Category Archives: rashes

Bug bites

Leave a reply

It’s summertime. Mosquitoes and other bugs are in hot pursuit of you and your family. What’s the best way to keep from being bitten? When should you be concerned about a bite?

If your kids spend any time at all outside— which they should, for the exercise and fresh air— they will be bitten from time to time. “Bugs,” of course, is not an accurate scientific term. Even so, we’re using it here as an all-inclusive word to refer to insects (mosquitoes, bees, wasps, chiggers, biting flies, etc.) and arachnids (spiders, ticks, etc.).

Most bites on most people are relatively harmless, causing irritation, itching, and redness. Different bug bites can result in different types of skin reactions, and not all people react the same. Rarely, even serious allergic reactions or illness can result.

The best medicine, as always, is prevention. Avoid times and places where mosquitoes and other biting bugs congregate.

Mosquitoes are most active around dawn and dusk. They love standing water in puddles and ponds. You are more likely to attract mosquitoes if you’re wearing dark clothing, including socks. They are attracted to your perspiration and sometimes to a scent to you may be wearing. Biting flies may be most common in wooded areas and around animals or garbage.

Repellents can be very helpful, especially against mosquitoes. However, you need to be cautious when choosing a repellent, especially for children. DEET is particularly effective against mosquitoes and some other bugs, but should be used with caution (see below). This is also true of permethrin, which is effective against ticks. Insect repellents should not be used at all on children younger than two months old.

There is terrific information in this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here is their list of do’s and don’ts when you use insect repellents:

“Dos:

  • Read the label and follow all directions and precautions.
  • Only apply insect repellents on the outside of your child’s clothing and on exposed skin. Note: Permethrin-containing products should not be applied to skin.
  • Spray repellents in open areas to avoid breathing them in.
  • Use just enough repellent to cover your child’s clothing and exposed skin. Using more doesn’t make the repellent more effective. Avoid reapplying unless needed.
  • Help apply insect repellent on young children. Supervise older children when using these products.
  • Wash your children’s skin with soap and water to remove any repellent when they return indoors, and wash their clothing before they wear it again.

   “Dont’s:

  • Never apply insect repellent to children younger than 2 months.
  • Never spray insect repellent directly onto your child’s face. Instead, spray a little on your hands first and then rub it on your child’s face. Avoid the eyes and mouth.
  • Do not spray insect repellent on cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
  • Do not use products that combine DEET with sunscreen. The DEET may make the sun protection factor (SPF) less effective. These products can overexpose your child to DEET because the sunscreen needs to be reapplied often.”

To treat a bug bite, you may apply ice for a few minutes every hour or two. Calamine lotion may be applied to stop the itching. Some people also find that baking soda mixed with water decreases their itching.

When should you seek medical attention for a bug bite? If anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction, which may include difficulty breathing – see definition from the Mayo Clinic here) occurs, get to an emergency room immediately.  Sudden hives are also a cause for concern and could be a sign of anaphylaxis. Otherwise, if the bite begins to look infected, or the reddened area around it is increasing in size larger than a quarter, keep an eye on it and check with your pediatrician’s office. You can use a Sharpie to mark the edges of the red area in order to note its progression.

Next time, more about stinging insects.

© MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved, 2015

 

Roseola

Leave a reply

Let’s say this first: anytime your infant or young child has a fever of 102°F for twenty-four hours, call the pediatrician.  The issue may be minor or serious, and the doctor should help you determine what it might be.

One possibility is roseola, usually not a series condition, which is yet another in the herpes family of viruses.  (It is not the same as the herpes strains that cause genital herpes or cold sores.)  It’s human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) and is relatively common in children aged six months to two years.

Symptoms, in addition to the fever (which may last up to a week), may include a cough and runny nose, less appetite and mild diarrhea.  Finally, after the fever is gone, generally a slightly raised red rash will appear.  It usually starts on the torso before spreading to the rest of the body.

Roseola is contagious, and a child with a fever should be kept away from other youngsters until the fever is gone.  Once roseola is at the rash stage the child is no longer contagious and can return to daycare.  The incubation period is one to two weeks.

If the pediatrician suspects roseola in your child, you might be asked to treat the fever with age-appropriate doses of acetaminophen (always be sure to check dosing instructions and note that they have changed in the last few years) and keep him hydrated.  The doctor may want to talk to you again to make sure the child isn’t sick with something more serious.

