Stress rashes often appear as raised red bumps called hives. They can affect any part of the body, but often a stress rash is on the face, neck, chest or arms. Hives may range from tiny dots to large welts and may form in clusters. They may be itchy or cause a burning or tingling sensation.
This can affect your nervous system and cause sensory symptoms like burning or itching of the skin, with or without visible signs. You can experience this sensation anywhere on your skin, including your arms, legs, face, and scalp. You might feel it only intermittently or it could be quite persistent.
Not only is itch associated with greater anxiety, but stress has also be shown to exacerbate itch, leading to a true itch-anxiety cycle. Many chronic itch patients report that psychological stress is a factor that aggravates their itch.
Stress rash and hive symptoms usually appear as swollen bumps called welts or wheals. These bumps can cause redness. However, this redness may not show up easily in people with darker skin tones. On darker skin, the bumps may look skin-colored or have subtle (less noticeable) redness.
See your doctor or a skin disease specialist (dermatologist) if the itching: Lasts more than two weeks and doesn't improve with self-care measures. Is severe and distracts you from your daily routines or prevents you from sleeping. Comes on suddenly and can't be easily explained.
Itching is a common symptom of skin lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Itching is less common in most types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The itching might be caused by chemicals released by the immune system in reaction to the lymphoma cells.
Common causes of itching
parasitic infestations – such as scabies. insect bites and stings. fungal infections – such as athlete's foot or vaginal thrush. hormonal changes during pregnancy or the menopause.
What do stress hives look like? Stress hives can look a little like bug bites: both are red, puffy, and itchy, and may appear initially as individual bumps, says Stevenson. However, hives are more often irregular in shape and can join together in larger patches, especially if you scratch them.
A stress rash is simply a rash or issue with the skin caused by stress and anxiety. A typical stress rash reaction is breaking out in hives, known as urticaria. These are raised, itchy bumps that appear on the infected area and can appear anywhere on the body.
Try some meds: To target the spots at their source, Dr. Myers recommends antihistamines like cetirizine (Zyrtec®), fexofenadine (Allegra®) or loratadine (Claritin®). Just not these meds: Skip the aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications like ibuprofen, which can be a trigger for hives.
Sweat Rash Anxiety also increases the rate and amount of sweating that can result in a sweat-related rash (also known as heat rash). While these rashes are completely safe, they are extremely itchy and can take upwards of two weeks to resolve.
Fortunately, most stress-induced rashes go away on their own within a few days; however, they can come back. Some may persist for as long as six weeks. Avoid scratching the rash, which can make it worse and may even spread bacteria through tiny scrapes in the skin.
Unlike many other organs in the body, your skin has an immediate reaction to mental stress. Some researchers call it the “brain-skin connection.” Psychogenic itching, or psychogenic pruritus, occurs when psychological factors trigger or worsen itchy skin.
Itchy bumps can appear as a result of allergies, infections, insects, and, sometimes, nonidentified factors. However, there is one general principle that the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology recommend people to follow when their skin itches: Do not scratch it.
Dry skin: Your body loses moisture at night, which can make your skin itchy. Hormonal changes: At night, your body doesn't produce as many hormones as it does during the day and certain hormones reduce inflammation (swelling). As you have fewer hormones at night, your skin could be itchy.
Medical treatments for a stress rash
If your symptoms worsen or last longer than 6 weeks, you should consult a doctor. Hives that last beyond 6 weeks are considered chronic and may or may not go away on their own within a year.
Both vitamin B12 and vitamin A deficiencies may also cause itchy skin, so if you are experiencing chronically itchy skin, getting your level of these vitamins tested can be helpful. This testing will help determine whether these deficiencies are at the root of your skin sensitivities and itchiness.
Symptoms of itching with liver disease
Itching associated with liver disease tends to be worse in the late evening and during the night. Some people may itch in one area, such as a limb, the soles of their feet, or the palms of their hands, while others experience an all-over itch.
Cancer treatment—including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy—can cause skin issues in people with leukemia. Per the American Cancer Society (ACS), the rashes can appear across multiple areas of the body (e.g., scalp, neck, upper body) and may be itchy, burning, stinging, or painful.
Itch is common in people who have a disease that affects their blood, such as Hodgkin's lymphoma or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It can also be a sign of advanced kidney disease and often develops in people who are close to needing dialysis or currently receiving dialysis.
Dry, itchy skin
If you have diabetes, you're more likely to have dry skin. High blood sugar (glucose) can cause this. If you have a skin infection or poor circulation, these could also contribute to dry, itchy skin.