Do You Have a Chronic Rash? Here's What to Do

Dealing with a chronic rash can be extremely irritating and unpleasant in your daily life. While chronic hives do not often pose a more serious health risk, frequent itching and discomfort are major inconveniences. Diagnosing the cause and managing the symptoms can provide tremendous relief for those suffering from a chronic skin rash.

If you are dealing with chronic hives in your life, here are some helpful tips to make your life easier.

Tips for Managing Chronic Skin Rash

Wear Loose Fitting, Non-Irritating Clothing

Tight clothing can cause skin irritation, which can cause worse, and more frequent chronic skin rash flare-ups. Try to wear loose-fitting clothing as often as you can. Also, wear clothing made from materials that won’t irritate your skin, such as cotton. This can also be beneficial.

Avoid Heat, Apply Cold Pressure

Excessive heat can irritate the skin, leading to a flare-up of chronic hives. It’s best to avoid overexposing affected areas of your skin to heat. So avoid using heating pads or spending too long in a hot shower or bath.

Cold temperatures, meanwhile, can reduce inflammation and irritation in the affected area. Applying an ice pack, or another cold material, to your chronic hives can provide great temporary relief. Of course, if cold temperatures are a trigger for your chronic hives, you may want to avoid this treatment plan.

Keep a Record of Flare-Ups

It’s possible to treat a skin rash without knowing its root cause. However, identifying what causes it can be a great help when seeking treatment. This can help you receive more direct treatment, and also avoid future triggers as much as possible.

One of the most effective methods for finding the cause of your chronic rash is to keep track of your flare-ups. This can help you identify any potential triggers you may have encountered. There are a few causes of chronic hives to be aware of, including:

• Recently-eaten foods
• Hot or cold temperatures
• Adrenaline/Stress
• Contact with certain plants or animals
• Certain medications

Avoid Stress

As mentioned in the list above, stress can sometimes cause or exacerbate a skin rash. Avoiding or reducing stress levels, then, can help some people manage their chronic rash. Meditation, light to moderate exercise, practicing mindfulness, and relaxing activities like reading can all help reduce stress levels.

See a Dermatologist or Allergist

Last, but certainly not least, if you are suffering from a chronic rash, you should see a licensed doctor. A dermatologist or allergist can help identify the cause and prescribe treatment for your skin rash. Many doctors will recommend most of the at-home steps listed here. However, they can also prescribe medication to help reduce symptoms and prevent flare-ups.

It should be noted that, while identifying triggers can help, it is not always necessary to find the causes of chronic rash during treatment. Many patients successfully treat their chronic rash without ever knowing its cause. In most cases, a chronic rash is not associated with any larger or more urgent health concern.

Seeking Treatment for Chronic Hives

When is the right time to seek treatment for chronic hives? Ultimately, the decision of when to seek treatment is up to you. 

If you are experiencing a recurrent or persistent skin rash, and home remedies don’t work, a doctor can certainly help. Some chronic rashes will go away on their own. However, seeking treatment can often provide faster, and more effective, relief from a skin rash. It can also reduce the guesswork, and save you from wasting time and money on ineffective treatments.

To learn more about managing and treating chronic hives, read about BASS Medical Group’s allergy and immunology treatment options.