Does That Rash Warrant Urgent Care Treatment?

Health & Medical Blog

Urgent care facilities are one of the most often misunderstood in the medical care environment. Many times people find themselves wondering if they should be visiting an urgent care center, a local emergency room, or just call their primary care doctor. One of the most common things to send people to urgent care centers is a rash. If you're wondering whether the rash you have warrants a call to the local urgent care, there are some things to consider. Here's a look at what you need to know.

Temperature

If the rash that you have is warm to the touch, that's an indication of significant inflammation associated with the reaction that's caused the rash. If that heat is also paired with a fever, that's a cause for concern. In either case, a rash that's warm to the touch or triggers a fever should be addressed right away by your local urgent care. If there's no heat in the rash, you might be able to put it off until your primary care doctor can see you.

Pain

A painful rash is also a cause for concern. Whether it's only painful to the touch or if it's radiating pain, you'll want to visit an urgent care for assessment and treatment. Pain emanating from a rash is usually indicative of an infection or similar problem. You'll need to make sure that you have an urgent care doctor examine the rash for proper treatment.

Spreading

When you develop a rash, you should take a marker and place lines around the outer perimeter of the rash. These lines will mark the boundary of the rash so that you can easily identify if it starts to spread. A rash that's spreading is a rash that's in need of urgent attention. You can visit a local urgent care center to determine the cause of the rash and the proper treatment to stop the spread.

Itching

When you have a rash that's persistently itchy and uncomfortable, you may try to treat it with hydrocortisone cream. If that doesn't resolve the problem, it's in your best interest to seek care from an urgent care center. After all, persistent itching can be uncomfortable, which can lead you to scratch. This may cause you to create raw spots, which can be prone to infection. Make sure that you visit an urgent care right away if you have an itchy rash.

These are some of the most common symptoms to be attentive to if you're trying to decide if a rash needs urgent care. The more you understand, the easier it is to determine if your rash is a serious concern.

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27 April 2022