Red spots on the legs due to heat
During heavy physical exertion, a rash on the legs can occur, which can show itself with red spots. Typically, such a rash occurs after a long hike or run (e.g. marathon). The red spots on the legs that appear after such exertion are called exercise-induced purpura or exercice-induced vasculitis.
The red patches after exercise are usually painless and occur mainly on the lower legs and the red patches stop at ankle level. However, the thigh may also be affected and the red patches may be accompanied by itching or sensitivity disorders. The exact cause of this rash after a long hike is not known.
It is suspected that it is a dysregulation of the blood vessels, which react inadequately to the temperature changes during exercise. The load-dependent purpura is first treated by cooling and elevating the legs. As a rule, the red spots on the legs disappear again by themselves within a few days without leaving any discoloration of the skin. If you are prone to such skin reactions, compression stockings should be worn as a preventive measure during long hikes or before endurance runs.
Red spots on the legs of children
The typical childhood diseases can almost all be accompanied by red spots on the legs. For example, chickenpox causes red blisters that are very itchy and become encrusted as the disease progresses. In the case of the so-called three-day fever, a skin rash develops after the end of the fever phase, which is usually localized on the neck and trunk, but can also spread to the skin on the legs.
The typical rash of rubella starts at the skin behind the ears and spreads from there over the whole body, so that the typical red (sometimes raised) spots also appear on the trunk, arms and legs. Scarlet fever also causes, in addition to the typical neck and swallowing difficulties, a fine-spotted rash, which usually starts in the area of the legs and spreads rapidly over the body. After about three weeks, the affected skin peels.
You can find more information on this topic at Rash in scarlet fever The ringworm infection initially resembles a cold, later it develops into the characteristic ring-shaped, red and itchy skin rash, usually starting on the cheeks and in the head area. In the course of time, the rubella spreads over the trunk of the body and red spots can also appear on the legs. Also the measles mostly lead to fever, cough and rhinitis besides the flu-like symptoms to purple to brown spots, which merge into each other. The spots with measles usually start behind the ears and then spread over the body and legs. Itching like chickenpox does not usually develop.
