Pregnancy Rash
During pregnancy, the skin undergoes a lot of changes, pregnancy rash being one of them. The main reason behind the rashes is hormonal change in the body.
A pregnant woman's skin is not immune to those hormonal variations. She becomes more sensitive to deodorant, detergents and perfumes. Her body becomes itchy, especially the stomach as the belly expands to make space for the baby to grow comfortably inside the body. Sometimes, there can be severe itch even without any rashes on the skin. In that case, consulting the health care provider is a must.
As the days pass the pregnant woman may feel warmer. During summers, heat rash and friction rash are the conditions which cause discomforts during pregnancies. As such there is no way to stop this. To check the effect of these, bathing regularly and staying in a shade is must. Loose, light coloured and lightweight clothes can also be helpful in handling these rashes.
Another kind of pregnancy rash, also called as stretch marks, is also quite common and appears in the skin as the pregnancy advances. These are mostly the stretched jagged lines usually of red or purple colours. But gradually, they fade their colours to tone with the skin or may even go lighter. The stretch marks may persist in some women even after pregnancy. To overcome this problem, stretch mark cream can be used with proper consultation of the dermatologist. Melasma, also called mask of pregnancy, is also a pregnancy rash. In this condition, dark patches appear on the face. Many similar instances appear in the body at different time during pregnancy.
PUPPP, short for pruritic uticarial papules and plagues of pregnancy, is a very rare and itchy condition which occurs in the last trimester of pregnancy. It results in itchy rashes on the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. It is often treated with topical anti-itch creams like cortisones and antihistamines.
Apart from the PUPPP pregnancy rash, there are others out there. Most of them are the responsible for causing discomforts to the pregnant woman while there are some others which can bring about complications in the baby, before and after its delivery. One such rash is Cholestasis of pregnancy. This is a liver condition which causes itching and may result in a rash as well. Its symptoms are very much like that of jaundice, yellow eyes or skin. Usually in this condition, risk to the mother is less but the child's life becomes risky. There is a probability of pre-term birth and meconium and even foetal death. Due to all these possibilities, induced labour is the most recommendable action to be taken.
Prurigo gestationis is seen in the latter half of pregnancy when itchy bumps are formed on the hands, feet, arms and legs. This pregnancy rash, although is irritating, yet causes no harm to the baby. Sometimes autoimmune disorder is seen in the mother-to-be which causes an itchy rash which then turn into blisters. This condition is called herpes gestationis which is responsible for affecting nearly 10% of the foetus during or after the birth. The child is likely to have the rashes as well.
Pregnancy rash is also seen on the scalp due to the increased level of estrogen in the body. This can be treated by applying tar shampoo. Dermatitis of pregnancy is also a condition where it presents itchy rash all over the body. This rash can occur in any pregnancy trimester and takes nearly 10 days to be cured completely.
Rash during pregnancy is a very common problem and mostly they are harmless, except some one or two. They are mainly responsible for the discomfort faced by pregnant women due to itching and all.
The best way of treating the pregnancy rash is through over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Your doctor can advise you the best lotion, anti-itch cream and medicines.
Some general precautions can also be followed like keeping the body clean and dry, avoiding too much exposure to sunlight, resisting the scratching of the patches and applying less friction.
Along with the medicines, self care is the best way to treat the rash with.
It is important to avoid anything rough on the skin; rather it is better to pamper the skin with gentle cleansers and non-perfumed soaps. Bathing with oatmeal and baking soda can help relieve the itching. The best cloth to wear with rash is lightweight and loose clothes.
If the self-care measures are not helping, then it is important to consult the doctor and keep the body at ease to enjoy the pregnancy period.
