MAIN Health Rashes Purpura Rash

Purpura, which is also known as skin hemorrhages and blood spots, is a rash which appears as an outbreak of red dots on the skin.

A purpura rash can appear anywhere on the body, but it more commonly appears in specific areas such as the front of the lower legs, or the outer sides of the lower arms.

Causes of purpura rash

The direct cause of purpura is blood in the skin which has leaked from blood vessels, which is what makes the little purplish-red dots or blisters to appear.

This bleeding can be the result of several different causes. One common cause is that the platelet count in the bloodstream becomes low enough that bleeding can occur. Another possible explanation is that there is some sort of damage to the blood vessels, which can be exacerbated by fragile or thin blood vessels. It is also possible that some sort of inflammation causes the blood vessels to swell. Ultimately, there are a wide variety of possible explanations for purpura.

In some cases, a spreading rash may be a sign of severe infection, leukemia or even meningitis, so a doctor should always be consulted to diagnose the exact cause, especially if it develops very rapidly.

Purpura rash treatment

There is very little in the way of treatments that can be done for a purpura rash with home remedies. If the person who contracts the purpura rash is healthy, it may just go away on its own in three to five days. If, however, the rash persists or other symptoms such as fever occur, a doctor should be consulted immeditately as there can potentially be serious health problems underlying an outbreak of purpura.



More information about purpura around the Web:

Purpuric rashes

Evaluating the child with purpura

This information is intended as reference and not as medical advice.
All treatment decisions should be made by medical professionals.

also see -> Rash Picture Gallery

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