Chest Rash

There are many types of conditions, disorders, injuries and diseases, that cause rashes on different parts of the body. A skin rash is often defined as an abnormal change in skin color, texture and nature of the skin. The rash may be characterized by a variety of features such as dryness, blisters, swelling, pain and itchiness. A rash on the chest can be caused due to a variety of reasons. Medical practitioners often shortlist about 19 genuine causes.

Chest Rash Causes

Heat Rash
A heat rash is the most common cause of all rashes. This is an itchy rash and is known by many other names such as Miliaria, sweat rash or prickly rash. This kind of itchy rash on chest is seen as a result of bacterial infection by Staphylococcus epidermidis. In some cases, the sweat which remains trapped in the sweat glands also results into development of a heat rash in hot and humid climates. Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria and undeveloped sweat glands often cause an itchy rash in children. The best remedy for such a rash is using creams that are available over the counter.

Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is another very common cause of rashes appearing on the neck or chest. Contact dermatitis is caused when the skin comes into contact with allergens that tend to irritate the skin. There are several different allergens that affect the human skin, or in some cases, cause violent reactions to the skin. Poisonous oak rash and poison ivy rash are prominent examples of contact dermatitis. One must rush to the doctor for a diagnosis because there are a huge number of causes of contact dermatitis, requiring different medications.

Seborrhoeic Dermatitis
Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a skin condition whose exact cause has not been proved. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin. This inflammation of the skin occurs in many parts of the body, especially on the face, chest and torso. Though the cause of this kind of rash is not known, the inflammation is often associated with yeast.

Measles and Chickenpox
Measles and chickenpox are two diseases that result into rashes. In case of measles, the rash is on the upper chest and also appears on the face. One must note that the rashes that occur as a result of measles are sometimes present inside the oral cavity, which can be very painful. The rashes that occur as a result of chickenpox are basically, blister rashes, i.e. the rashes are full of blisters. Both these diseases are curable by antibiotics and can be prevented by appropriate immunization.

Ichthyosis
Ichthyosis is a genetic skin disorder that can be differentiated into 28 skin conditions. Scaly, dry and itchy skin are some of the basic symptoms of ichthyosis. The symptoms of ichthyosis vary from person to person, and are seen commonly on the head and torso. The best way to soothe rashes occurring due to Ichthyosis is external application of medications.

Rash Due to Diaper
It is certainly frightening to seen a rash on a baby. In such a condition, a rash is caused as a result of the diaper rubbing on the young and tender skin. In some cases however, this rash may also appear as a result of some mild infection on the skin. In such cases, a pediatrician would prescribe some mild cream to soothe the rash and kill microbes. Such a rash is referred to as the diaper rash.

There are several other causes, such as dry skin, HIV infection, fever, excess use of antibiotics, etc. Causes are not always related to the skin. The cause may also lie in some other system such as the respiratory system or digestive system. It is necessary to identify the cause and then treat it with an appropriate remedy.