red spots/blotches on skin

[bandini67]

for the past couple months, i have been waking up with several red spots/blotches on my skin.  sometimes on my arms, hands, shoulders and occasionally on my legs.  for weeks i thought they were bug bites and tried and failed to find any bugs.  then i thought it was allergy, but changing soap and laundry detergent had no effect.  the red spots are not raised at all, and look more like little burn marks, and they do not usually itch at all, although if i get them on my hands they itch slightly.  they disappear after a day or two, but each day i notice anywhere from 1 or 2 up to 5 or 6 more scattered about.  they would not even bother me if i didn't know they were there.  i am just wondering what they could possibly be.

[brypullin]

I woke up with hives the past three days and now when I wake up it is red blotches and they do not itch only around my hands. I have them more on my legs but some by th arm and arm pits and some on my butt. It is very ignoring and the last time I check with my doctor my blood count was low. Pleas help. ***@**** I have alot of cancer in my family. But I do not think it is that.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From your symptoms the possibility of hives or urticaria needs to be ruled out. The other possibility is of dermatitis skin. 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.
I suggest you to get it evaluated from a dermatologist and get the diagnosis confirmed.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.