Summer is hard on our skin. Between hot weather, sweat, sunscreen, swimming pools, plants, insects, and more time spent outdoors, there are plenty of things that can leave your skin itchy, irritated, red, or just not looking quite right.
We’ve been seeing quite a few patients with rashes in our Marque clinics lately, as summer heat and outdoor activities can bring on a variety of skin concerns. The tricky part is that rashes can look very different from person to person, and it isn’t always easy to know what caused one just by looking at it. Here are a few common summer skin problems to keep on your radar.
Heat Rash
Heat rash can develop when sweat becomes trapped beneath the skin, particularly during hot or humid weather. It often looks like clusters of small red or clear bumps and may feel itchy, prickly, or uncomfortable. Moving somewhere cool, keeping the affected area dry, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and avoiding heavy creams or ointments may help. Most mild cases improve once the skin has a chance to cool down.
Contact Dermatitis
Sometimes a rash is simply your skin reacting to something it doesn’t like. Contact dermatitis can be triggered by plants such as poison ivy, new soaps or detergents, fragrances, certain sunscreens, jewelry, or other products that come into contact with the skin. The rash may be red, itchy, swollen, dry, or blistered depending on the cause and severity. If you can identify what triggered the reaction, avoiding it is the first step. Cool compresses and over-the-counter treatments may also help with mild symptoms.
Swimming-Related Skin Problems
Pools, hot tubs, lakes, and oceans can sometimes lead to unexpected skin problems. Chlorine may dry or irritate sensitive skin, while bacteria found in poorly maintained pools or hot tubs can cause a rash known as hot tub folliculitis. It’s a good habit to shower after swimming, change out of wet swimsuits promptly, and avoid sharing towels. If bumps become painful, produce drainage, spread, or aren’t improving, it may be time to have them evaluated.
Minor Skin Infections
Summer also means more cuts, scrapes, bug bites, and opportunities for bacteria to enter the skin. What starts as a small irritated area can sometimes turn into a skin infection. Keep an eye out for redness that continues to spread, increasing warmth or swelling, worsening pain, pus or drainage, red streaking, or fever. Those are signs that the area should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
When Should You Get a Rash Checked?
Not every rash requires a trip to urgent care, but don’t ignore something that’s getting worse instead of better. Consider getting checked if a rash is spreading quickly, particularly painful, blistering, showing signs of infection, accompanied by a fever, or simply isn’t improving.
And if a rash develops along with trouble breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, fainting, or other signs of a severe allergic reaction, call 911 immediately.
When you’re not sure what’s causing a rash, that’s also a perfectly good reason to have it looked at. A medical provider can examine your skin, ask about recent exposures and symptoms, and determine whether treatment or medication may be needed.
Your skin can tell you a lot about what’s going on with your body. Paying attention when something changes and knowing when to get it checked can help keep a minor summer skin problem from turning into a bigger one.
Marque Urgent Care is open 7 days a week to evaluate rashes, skin irritation, minor infections, allergic reactions, and other everyday health concerns.
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