Red Blotches/Rash on Stomach and Chest

[Curiosity69]

Hi.

For a while now I have these red bits on my chest and stomach. There's not too many, maybe 8 or so, little circles/ovals. They never irritate at all except in a hot shower, they may itch a little bit, but even sometimes they are not sore in a hot shower.

They are not raised off the skin at all, it just looks like red circles of skin.

They are not a problem for me pain wise and don't affect me in any way but they make me a little uncomfortable being shirtless.

Does anyone have an idea of what it could be?

I wear spray on deodorant most times I go out but it doesn't seem to itch more when I use it or when I don't, and more don't appear when I use it.

It looks a bit like the red dots lower down in this picture, but I don't have large red areas, just some small dots.

 

[airtw0004]

Hey, could you give me a little more info on your condition?

When did you start getting these rashes?

Are these only on your chest/neck? Do they ever spread anywhere?

Do they only show up when you take hot showers?

Does anything you do cause them to get worse/better?

Did you notice them growing larger than when you first noticed them?

Is there any time of the day you notice they get better/worse?

Do you have any known allergies?

Did you eat anything you normally don't when you first noticed this rash?

 

[borg69unimatrix]

To me it looks like a "Heat Rash". Try to stay cooler, wear loose cotton that breathes, and drink more fluids. You said it happens/is worse during/after a shower... how hot are you showers?

 

[airtw0004]

^I don't think it's heat rash (aka miliaria rubra) because it doesn't look very papulovesicular in nature.

EDIT: Actually, I don't know because I just realized that isn't a picture of the OP.

OP: You can try looking it up on google and compare yourself if you think it might be heat rash, but I think you should still see a doctor if it persists.

 

[airtw0004]

OP: I forgot to ask, do you have any other symptoms you have noticed? Fever, pain, etc?

You really need to post an actual picture of yourself if you want to get good guess since dermatological symptoms are all very similar and you have to note the borders/color/erythemateous-character/etc.

 

[billybob109]

It looks like Hives I had same problem but also on my face at random. My dermotoligist said to take a Zyrtec which is an allergy medication and it should go away. you are probably getting them from certain foods u need to stop eating those foods. I would go see a dermotologist in this case.

 

[strosbuff88]

OP: I forgot to ask, do you have any other symptoms you have noticed? Fever, pain, etc?

You really need to post an actual picture of yourself if you want to get good guess since dermatological symptoms are all very similar and you have to note the borders/color/erythemateous-character/etc.

I thought the 'resident' med student would stop by to pay this 'patient' a visit! ;]

 

[airtw0004]

^Haha...how did you guess?

Since people were saying there is a lack of medical professionals catering to the LGBTQ community, I figure whatever knowledge I can share will at least make them feel like there are [future] doctors who care.

 

[midnight81]

I think most people didn't bother to read your entire post, because they're trying to diagnose the picture when it's clear that you were just using the picture to try and show us something similar and you said you didn't have the large red areas.

From what you've described, this sounds like nothing more than RINGWORM which is a type of fungus. It's not anything to freak out about (although the name is horrifying, I know) but it's more like Athlete's Foot (not an actual worm).

I just had like this recently---just go to the doctor and they'll look at it quickly and prescribe you a cream you can put on and it'll go away very quickly. I was prescribed two types of cream (one by my Primary Care Doc and one by the dermy) and I found Econozale to be the better of the two. So if given an option, I would ask for that.

And don't worry about how you caught it. It could be something as simple as getting a cut on your skin and the infection found its way in from there.

Lastly, it's impossible to diagnose something with 100% accuracy over the internet, even for an actual doctor (which I am not). So no matter what, go to your doctor and get it checked out.

 

[strosbuff88]

^Haha...how did you guess?

Since people were saying there is a lack of medical professionals catering to the LGBTQ community, I figure whatever knowledge I can share will at least make them feel like there are [future] doctors who care.

That's really kind Air. I appreciate that!

 

[Curiosity69]

Hey, could you give me a little more info on your condition?

I noticed it maybe when I was about 16 and I'm 19 now. I often don't notice it for months before it comes a little irritated again.

I have fairly hot showers, but even in some of my hottest showers, sometimes it won't itch at all.

I didn't do anything unusual around the time I started noticing it, and I don't have any allergies.

And about ringworm, I guess it is lucky my ex girlfriend had it on her leg, so I know that it is not a serious thing and didn't get scared when you mentioned it lol.

I might take a picture of it on myself and get it uploaded, but yes I understand it is hard to diagnose on the internet.

Thanks for peoples replies though, I didn't realise so many people would help out.

 

[Chardius]

Just because its easy to fix if its right:

Tinea Versicolor, a skin fungus common in young men. Doesn't hurt but causes small red blotches that can spread and grow larger over time. Especially on the upper chest lower throat area.

It can be treated with a 10 dollar bottle of non-prescription shampoo. Nizoral. If you can't find that ask the pharmacist for a skin treatment with Ketokonazole.

I had Tinea Versicolor, for like 8 years without knowing about it and yours sounds really similar.

Again I only suggest you try this because its a simple treatment (2 - 3 days of showering with this). If it takes more than a week it is not Tinea Versicolor.

EDIT:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000297/

NIH article on Ketoconazole.

 

[mattyboi_aus]

I had this for ages never knowing what it was, it ended up travelling down my arms. Kinda horrible feeling that whenever I took off my shirt and got a little, erm, warm, there was this horrible rash like thing.

My doctor thought it was Tinea Versicolor and put me on a wash called Pevaryl Foaming Solution. Bit annoying, but now after following the treatments the blotching is completely gone. Now even after hot showers and stuff, it hasn't come back.