Rash behind Ear : Causes, Pictures, on Neck, Itchy, Heat Rash,, Get Rid & Treatment

Rash behind ear and neck can be painful and discomforting for both child and adults. The rash could be bumpy and itchy depending on the underlying cause. In this article we discuss this causes, other symptoms that might be observed and the best treatment option for getting rid of the rash.

You are said to have a skin rash when one or more parts of the skin becomes swollen or itchy (irritated). A rash behind ear can include a bump, sores, scaly or colored skin patches or a burning sensation behind ear. There are a variety of medically condition that can result in skin rash. A good example is measles in children, contact dermatitis, psoriasis or chicken pox. To understand the actual cause of the rash behind ear you need to have your health care check on you.

Most of skin conditions re harmless and not life threatening. I tis possible for the rash to clear up after sometime and your skin will be back to normal. On the other hand, some of the medical condition causing rash behind ear can be dangerous when no treatment is done on time. Chicken pox for instance, is life threatening and highly contagious. If medication is not given in time this could be dangerous.

When the rash becomes itchy and painful, over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin can be of use. You can also apply anti-itching and anti-inflammatory creams and gel. If the symptoms persist for a week or the pain and itching becomes unbearable you need to see your doctor as soon as possible. Read through for more causes, symptoms and treatment.

Symptoms

Rash behind ear can be as result of an array of causes. Though different infections causing rash behind ear may exhibit different symptoms, they are some symptoms that can be observed to be similar to others from cause to cause. The following are some of the common symptom;

Itchy bumps behind ear
Bumpy rash
Swollen lymph node behind ear
Headaches
Redness behind ear
Peeling of skin behind ear

In many cases, the above listed symptoms heal and go away on their own without having to treat them. This should take a minimum of one week, if you had been using any medication to get rid of the rash and it fails to do so within that week, you need to see a dermatologist to establish why that is so. A rash on itself may fail to be an infection but it is surely a sign of an underlying medical complication that needs to be fixed in time.

Possible Causes:

Skin rash is one of the noticeable symptom of an underlying condition. What causes a rash on the neck and behind ear? There are numerous possible reasons for rashes on the skin including allergies, medications, cosmetics and certain diseases such as chicken pox and measles. Below, find the causes:

Heat rash behind ear

A heat rash is most common in children. This is usually due to excess exposure to direct sunlight. It cal also happen when your baby is kept in warm wrapping for long. Though not dangerous or life threatening, eat rash can cause a lot of discomfort for the baby.

The rash caused can be red, scaly and at times the skin may start to peel off.

To avoid this, you can reduce the exposure to the sun, baby powder and petroleum jelly can be helpful in soothing the baby’s skin. If this does not help please visit your pediatrician.

Rubella

Also called German measles, rubella is caused by a virus. The cause and symptoms of rubella are more severe in children as compared to adults. The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted from one person to another through body contact. The common symptoms associated with rubella incle;

Lymph node become to swell and become tender
You may experience cold like symptoms such as running nose and red wet eyes
Headache
Eyes may become inflamed
Joint and muscles pain

Rubella symptoms are not dangerous, but for pregnant women, you need to see your doctor for checkup immediately. When you are infected with the virus, it is possible you transmit it to you unborn child through the bloodstream. This is called congenital rubella syndrome. This is a serious concern as it can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.

Once diagnosed with the virus, most cases can be treated at home, having a bed rest and acetaminophen which help reduce the fever and itching. Reducing contact with masses is key in reducing the spread to other people.

Measles

Measles is a viral infection of the respiratory system. It is very contagious and can spread from one person to another through contact with mucus and saliva of an infected person. After infection of the virus, the symptoms usually appear within 14 day, they include; red eyes, muscles aches, sore throats, running nose, white patches inside mouth and rash behind ear and other body parts.

Immunization can help prevent the chances of virus attack in children, according to the Center for Disease Control the number of measles cases has dropped over time but not completely eliminated. There are no prescription medication for measles, the symptoms can go away on their own in 2-3 week. Your doctor may otherwise prescribe the following;

Vitamin A supplements
Drin a lot of fluids
Having enough rest to strengthen the immune system
Acetaminophen may be used for fever and joint paints

Psoriasis

The other possible cause of rash behind ear is psoriasis. This is a chronic skin condition caused by an overactive immune system. Its symptoms includes inflammation of the skin, thick white or red patches.

