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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Cutaneous Eruption - Rash

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

A rash is an area of the skin that has broken out or changed in appearance. It may affect one small patch of skin or the entire body.

What is going on in the body?

There are many skin changes that can occur with a rash, including:

swelling

warmth

blisters

bumps

color changes

itching

pain

Skin can react or break out for many different reasons, ranging from allergic reactions to infections and even cancer.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

There are many possible causes of a rash. General categories include:

infections, such as ringworm; Borrelia burgdorferi.\ It is passed to humans through tick bites. ',CAPTION,'Lyme Disease');" onmouseout="return nd();">Lyme disease; Treponema pallidum\ bacteria. Less often, syphilis is transmitted from a pregnant woman to her baby. This form of syphilis is known as \congenital syphilis.\ ',CAPTION,'Syphilis');" onmouseout="return nd();">syphilis; measles;chickenpox; scabies; roseola; impetigo; genital herpes and herpes zoster; Rocky Mountain spotted fever;Kawasaki disease;hand, foot, and mouth disease; Bartonella henselae.\ ',CAPTION,'CAT Scratch Disease');" onmouseout="return nd();">cat scratch disease; Group A strep infections; staphylococcus infections; diaper rash; and scarlet fever

allergic reactions, which can be from medications, metals, chemicals, soaps, lotions, foods, or other materials

primary skin diseases, such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea, which often occur for unknown reasons

autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma,, and ulcerative colitis

other conditions and diseases, such as diabetes or pregnancy

skin cancer or a cancer deeper in the body that causes a rash

leukemia, a blood cancer

inflammation of blood vessels, called vasculitis, in the skin

poor circulation, which commonly causes rashes in the lower legs

reaction to various childhood vaccinations, such as the chickenpox vaccine

heat or sun exposure

Other causes are also possible. Sometimes the cause is not found.

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