Pregnant skin rash with itching
A skin rash, sometimes accompanied by itching, can be considered completely normal during pregnancy. Because of the high hormone levels in the blood, the skin is sensitized to many substances, which means that it is more sensitive to certain substances than under normal circumstances and reacts to them with a rash or inflammation. Sometimes it is not possible to determine the exact cause, but in general it is helpful to pay attention to thorough skin care and wear wide cotton clothing, as this is the least likely to cause additional irritation.
A common cause of vaginal itching is candidosis, an infestation with a yeast fungus, which also occurs more frequently during pregnancy. Hemorrhoids are also more common in pregnant women and can cause redness and itching in the anal region. In principle, these diseases are also harmless.
However, especially if candidosis is suspected, it should be treated, as otherwise there is the possibility that the child will also be infected during birth. In general, pregnant women with a rash without a recognizable trigger that persists for more than two days without showing any improvement should consult a doctor and have it cleared up. Although there is rarely cause for concern, it is often important, especially for pregnant women, to have security for them and their unborn child.
Another cause of a rash is weight gain during pregnancy.As a result, the skin can become sore in certain places, for example under the breasts or between the thighs, causing inflammation, reddening and pain. Occasionally it even leads to blistering or a bad smell. This phenomenon is also called intertrigo.
It is important that affected persons take care to keep the reddened areas as dry as possible and to ventilate them sufficiently. It is also not uncommon for the skin to store water. In some cases, this even has a positive effect, namely that small wrinkles are smoothed out and the skin shines or shimmers rosy because the blood circulation is improved.
In others, however, the increased water absorption also causes the skin to look puffy and red spots and unevenness to become more prominent. However, these changes disappear on their own after pregnancy. A skin rash during pregnancy can occur on the abdomen.
This usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy. Depending on the cause, the rash can manifest itself in different ways. Itching is almost always present, which can lead to great suffering or even insomnia.
The itching need not be allergic. The strong stretching of the skin during pregnancy can lead to such complaints. A first-time allergic reaction to cosmetics can manifest itself during pregnancy in the form of a skin rash on the abdomen.
The rash usually first appears in the form of reddened and raised spots. If there is not only redness around the navel, but also very itchy, squamous areas or blisters, this can be an indication of a so-called herpes gestationes (an autoimmune disease). The blisters burst under mechanical stress and can typically spread to the entire body. Another cause can be a polymorphic pregnancy dermatosis, the so-called PUPP, in which, however, the navel region is left out and instead of blisters, very itchy nodules form. Skin rashes are often localized near the genital area.
