Stress Rash

Hives and Urticaria are names that are associated with stress rash, and these tend to occur when an individual is going through a time of stress. Although rashes are caused by many different causes, it is not always caused by stress, or anxiety. The individual may have had a bad reaction to food, or come into contact with substances that caused the rash. However, if you notice a pattern of developing rashes when you are under a lot of stress, then you can safely assume that you are suffering from stress rash. There are other conditions that come about due to stress, such as herpes, psoriasis, eczema, acne and rosecia.

What causes stress rash?

Although many people have asked why stress causes the skin to develop complications such as stress rash, the real association is not clear. Scientists put forth the theory that since stress affects the immunity of the body then these rashes are caused by other agents when they infect the body. The body reacts to high levels of histamine and causes the rashes to occur and in this case, stress can be considered to be the allergen. The inflammation and the levels of histamine will increase as the stress increases. This means that people with this condition are actually having an allergic reaction to stress. The rash appears as angry red spots, which are raised, and itchy. These may occur all over the body, or in small clumps. Apart from histamine, stress causes the release of huge amounts of cortisone which also affect the condition of the skin. You should know that stress also causes your skin to be more sensitive, so you must avoid lotions, soaps, and other cosmetics that may be strong.

What is the treatment of stress rash?

The best treatment is to look for ways in which to control the stress in the first place. The presence of the rashes could also cause you to become more stress thereby exacerbating the condition. If you can manage to control your stress then the rashes will disappear. The rashes may not go away immediately and may take a few days or weeks to subside. If the rash does not disturb your daily life, then you should just relax and wait for it to disappear. It is even possible for the rashes to appear even after the stress has gone away, for no reason at all. The skin has to relax, and the immune system has to kick in so you should just take it easy, reduce your stress and let the rash disappear.

However, if you want to treat the rash, then you should use general rash treatment regimes. If the rashes are part of a skin condition, such as eczema, then you should treat the skin condition. Do not wear clothes that irritate the skin since they will only make the rash worse. You should also avoid scratching the rash, and if you cannot, then you can use corticosteroids to help ease the itchiness.

What is the difference between a stress rash, and that caused by other conditions?

It is difficult to tell between different rashes through a physical examination. A doctor may ask you for a blood test before making the final diagnosis. However, if you suspect that it is tress rash, then you can simply reduce the stress and then wait for the rash to go away. You should also rule out other causes such as new lotions or creams that you may be using.

Tips to prevent stress rash

If you know that you suffer from stress rash then you should learn how to control the stress otherwise you will be suffering from the condition frequently. By simply learning how to control your stress, you will keep the condition at bay.

Research has shown that stress has several detrimental effects on the body, and several diseases have been found to be caused, or exacerbated by stress. When you find that you have stress rash you should not go into denial and try to hide it from people. You may think that people will shun you due to your rashes, or they may think that you have a serious infection. The more you try to hide, the higher your stress levels will be. Do not wear long sleeved clothing in order to hide the rash since this will only irritate the affected skin and make the rash worse.

Keep your skin clean, so that rashes do not occur in the first place. Also take a lot of exercise, and other activities which reduce stress. Keep in good company since the presence of dear ones will help you reduce your stress. Do not go drinking to reduce your stress since the alcohol will only dry up the skin and make the stress rash worse.

Stress Rash Pictures

Here are images of stress rash