Developing a rash behind knees is something that can leave you quite puzzled and stressed. Even though rashes are quite common, they can make an individual panic, especially when they appear in odd places such as behind your knees. It can even cause a person to be shy or bring about esteem issues. A rash is a non-specific symptom that leads to breaking out in a person’s skin and has a natural redness appearance. Outbreaks can affect anyone from a newborn baby, adolescent, adult and the elderly.
In most cases, scratching your skin can cause the rash to occur. It is brought about by an itchy feeling on the skin, which is known as “pruritus” in medical terms. Not all rashes are limited to the itchy ones as they are some like psoriasis and rosacea that are not itchy. A rash may be a macular eruption presentation or one that features an urticarial wheal or an intraepidermal vesicle rash.
How to diagnose a rash behind knees
To access any rash, including the one that is behind the knees, the dermatologist request patients to tell them the location of the outbreak and whether it is itchy or not. The dermatologist stretches out the affected area in a gentle manner in a bid to reduce the redness of the skin so as to make the rash more evident. He/She usually positions the penlight laterally so that that observation is made easier. The dermatologist can touch the skin lightly using his/her fingertips to evaluate the border of the rashes.
When the rashes appear in one area of the body, you have to ask yourself what causes this. Take note that numerous possible causes can precede the occurrences of this type of rash. Specific skin diseases may be the main culprit of the rashes which may appear simple at first but get worse with time. Have a look at some of the serious causes of the rash.
Causes of the rash behind knees
Atopic Dermatitis or Eczema- the skin infections have general symptoms like:
• Scaling skin
• Inflammation with an itchy red rash
• Rash that oozes out fluid
If the problem is hereditary, it is known as atopic. It can affect people from different age groups. During childhood, it starts with the outer side of the knees, and as the child grows older, they can move to other body parts. You also have to know several types of rash that may occur in your body.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
It is a skin condition that causes blisters and itchy sores around the neck region, elbows, and knees. Patients who are prone to this and are also sensitive to gluten may experience celiac disease.
Psoriasis
The condition which is also known as chronic plaque psoriasis not only affects the knees but the elbows as well. Another type of psoriasis also known as flexural psoriasis infects the skin folds found at the elbows and knees. Patches on the skin, itch rash and scales are some of the symptoms of the condition.
Nummular dermatitis
Another possible cause of rash behind knees may be this condition also known as discoid eczema. It causes disk-shaped plaque behind the knees. This can, later on, spread to the trunk, arms, and legs. The plaque can either be wet or dry and at times both and is most common during the cold weather.
Intertrigo
It is an inflammation of the body folds that mostly occurs in children. It occurs because of fungal, viral, or bacterial infections. The type of rash appears raw looking and red, and it may also be sore, itchy or ooze.
Apart from the skin diseases, other possible causes of the rash include:
• Heat rash
• Insect bites
• Burns
• Food and cosmetic allergies
• Fabrics
• Animal fur
• Fragrances among many others.
Note that rashes are usually not infectious and they do not need emergency medical attention.
Home remedies for rash behind the knees
· Application of cold compress
Hold a cold compress over the rash, it may help to relieve the itching as well as swelling if there is any.
· Cornstarch and oatmeal bath
Some people swear by this remedy when it comes to treating rash behind the knees. Just add uncooked oatmeal and cornstarch to your bath and soak in it for a couple of minutes.
· Use herbal roots
Examples of herbs that you can use include dandelion root, sarsaparilla root, burdock root, yarrow, and chaparral root to name a few.
· Application of olive oil or aloe vera gel can also help to relieve the rashes.
Other treatment options for the rash behind knees
If you are not a fan of home remedies or you try them out, and they do not work, it may be time to seek other treatment options. They are quite a number available depending on what causes the rash. The most common pharmacological intervention used to treat the rashes are over the counter drugs like steroidal topical creams and hydrocortisone. You do not need a prescription for this as you can walk into a drug store and purchase the drugs without any problem. Just follow the guidelines to the letter so that the drugs can work effectively.
If you have tried all the treatment options without any success, it may be time to seek professional help in a bid to treat the rash. Do not just sit at home and continue with your daily routine if it has been a week and there are no signs of improvement. Contact a dermatologist as soon as you can, so that you may get the necessary help and get to know what was going on. The doctor will advise on the treatment plan that you have been on and let you know if you should continue or not.
He/she will also inform you of the changes you need to make so that you do not have to get embarrassed by the rash behind the knees that does not seem to disappear. You should also contact the doctor immediately if the rash is painful, causes troublesome itching or comes with other symptoms such as high fever.