You can find out more about roseola in the two articles from which our research was drawn, here and here.  Both articles were published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

© MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Fifth disease: What is it? When to call the doctor.

Leave a reply

 

Fifth disease was given its name because it’s the fifth in a list of viruses that can cause rashes in children (the other four are chicken pox, rubella, measles and roseola). Its other name is Parvovirus B19. This might sound a little scary to you, since you may have heard of a canine parvovirus that is very serious for dogs. While in the same family as the canine virus, Parvovirus B19 is only a human virus and cannot be transmitted either from dogs to people or from people to dogs. In children, Parvovirus B19—fifth disease—is relatively common and generally quite benign.

 

Fifth disease in children is not usually dangerous, unless the child has anemia or an autoimmune disease. It’s contagious through the droplets of coughing and sneezing or through saliva (or from a pregnant mother to her fetus), and can show up 4 to14 days after exposure. Frequent hand washing is the best way to reduce the spread of viruses.

 

The first symptoms are similar to those of a cold: runny nose; mild fever; itching; soreness; headache. A few children experience achy joints.

 

After a week or so, a red rash may appear on the cheeks. It may, over the next few days, also appear on the torso and arms, buttocks and thighs. Within another week, the rash will likely fade. It might return, even months later, when the child gets overheated. By the time the rash appears, the child is no longer contagious.

 

When should you call our office? If your child has anemia, especially sickle cell anemia, or an autoimmune condition, call right away. Fifth disease can be dangerous for these patients. Also, if your child develops joint swelling or if symptoms worsen over time instead of improving, call us.

 

In normal cases, we treat symptoms with acetaminophen to reduce fever, or antihistamines to control itching. However, sickle cell patients and some others may need to be hospitalized because the blood counts can be seriously compromised. A pregnant woman with fifth disease should also be seen by a physician, because serious complications can occur.

 

Most of the information in this article came from the American Academy of Pediatrics article on the subject, which you can read here.

 

Fifth disease is more common late winter through spring, so you may want to keep an eye out for it this time of year. The good news is that most children will develop only mild symptoms that will go away without treatment.

 

 

 

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved

 

 

The truth about poison ivy

Leave a reply

There’s that little bumpy rash, trying to keep from scratching, pink lotions…  Just reading the description makes you start to itch.

More time out of doors in the summer leads to more exposure to lots of things, including poison ivy.  But there are lots of myths about how it’s spread and how to treat it.

True:  The rash results from exposure to a poison ivy plant.  All poison ivy is three-leaved, but it doesn’t all look the same.  Sometimes the leaves have a reddish tint; sometimes the plant is all green.  It can grow low to the ground or vining up a tree.  Leaves can be quite small or 8 to 10 inches across.  The rule often quoted is:  “Leaves of three, let it be.”  Good advice.

True:  It’s the oil of the plant that causes the rash.  So, it’s possible to get a rash even if you were wearing long pants through a poison ivy patch, by touching the clothing later.  Some people have contracted poison ivy when burning brush, as they inhaled the smoke.

False:  You can get a poison ivy rash by touching someone else’s rash, especially if it is oozing fluid.  This is only true if there is still oil from the plant remaining on the rash—an unlikely scenario.  You can, however, get the oil from the fur of a pet that has been out of doors.  And if you have the oil on your hands, any skin that you touch can develop a rash.

False:  Some people are immune to poison ivy.  While it’s true that everyone’s susceptibility level is different, exposure to enough of the plant oil can cause anyone to break out in a rash.

According to an article by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), if you believe your child has been exposed to poison ivy, wash the affected area as soon as possible with soap and water for several minutes, and wash the clothing immediately.  Use calamine lotion 3 or 4 times per day to reduce itching, and/or 1% hydrocortisone cream to decrease swelling.  Call your pediatrician if the rash covers a very large area or doesn’t respond to treatments, if there’s a severe rash on the face, a fever or any other indication of infection, or a new outbreak.

The best treatment of all is to avoid contact with the plant in the first place, so teach your child what it looks like.

Shelby, age 5

Shelby, age 5

© 2013 MBS Writing Services.  All rights reserved.