Top Doctors: Rash? Don't do anything rash
Summer can really bug your skin. Mosquitoes, poison ivy and sun exposure all pose threats and can cause a rash. Here's what you should know about body rashes, regardless of the season:
1. IF YOU DEVELOP A RASH AND A FEVER, SEE A DOCTOR
Many rashes are just nuisances, but a rash and a fever combination could be a sign of a bad reaction to medication or a serious disease, such as meningitis or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, said Dr. Daniel Mark Siegel, a Smithtown dermatologist who is president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Get yourself to the doctor quite quickly," Siegel said.
2. BE CAREFUL WITH OVER-THE- COUNTER MEDICATIONS
"Self-treatments should be aimed at symptomatic relief since presumably you're not really sure what you're treating if you haven't seen the dermatologist yet," said Dr. Jeffrey A. Sklar, a Woodbury dermatologist.
He advises caution regarding the use of cortisone creams, which affect the immune system. "If your rash is due to an infection, cortisones will actually worsen the condition and make the infection spread."
Siegel advises that people watch out for topical benzocaine and Benadryl products, too. "They can actually cause rashes in many people," Siegel said. "Often that's what brings people to a dermatologist. They treated a rash, but they're in that small percentage of people who are allergic, and that rash gets worse instead of getting better."
3. DON'T ASSUME YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, OR EVEN THAT YOUR MOTHER DOES
"Don't self-diagnose, listen to your friends or try to figure it out from the Internet," Sklar said. "Don't go through your medicine cabinet or use old tubes of cream that may have been prescribed for something else."
4. POISON IVY MIGHT NEED A DOCTOR'S HELP
Calamine lotion helps soothe rashes from poison ivy. But it usually doesn't control the itch, Siegel said. Over-the-counter cortisone cream or gel is helpful, he noted, and you can get stronger doses by prescription. For poison ivy rashes over a large part of your body, doctors often prescribe steroid pills to speed recovery.
5. KEEP A SUN RASH COOL
If you think you've been out in the sun too long, quickly take a painkiller, like aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen, Siegel said. It may help reduce damage. Once the burn sets in, a painkiller can help suppress discomfort. Oatmeal-based skin products can be helpful with a sun rash, or "simply put a handful of oatmeal in the bathtub and get it as cool as possible," he said. Cold compresses can help, too.
Cooling can soothe other kinds of rashes and bug bites, too. Put an ice cube on the area, Siegel said. And don't worry about freezing your skin. You'll pull the ice away before damage is done, he said.
This is the third installment of a 26-week series in which Newsday presents Castle Connolly's list of top LI doctors. Click here to see the full list.
This week we're featuring dermatolotists.
Dr. Georgette Aprile
8 Med Plaza
516-759-9200
Dr. Pamela Basuk
2011 Union Blvd.
Bay Shore
631-666-2900
Dr. Bernard Berger
319 Hampton Rd.
631-283-7722
Dr. Robert Bruckstein
290 Central Ave.
516-239-2332
Dr. Richard Clark
181 N. Belle Meade Rd.
631-444-4270
Dr. William De Pietro
10 Medical Plaza
516-671-1780
Dr. Frank Demento
520 Franklin Ave.
516-746-1227
Dr. Charisse Dolitsky
604 E. Park Ave.
516-432-0011
Dr. Ronald Falcon
604 E. Park Ave.
516-432-0011
Dr. Jeanne Franck
520 Franklin Ave.
516-741-1055
Dr. Harold Hefter
135 Rockaway Tpke.
516-371-1600
Dr. Barbara Hisler
1300 Union Tpke.
516-326-0333
Dr. Julie Huh
332 E. Main St.
Bay Shore
631-666-0500
Dr. Leonard Kristal
2001 Marcus Ave.
516-352-6151
Dr. Laurie Levine
200 Old Country Rd.
516-742-6136
Dr. Ashfaq Marghoob
Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center
800 Veterans Memorial Hwy.
631-863-5150
Dr. Gavan Moynihan
332 E. Main St.
Bay Shore
631-666-0500
Dr. Antoinette Notaro
13405 Main Rd.
631-298-1122
Dr. Robert Paltzik
2 Hillside Ave.
516-747-2230
Dr. Deborah Sarnoff
31 Northern Blvd.
516-484-9000
Dr. Daniel Siegel
994 W. Jericho Tpke.
Smithtown
631-864-6647
Dr. Jeffrey Sklar
800 Woodbury Rd.
Woodbury
516-496-9400
Dr. Robert Skrokov
332 E. Main St.
Bay Shore
631-666-0500
Dr. Alan Spinowitz
877 Stewart Ave.
516-745-0606
Dr. Jack Tom
207 Hallock Rd.
631-444-0004
Dr. John Walczyk
1165 Northern Blvd.
516-365-8030
How they were picked
Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is a health care research and information company founded in 1991 by a former medical college board chairman and president to help guide consumers to America's top doctors and hospitals. Castle Connolly's established survey and research process, under the direction of a doctor, involves tens of thousands of doctors and the medical leadership of leading hospitals.
Castle Connolly's team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to select doctors on national and regional levels. Using mail and telephone surveys, and electronic ballots, they ask physicians and the leadership of top hospitals to identify exceptional doctors. Careful screening of doctors' educational and professional experience is essential to the committee. Not every good physician makes the list. Rather, the list is a way for patients to get started on their search for the best medical professional. Newsday is not part of the selection process.
Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors.
To see the whole list . . .
Who else is on the list of Top Doctors? More than 6,000 listings are in the New York Metro Area edition of "Top Doctors," published by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. The softcover list price is $34.95. For more information, go to castleconnolly.com, or call 800-399-DOCS.
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SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Interview with Massapequa's Tom Sheedy On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra interviews Massapequa baseball coach Tom Sheedy and sends a tribute to Chaminade lacrosse coach Jack Moran.
