What Should I Do??

My Daughter Is 13. It Is Thursday And Ever Since Last Night She Has Had Horible Rashes. She Has Been Itching For A Week Or 2 And Just Last Night She Was Getting A Red Irratated Area With Skin Colored/Red Bumps EVERYWHERE. She Is Itching HORRIBLY! And She Can't Stop. This Is The 2nd Time Its Happened To Her. Last Time She Was In 4th Grade. We Washed All Of Her Sheets And Blankets And Clothes. It Didnt Help. I Filled Up The Bath Tub And Had Her Soak In It For Awhile And She Didnt Itch When Covered In Water. What Is Her Condition Called, Sould She Go To The Doctor, And What Is A Treatment?

[Troublee]

The Rash Comes And Goes At Times.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination but it can be viral rashes, an allergic reaction or hives. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.

Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications. The mainstay of treatment of hives is antihistamine which may be necessary for prolonged periods (in excess of 6 weeks). She can take non-sedating antihistamines such as Cetirizine(Zyrtec) or  Loratadine to get symptom relief. Sedating antihistamines such as Benadryl is used at night to get urticaria control. Short courses of oral cortisone or steroids are taken for short periods (one to three days) to settle more severe symptoms.
She may take Vitamin C along with the prescribed treatment. Vitamin C is a general anti-allergy supplement. It helps stabilize mast cells so they are less likely to release histamine. If the symptoms persist then I suggest you to consult a dermatologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.