Skin rash: when a photo and a video call can help

What usually causes a rash

Hives is an itchy rash of raised bumps or patches that can appear anywhere and may sting or burn. The NHS lists triggers including certain foods, contact with plants, animals, chemicals or latex, hot sweaty skin from exercise or stress, a medicine, an insect bite or sting, tight clothing and infections.

Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema caused by touching something that irritates the skin or that you are allergic to. Skin becomes itchy, blistered, dry and cracked, most often on the hands and face. Soaps, detergents, solvents and frequent contact with water are common irritants. Cosmetics and metals such as nickel can cause an allergic reaction. If dry, itchy skin is a long-term problem, read about eczema.

In babies and children, many rashes come with common infections and are often nothing to worry about. Trust your judgement as a parent if your child seems seriously unwell.

What you can do at home

• Try to work out what set it off, such as a new soap, cosmetic, food or medicine, and avoid it.
• If you touch something that irritates your skin, rinse it with warm water and an emollient as soon as you can.
• Use emollients (moisturisers) often and generously, and consider an emollient soap substitute.
• Protect your hands with gloves for wet or chemical work, taking them off now and then.
• Ask a pharmacist about antihistamines for hives. Tell them about any long-term condition, and note these may not suit young children.

When a video consultation suits a rash

Get advice if hives have not improved after 2 days, the rash is spreading or keeps coming back, you also have a high temperature and feel unwell, or there is swelling under the skin. See a doctor for contact dermatitis that is persistent, recurrent or severe. The DHA telehealth standard lists a high resolution photograph or video examination as mandatory for skin conditions treated through teleprescribing, so good pictures matter.

1. Take photos in daylight, without filters.
2. Take one wide shot to show where the rash is, and one sharp close-up.
3. Photograph it again if it changes or comes and goes.
4. Write down when it started and anything new around that time: products, foods, medicines, travel.

When you need to be seen in person

If the cause of contact dermatitis cannot be found, or treatment is not working, a doctor may refer you to a dermatologist for further tests. A child who is under 3 months with a temperature of 38C, or who has a rash you are worried about, needs urgent advice the same day.

Signs that need 998

Call 998 if the lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly swell, someone is breathing very fast or struggling to breathe, their throat feels tight or they cannot swallow, their skin, lips or tongue turn blue, grey or pale, or they suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy. These can be signs of anaphylaxis. In a child with a rash, also call 998 for a stiff neck, being bothered by light, confusion, or a rash that looks like small bruises and does not fade when you press a glass against it.

Which doctor to see

A general practitioner can help with most rashes, a dermatologist with rashes that keep returning or do not respond to treatment, and a paediatrician with rashes in children. Doctors you book on medicAI work at independent facilities licensed by DHA in Dubai or DoH in Abu Dhabi, and those facilities are responsible for your care.