How to Avoid Catching a Rash or Spreading Rashes to Others

Along with the cautions about flu, it's also necessary toFollow your physician's instructions about your child's
be aware that some rashes are contagious and mayreturn to pre-school or school. If there is a bacterial
be picked up by your child at school, spread byinfection that is the source of the rash, it's often
co-workers or passed around in a nursing home.advised to wait till fever is gone and antibiotics are fully
Rashes also may migrate from one part of the bodyin the system. For a scabies mites rash, there is a
to another.pesticide to apply and a procedure for washing one's
Some rashes are not contagious. Insect bite rashes,clothing and bedding. When someone has a staph
food intolerances or  a reaction to a chemicalinfection rash it's important to cover it and be careful at
substance as well as dermatitis eczema rashes arefootball practice or other sports situations. Staph or
not spread from person to person. Some rashes thatmersa is contagious and goes around high school and
are contagious include scabies, poison ivy, chicken poxcollege football teams.
and fungal rashes. Scabies is a mite that can burrowChildren have a show and tell attitude often to a rash
under the skin and be passed on to another person byor similar bodily irregularity. Be sure your kids know to
holding hands, sharing a bed or at school. With a fungalnot touch someone's eruption, blister or wound. There
rash, contact in locker rooms by sharing towels, socksmay be some bacteria that is nasty in that fluid. Explain
or physical contact can pass this on. Poison ivy oilsto your children that they can catch a skin infection just
can be spread around one's own body if the urushiol oillike a cold or flu and that they'd never share a tissue
touches the skin. The oil can also cause someone elsewith someone. Discourage scratching as well to
to get eruptions. It is important with poison ivy tosomeone who has a rash as this can move it from
inspect clothing, shoes and backpack to be sureone part of the body to another. Scabies can hide in
traces of the oil don't remain.the nails even and be spread elsewhere on the body.
With the chicken pox and measles, vaccination isFungal infections as well as herpes fever blisters can
important for kids. These can be spread by contact asspread. Benadryl is useful when one is very itchy to
well as airborn. It's important to know if the rash is viral,prevent the itching that leads to scratching.
bacterial, an allergy or another source to know theThere are many sprays of hand sanitizers that kids
best way to protect oneself and one's kids. Don't justcan like at the health food store. This is a fun thing to
take advice about any rash as a solution to your own.use and kids can use peppermint or orange flavored
Some rashes benefit from calamine lotion , whilesprays to spray their hands when around others with
others require moisturizer and shouldn't be dried up.the flu, colds and rashes.