Psoriasis is common in people with obesity, diabetes and heart disease. It can also be inherited from the genes of an infected person to offspring’s.

The condition is considered incurable but steroid creams and gel, light therapy and oral antibiotics can be used to treat some of the symptoms associated with psoriasis.

Contact dermatitis

According to the national eczema organization, contact dermatitis is the result of the reaction of the skin to an environmental substance. With this it is very possible to have rash behind ear as a result of reaction between the substance making the earing and the skin.

The skin may be swollen, inflamed, red and itchy, the condition is not life threatening, to reduce the itching you can apply over-the –counter anti-itching and anti-inflammatory creams or gel. If the symptoms does not go away after one week, please visit a health care provider.

Fungal infection

The common symptoms associated with fungal infection include;

Rash behind ear and other parts of the body
Red or white patches on the surface of the skin
Peeling and shedding of the skin
Sore may start to appear on the surface of the skin

Once diagnosed with a fungal infection, the treatment is usually simple. Your doctor will prescribe drying agents and other different anti-fungal medicines. The medication will be given depending on the type of the fungal infection you are suffering from. They may include;

Intravenous antifungals which is injected into the body.
Topical antifungals which are in form of cream and gel and are applied on the skin surface on the affected area.

Chicken pox

Chicken pox is a contagious infection caused by a virus. It is most common in children but can also affect the adults. Once infected with the virus, your body becomes immune and you cannot contact the rash and other symptoms of the virus.

In children, the infection has the following symptoms, the rash maybe itchy, red blisters appear over the body. It is also very possible for you to experience headache, loss of appetite and fever. The bumps maybe filled with fluid, they may also be itchy and painful.

Medication for chicken pox involve treating the symptoms. For infant, vaccination against the virus causing chicken pox. Antihistamine medication or topical ointments may be used. Anti-itching creams can be available over-the-counter. Infected children should avoid contact with others to avoid the spread of the virus.

Rash behind ears and neck child

The most common causes of rash behind ear in children are rubella, chicken pox and psoriasis. Other causes include heat rash which happens when your child is exposed to too much sunlight. This cause are not life threatening, the rash caused by rubella for instance usually clears up within a week. To remedy heat rash on children you can apply petroleum jelly and lotion together with baby powder. The three can be helpful in soothing the child’s skin and reducing the itching caused.

Rubella in children is caused by a virus, though common in children rubella can infect people of all ages. The common symptoms associated with rubella in children include red skin rash behind ear and neck, your child may experience running nose and coughing, high fever during the nights, the gland behind ear may be swollen and painful. It is also common for them to experience headaches and joint pain.

Chicken pox is caused is also caused by a virus and can only affect a person once in his/her lifetime. Once infected, the body develops antibody that help in fighting future attacks. The virus thus remain dormant in the body’s nerves and can cause shingles. Chicken pox can be prevented by having you child vaccinated against the virus. The common symptoms of chicken pox are painful and itchy bumps over the body, headaches, fever and general feeling of unwell. This symptoms can cause your child to be very uncomfortable. Please immediate health care.

Itchy rash behind ears and back of neck in adults

In adults itchy rah behind ear can be caused by any of the following;

Chicken pox, a highly contagious infection caused by a virus. It causes a mild fever, itchy rash and at time inflamed blisters. Caused by herpes zoster virus and only attacks a person once, after which your body becomes immune to future attacks.
Psoriasis, a skin disorder that causes patches and rashes. The rashes appear as red, flaky, crusty and May at times be covered in silvery scales., there is no treatment for psoriasis but a wide range of medication can be used to treat the symptoms and improve the appearance of the skin.
Contact dermatitis, this is caused by allergy to substance that come in contact with your skin. This causes the skin to develop red, itchy rash. The condition is not contagious or life threatening but for most it can be beauty nightmare especially if the rash appear on face. The substance could include soap, body lotion and cosmetics. Treatment will include anti-itching creams and lotion ad discontinued use of the allergic substances.
Fungal infection, ringworm is good example of a fungal infection, though most common in children, adults are all at risk of this attack. Ringworm causes red, circular, itchy rash on the skin surface. The classification and naming of the ringworm causing the rash on skin depends with where the rash is. For instance that of the feet is called tinea pedia whereas that of the groin area is tinea crusis. That of the face is known as tinea faciale.

