Symptoms
In addition to the rash on the neck, there are usually additional symptoms that can be important for the doctor to make a differential diagnosis and then adjust the therapy depending on the symptoms. The so-called flush phenomenon is the typical symptom of nervousness – it comes to the “skin rash” on the neck and décolleté, to reddened cheeks and to increased sweating. As soon as the patient’s nervousness decreases, however, the symptoms of the rash on the neck and the reddened cheeks disappear on their own.
If it is an inflammation caused by measles, the patient has red itchy spots not only on the neck but on the entire body. Frequently, fever, aching limbs and malaise are added. Similar symptoms also occur with chickenpox.
In addition to the rash on the neck, red pustules appear which are distributed over the body. If chickenpox occurs in adulthood, it is called shingles. Shingles is associated with severe pain and wraps around an area of the body (dermatome) like a belt of red pustules.
In rare cases, shingles can also become noticeable as a skin rash on the neck, in which case it is particularly bad and requires urgent treatment. If the symptoms of the rash on the neck are due to an allergy caused by costume jewelry or components in a scarf, then itching in the affected area of skin usually increases while wearing it. Itchy pimples form or the areas become very red and hives form.
In particularly severe cases, there may also be shortness of breath, rarely nausea. The situation is similar in the case of an allergy caused by food (see: Food allergy), for example by eating pineapples or nuts. In these cases, nausea or shortness of breath is common and redness in the neck area, which could then be interpreted as a skin rash on the neck, is rare.
In acne, the rash on the neck is characterized by many, usually large and purulent pimples. Under certain circumstances these can also itch or cause pain. Heat spots show a similar rash on the neck, but are usually limited to the neck, while acne is also found on the face and back.
Furthermore, heat spots are often smaller and not as widespread as acne. A similar situation occurs with inflammation of the hair (folliculitis), mostly in the neck area of the neck. Folliculitis usually occurs in regions with heavy hair, where the patient also sweats more.
Frequently only individual hairs become inflamed, which can be recognized by the fact that they are surrounded by a pus pimple. However, it is also possible that several hairs become inflamed, which then leads to a similar picture as with acne, except that the pimples are limited to the hairs. In addition, redness, swelling and itching can be added, which completes the picture of a rash on the neck.In order to correctly diagnose a rash on the neck, a visit to the family doctor is usually sufficient, but in more severe cases a referral to a dermatologist (dermatologist) is necessary.
The doctor-patient consultation, the medical history, is particularly important here. If the patient complains that the symptoms always occur when he or she is agitated, the doctor can quickly conclude that there are flush symptoms. In order to exclude an inflammation due to measles or chickenpox, the doctor usually only needs to look at (inspect) the patient.
It is also helpful to take a blood sample to detect the bacteria or virus. In addition, the doctor can take samples from the affected skin areas, which are then sent to a microbiological institute for examination. In most cases, however, it is sufficient for the doctor to see the clinical picture of the patient in order to make a diagnosis.
In order to determine an allergy to nickel (see: Nickel allergy), wool, nuts or similar, the doctor must carry out an allergy test (see: Allergy test): Allergy Diagnosis. For this purpose, small skin incisions are made in the patient’s forearm, into which the substance that is supposed to trigger an allergy is then drizzled in diluted concentration. If a skin reaction (strong redness, blistering) occurs, this indicates that the patient is allergic to this particular substance. Also acne, heat spots or folliculitis can usually be diagnosed with the naked eye. The therapy is the most important factor here.
