at home.
Scabies symptoms and what to do
Check if it's scabies
The symptoms of scabies are:
intense itching, especially at night
a raised rash or spots
The spots may look red. They are more difficult to see on brown or black skin, but you should be able to feel them.
The scabies rash usually spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck. It often affects skin between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, and around the waist, groin and bottom.
However, older people and young children may develop a rash on their head, neck, palms and soles of their feet.
People with a weakened immune system can sometimes get a rare and very contagious type of scabies, called crusted scabies. The main symptom is a crusted, flaky rash that often affects the elbows, knees, hands and feet.
A pharmacist can help with scabies
Scabies is not usually a serious condition, but it does need to be treated.
A pharmacist will recommend a cream or lotion that you apply over your whole body. It's important to read the instructions carefully.
Let the pharmacist know if you're breastfeeding or pregnant.
You'll need to repeat the treatment 1 week later.
Scabies is very infectious, but it can take up to 8 weeks for the rash to appear.
Everyone in your home needs to be treated at the same time, even if they do not have symptoms. But do not use pharmacy treatments on children under 2 years old, they will need to see a GP.
Anyone you’ve had sexual contact with in the past 8 weeks should also be treated.
Very small spots, called milia, often appear on a baby's face when they're a few days old. Milia may appear white or yellow, depending on your baby's skin colour.
They usually go away within a few weeks and do not need treatment.
Red, yellow and white spots in babies
Raised red, yellow and white spots (erythema toxicum) can appear on babies when they're born. They usually appear on the face, body, upper arms and thighs.
The rash can disappear and reappear. It should get better in a few weeks without treatment.
Skin-coloured or pink spots
Small, firm, raised spots could be molluscum contagiosum. The spots can be the same colour as surrounding skin, darker than surrounding skin, or pink.
You can usually treat molluscum contagiosum at home.
Molluscum contagiosum symptoms and what to do
Check if it's molluscum contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosum is more common in children, but anyone can get it.
Usually, the only symptom of molluscum contagiosum is spots.
How to look after yourself or your child
The spots caused by molluscum contagiosum are usually harmless and should clear up within 18 months without needing treatment.
Molluscum contagiosum is contagious. It is usually passed on by direct skin to skin contact.
The chance of passing it on to other people during normal activities is small so you or your child should be able to carry on with your normal activities. If you are not sure, check with a GP.
There are some things you can do to help reduce the risk of the infection spreading and help ease any symptoms.
Do
try things to help with dryness and itchy skin, such as holding a damp towel against the skin, having cool baths or using an unperfumed moisturiser regularly
keep the affected area covered, including using waterproof bandages if you go swimming
use a condom while having sex if you are infected
Don’t
do not squeeze or scratch the spots, as it could cause an infection or scarring
do not share baths or things such as towels, bedding or clothes
If your baby has a red and sore bottom, it could be nappy rash.
Nappy rash can usually be treated at home.
Nappy rash symptoms and what to do
Check if your baby has nappy rash
Symptoms of nappy rash can include:
red or raw patches on your baby’s bottom or the whole nappy area
skin that looks sore and feels hot to touch
scaly and dry skin
an itchy or painful bottom
your baby seeming uncomfortable or distressed
spots, pimples, or blisters on bottom (spots can appear red or brown, but may be less noticeable on brown and black skin)
Things you can do to help with nappy rash
Nappy rash can be treated and prevented by following some simple advice.
Do
change wet or dirty nappies as soon as possible
keep the skin clean and dry – pat or rub the skin gently to dry it
leave nappies off when possible
use extra absorbent nappies
make sure your baby's nappies fit properly
clean your baby's skin with water or fragrance-free and alcohol-free baby wipes
bath your baby daily (but not more than twice a day, as washing too much can make the skin dry out)
Don’t
do not use soaps, baby lotion or bubble bath as they can irritate the skin
do not use talcum powder or antiseptics on nappy rash
do not put nappies on too tightly as it can irritate the skin
A pharmacist can help with nappy rash
If the rash is causing your baby discomfort, a pharmacist can recommend a nappy rash cream or medicine to treat it at home.
They may suggest using a thin layer of a barrier cream to protect the skin or giving your baby child's paracetamol for pain relief (only suitable for babies over 2 months old).
Spots that appear on a baby's cheeks, nose or forehead within a month after birth could be baby acne.
You do not need to treat baby acne. It usually gets better after a few weeks or months.
Yellow, scaly patches on the scalp
Yellow or white, greasy, scaly patches on your baby's scalp could be cradle cap.
Cradle cap can usually be treated at home.
Cradle cap symptoms and what to do
Check if your baby has cradle cap
The main symptom of cradle cap is patches of greasy, scaly skin.
It's usually found on the scalp and face, but sometimes affects the nappy area. It can look like:
patches of white or yellow greasy scales on the scalp and face that form a crust which might flake off
small, dry flakes of skin on the nappy area
The scales look similar on all skin tones. But the skin under the scales may look pink or red if your baby has white skin, or lighter or darker than the surrounding skin if your baby has brown or black skin.
It is not itchy or painful and does not bother your baby.
The cause of cradle cap is not clear, but it cannot be caught from other babies.
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At Wendover Pharmacy, we are proud to serve our community with top-notch pharmaceutical services and personalised care. Your health and well-being are our top priorities.
Company: Q2 Pharma (11218653)
Superintendent Pharmacist: Mohammad Comran
GPhC Number: 2072107
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Wendover Pharmacy
28 High Street, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, HP22 6EA