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From Cancer To Meningitis, Know How Deadly A Simple Rash Can Be

Rashes are a common skin condition that causes inflamed skin, irritation, itchiness, and even pain sometimes. Even though mostly considered harmless, experts say sometimes they can be a tell-tale sign of serious and dangerous diseases like cancer and meningitis. Read on to know more about this.

TN Health Desk

Updated Mar 21, 2024, 09:20 IST

Rashes can be caused due to prickly heat, psoriasis, hives, acne eczema or serious conditions like cancer

Most rashes are usually discomforting but harmless. Also, itchy and painful, rashes appear differently on different skin tones. While they are often described as red, on darker skin tones, they can also be purple, gray, or white.

According to doctors, rashes can be caused due to various reasons – including prickly heat, psoriasis, hives, acne, or eczema. Even though these are incredibly frustrating to live with - but generally, they do not pose a serious risk to your health.

However, experts warn some serious rashes have very similar symptoms.

Signs of rashes that can be a deadly disease

Lymphoma

According to doctors, many patients diagnosed with lymphoma - cancer that begins in cells of the lymph system, sometimes suffer from mycosis fungoides.

Apart from being itchy and looking like other common skin conditions like eczema, this rash is tricky to diagnose. Doctors say in many cases, it develops slowly and takes years to show, delaying the effect of your treatment.

The lymphatic system is the network of organs, vessels, tissues, and glands in the body that work to get rid of toxins.

Mycosis fungoides is developed when the blood travels to the upper layer of the skin, causing a patchy red rash which eventually turns scaly, with thin, wrinkled skin.

Dermatologists say this condition has no cure, and even after treatment, it usually comes back.

Leukemia

Leukemia is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells which occurs most often in adults older than 55 years of age. It begins in the bone marrow and spreads throughout the body in the bloodstream.

Apart from extreme tiredness and bruising, signs of leukemia include petechiae or clusters of tiny spots on the skin. If you are light-skinned, the spots would usually look red, and on darker skin, they can appear purple or darker than the surrounding skin.

Doctors say the rash is usually caused by broken blood vessels under the skin and often resembles atopic dermatitis – a common form of eczema. However, these turn white in the later stages of the cancer.

Blood clotting disorder

According to experts, purplish spots under your skin could be a signal of a blood clotting disorder. These rashes, also known as purpura – are tiny pin prick-sized patches that can be caused due to low or extremely high levels of platelets.

Doctors say blood clotting disorders can be incredibly dangerous.

Meningitis

A red pin prick rash under the skin can indicate meningitis - a fatal condition involving inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.

Doctors say even though it seems like flu, rashes in meningitis occur in the later stages. According to experts, they are not easily visible on darker skin and so should be checked on the soles of the feet, roof of the mouth, tummy, whites of the eyes, and the inside of the eyelids.

Doctors say many times these rashes also turn into signs of sepsis caused by meningitis.

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