Most of the above skin condition are not life threating, but others such as chicken pox are highly contagious. Even though there are not medication for psoriasis, a life style change can be very helpful in avoiding future attacks. For children a chicken pox vaccine can help prevent those rash in future.

At home you can apply simple remedies such as, a cold compress to relieve the itchiness caused by chicken pox and contact dermatitis rash. Apply aloe Vera or baking soda paste for scaly and blistered rash caused by fungal infection, psoriasis or chicken pox. If the symptoms persist, please visit your health care provider.

Not itchy

What could causes a painless rash behind ear and back of neck? Does a rash behind ear and back of neck that does not itch a sign of cancer? A common cause of itchy less rash is rubella, after incubation of about 2-3 week you may start to observe some of the symptom, though in other people this may not be the case. Rash and swelling around neck is a common symptom to those who develop the symptoms.

Rubella rash a typically red or pink in color, a number of small spots maybe observed. The spots may or may not be itchy. In some people it is common for it to be accompanied by swollen lymph nodes. You need to see your doctor as soon as the following symptoms develop;

High fever in children
Eyes become swollen and red
Running nose
Sore throats
Difficulties in swallowing food
Swollen and painful joints
General feelings of tiredness.

Small Bumpy rash behind ears-What are they?

Small bumpy rash behind ear should only be a cause of worry if you have had them for more than a week or two. In most cases skin rash are normal and harmless and go away on their own without medical treatment given.

A bumpy rash behind ear can be caused by chicken pox, psoriasis or fungal infection. It is also very possible that the bumps behind ear are as a result of swollen lymph glands which help in fighting infection in our body. When the rash becomes painful or blistered and other symptoms such as fever and cold like symptoms (running nose, wet reddish eye and sore throats) are observed, you need to have a general practitioner check on you to establish the actual cause of this infection.

A rash is a sign of an underlying medical infection. Over-the-counter medication should be avoid in all means possible. Simple home remedies such as applying aloe Vera, Baking soda or apple cider vinegar can be helpful in soothing the skin and reducing the itching. A warm or cold compress can also be helpful in reducing the inflammation and swelling of the itchy bumps.

Treatment for rash behind ears and neck

Treatment for rash behind ear and neck starts with treating the underlying cause of the rash. For physical cause such as heat rash, avoiding exposure to sun ray is important. Anti-inflammatory and itching body creams and lotions can be helpful for this kind of rashes. Normal body petroleum jelly can be of help to both children and adults.

When you visit a pediatrician, a doctor or a general health care provider, diagnosed and the cause of the rash identified, your doctor will prescribe one or a combination of the following to try and treat the rash behind ear;

Antibiotics for itchiness and inflammation
Calamine lotion
Steroids to reduce the inflammation and swelling
Epinephrine for allergic reaction causing rash
Antihistamines to reduce mild symptoms caused by the rash.

Natural Home remedies to Get Rid of Rash

Most of the skin infection are harmless and not life threatening. Apart from the treatment option discussed above, rash behind era can be treated at home. There exist simple, readily available and natural treatment option that you can use to get rid of some of the symptoms such as itching, inflammation and also to speed up the healing process of the said rashes.

Take NOTE, the following remedies will not treat the underlying cause of the rash, the remedies listed below helps soothe the skin, reduce itching and makes the pain less severe. You need to visit you doctor if that is not the case after continued use of the remedies. The remedies include;

Tree oil, a natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. The oil is good in treating chicken pox, psoriasis, fungal infection and many other skin infections. To make it even more effective you can a have a mixture of tree oil with honey then apply on the affected area of the skin
Turmeric, according to the journal of the American Chemical Society, turmeric contain a wide range of antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties for this kind of skin rash. It also contains a substance known as lipopolysaccharide that helps stimulate the body’s immune system.
Aloe Vera gel is the other perfect natural remedy available for skin rash. The gel contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-itching properties which are helpful in preventing infections and soothing the skin. What you need to do is apply the gel on the affected area and leave it for 20 minutes before you rinse it off. Do this twice daily for week for optimal results.
Yogurt is rich in anti-itching quality. When you apply plain yogurt on an itchy rash behind ear, it can help soothe the skin. It can also be helpful in reducing the itchiness and inflammation.
Baking soda, to make a remedy, add a tea spoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water to make a paste, apply the paste on the affected area and leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing it off, repeat this twice in a day for a week for optimal result.

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