Skin rash with pustules

Introduction

Skin rashes and pustules are symptoms of the uppermost surface of the human skin. They are also called “exanthema” or “eczema“. They can be caused by a variety of different skin changes and skin diseases.

Skin rash” is a general term for many changes in the skin. These include small or large red spots, scales, blisters, but also pustules. Pustules are fluid-filled blisters on the superficial skin that can occur together with a rash. Depending on the cause of the skin change, the contents of the pustules can be sterile or infectious and thus potentially contagious. The pustules are often synonymously called “pimples” or generally “pimples”.

Causes

The causes of skin rashes are numerous. Possible causes are pathogen-associated infectious diseases, allergic reactions, acute and chronic skin irritations, as well as autoimmune skin diseases. Infectious diseases can cause a variety of different skin reactions.

Common bacterial diseases are scarlet fever, borreliosis, typhoid or syphilis. They can be distinguished by the type of rash and the accompanying symptoms. Numerous viral diseases can also lead to skin rashes with pustules.

Especially the typical childhood diseases, against which there are mostly vaccinations, often lead to symptoms on the body surface. Measles, rubella and chickenpox are the best known representatives. But also rubella, shingles and other herpes diseases are accompanied by skin rashes.

The appearance of the rashes provides information about the pathogen that causes them. In scarlet fever and measles, the rash tends to be spotty and knotty, whereas chickenpox and the secondary disease shingles cause a typical rash with pustules. Individual parasites and skin fungi can also cause rashes, but these occur much less frequently.

The most important non-infectious skin changes are caused by allergies. This involves contact of the body or the affected skin area with an allergy trigger (“allergen”). The immune system erroneously reacts to the allergen and triggers a defensive reaction and consequently an inflammation.

If the body is exposed to the allergen to a large extent or for a long period of time, pustules can form on an existing skin rash. Triggers for such allergies can be particles in the air, substances that touch the skin, but also medicines, sunlight or certain foods. Chronic skin diseases that cause rashes with pustules are also not uncommon.

They can appear as tumors or as chronic inflammatory rashes. Neurodermatitis is a frequent representative of chronic skin changes. Skin diseases can also be triggered by autoimmune factors, such as psoriasis.

The therapy of chronic skin diseases is generally lengthy and rarely causative. The accompanying symptoms vary depending on the cause of the skin rash. Infectious skin rashes with pustules have a very variable time course.

The time interval between infection and onset of symptoms can also vary greatly. In most cases, infectious diseases are accompanied by typical symptoms such as fever, weakness, tiredness and aching limbs, and in some cases nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In the case of allergic reactions, the accompanying symptoms are also different.

In the case of mild contact allergies, pain, itching or swelling may occur in addition to a skin rash with pustules. Severe allergic reactions can lead to so-called “anaphylactic” reactions, which can be accompanied by shortness of breath, drop in blood pressure and circulatory failure. In severe allergic reactions, an anaphylactic shock can lead to death.

In many parts of the body, the skin is very sensitive to touch because there are many nerve endings in the superficial layers of the skin. If skin rashes with pustules occur, these skin changes may cause severe, unpleasant itching. Itching can occur in all kinds of skin diseases, for example chickenpox but also in allergic reactions.

Ointments or medication, for example antihistamines, can relieve itching. Cool water also relieves the symptoms, while hot water aggravates the irritation of the skin. However, the pustules should never be scratched.

Scratching itchy pustules does not reduce the itching, but it does increase the subsequent pain. The liquid content of the pustules can be contagious in infectious diseases.Scratching the surface causes the infectious contents to spread and the disease to spread. In addition to the medical aspect, aesthetic reasons speak against scratching open the pustules.

Repeated scratching prevents normal wound healing and promotes scarring, which can remain permanent. Purulent pustules are particularly common in bacterially induced skin rashes. Streptococci, a subgroup of bacteria, can cause a pustule, also known as “Impetigo contagiosa”.

The Latin name indicates that the disease is contagious, “contagious”. The pustules contain a purulent secretion that is highly contagious. Even a small amount of secretion can increase and spread the infection. For prevention, care should be taken to avoid physical contact with affected areas and to change towels or other germ carriers for spreading the pathogens frequently.