rash on legs

[goofypat42]

Can any tell me about rash on legs? I have rash that goes
from my alkles to my knee with red bumps? I have seen
this before in DW but it is happening in my own state. I
have not been out in the sun since last summer and I
and the DD's took a walk today and it show up again.
Can anyone tell me what is going on????

 

[dgaston]

I developed a rash on my lower legs in WDW last August. We checked in with the first aid station and they said it was due to light reflecting up from the concrete surfaces--especially bad in Epcot. It's not really a rash but burst capillaries, according to the folks in first aid. They suggested pool time each day to help, and said cortisone creams would not help!

Hope that helps

 

[jaysue]

For what it is worth - I looked kind of goofy but I wore knee high athletic socks (as did DW and DS) with hiking runners and long shorts so had no problems with sun exposure on my legs in the parks. It looked funny I guess but it was comfortable

thanks
Jason

 

[alwaysmom]

Rash!!!

Oh my gosh, this is the first time I have heard of anyone else getting a rash a WDW.

I got one from ankle to knees last trip and again this trip a couple weeks ago. The only one in the family.

Trying to figure it out I could only come up with 1 or 2 things. The rash appeared the day after I had taken the kids to the playground and sat playing with my feet in the sand and the day after we went to AK and I had brushed off a couple ants crawling on me.

My conclusion: Sand fleas or ant bites?????????? Don't really know, but they did itch Cortaid and a little Bendryl helped.

Anyone else have any ideas???

 

[NotUrsula]

It is called Polymorphous Light Eruption (PMLE), and it is a form of allergic reaction to a sudden large dose of the UV-A rays in sunlight. It strikes northern Europeans much more often than it does Americans, in the US, the susceptible population is around 10%. It's really common among Scandinavian visitors to Spain, from what I understand, and the odds of getting it increase if you've had it before.

Here is a really useful article from a UK source:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/lighteruption.htm

This UK source, and some sources from Australia and N.Zealand that I have found, recommend that people who are susceptible to this use tanning beds to gradually get the skin used to UV rays, a process called "hardening." The US medical community doesn't seem to want to go there, though I have noticed that I'm not as likely to get it if my legs are a bit tanned already. My dermatologist has me take Claritin for southern vacations, starting several days before I leave. I *REALLY* lather on sunscreen as well; I reapply heavily ever 30 minutes. It is *vitally* important that the sunscreen you use should contain an ingredient such as Parsol, which is specified to block UV-A; that will help, though it isn't a surefire preventative.

The trick with this problem is preventing it; once it gets going, you pretty much have to ride it out. Topical steroid creams will help a little, but not in OTC strength; you would need something serious like Elocon (mometasone furoate). For really painful cases, Prednisone tablets can be prescribed, but those are not to be taken lightly, Prednisone often causes nasty side effects. Water immersion seems to make it less painful, but you can't sleep in the bathtub, so prevention is the way to go, IMO.

 

[goofypat42]

I will keep a check on it for the next couple of months. I will try
sunscreen and then use a tanning bed. Il try the socks too.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

 

[Disney845]

I have gotten this ever since I was little. We call it heat rash, but there are different names for it. My legs get a very dark almost purplish red, splotchy, itchy and are extremely hot to the touch. It can happen whether I am wearing shorts or pants. It does not just happen at WDW. I have not found anything yet that prevents this, but to help it I use A&D ointment or something like that. Pretty much I just have to wait it out for it to go away. This has been talked about extensively on this boards before (not necessarily in this family forum) if/when the search function is working, search for "heat rash" some posters have found websites which explain in more detail what this really is.

 

[NotUrsula]

If it is really PMLE, it's not what a doctor would call heat rash.

What most doctors will call "heat rash" usually happens in areas that are covered by clothing, or in places where the skin folds, like the neck or inside the elbow. Babies get it very often. It normally happens when sweat cannot properly come to the surface of the skin and evaporate. It's very similar to diaper rash. Ointments like A&D or any diaper rash ointment will help with ordinary heat rash. Probably the most common place for an adult to get it is the inner thighs.

PMLE always happens on exposed skin, and since it is an allergic reaction, the best way to prevent it is with an oral antihistamine combined with UVA sunblock, along with "hardening" the skin against sun exposure. As I said in my earlier post, my dermatologist prescribed Claritin, as it doesn't make you sleepy. (Of course, it's available OTC, now.) That combination works very well for me; I haven't had a PMLE eruption in 2 years, and I can spend a lot more time outdoors in summer than I used to.

Here are photos for comparison:

This is PMLE: http://www.dermnetnz.org/images/pmle.jpg
This is heat rash: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/SelfHelp/conditions/heatrsh/_im006.asp

With PMLE, the skin around the bumps usually will not get very hot or red unless you have been scratching. (Which is hard not to do, of course, the bumps itch like mad.) Notice that the person in the PMLE photo is very pale, with lots of freckles. Northern European skin types (esp. freckled readheads, which would be me) get it more commonly than anyone else.

There are several other skin conditions caused by sunlight, these are not the only ones. They don't all respond to the same kinds of treatments or preventatives; if you have a problem with this sort of thing, it's best to see a dermatologist about it. Most internists are not usually very good at knowing what responds to what drug, as they don't have that much practice with skin conditions.

 

[Disney845]

Interesting info Ursula. I checked out your pics. Like I said "heat rash" is just what I always called it. Mine has always been located on my lower legs, from about midcalf down to ankles, so it is not from folds of skin or skin rubbing together. Mine actually looks like a combo of both pics if you understand what I mean by that. It is red and hot around the area like the "heat rash" photo, but also the "bumps" like the PMLE. I suppose there is a very good chance that we are talking about two completely different things.