You may have a disease or bite that needs further medical attention
You may notice every now and again a new mark on your body whether it’s on your arm, thigh, leg and so on. And while it may usually be harmless, such as a minor injury, there are signs that it may be more than this – especially if you don’t recall what could have caused said mark.
According to 20minutos.es, professor of physiology, pharmacology and neuroscience at the University of Bristol, Dan Baumgardt, reports in the scientific journal Science Alert that if you notice any of the following, you should pay attention and seek help from your GP. So what are they?
The shape of a bullseye
If there is a mark on your skin that looks like a bullseye, it could be because of a tick, especially if you’ve been walking in the countryside recently.
“Erythema migrans, a rash with a great ability to spread through the skin, is a hallmark of Lyme disease, a serious bacterial disease. Its bullseye shape will help you quickly identify it in your body”, the expert notes.
According to NICE, you should “consider the possibility of Lyme disease in people presenting with several of the following symptoms, because Lyme disease is a possible (but uncommon) cause of:
- Cognitive impairment, such as memory problems and difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Fever and sweats
- Headache
- Malaise
- Migratory joint or muscle aches and pain
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Paraesthesia
- Swollen glands
Butterfly-shaped rashes
The health gurus explain that “heart disorders can also be seen in the skin”. This is because the “heart valves are responsible for directing blood flow correctly, but sometimes the mitral valve, located between the chambers on the left side of the heart, can narrow, causing a deterioration in the heart’s activity”.
The body tries to preserve central blood volume and shuts off the flow to the skin, and as a result, a purple-red rash is likely to occur on the cheek area and bridge of the nose.
Resembling the shape of the delicate insect, “this is known as mitral facies and, depending on the extent of the damage to the heart, it may persist in the treatment”. In addition to this, clevelandclinic notes this rash is present in people with Lupus.
As we reported this week, singer Selena Gomez says her lupus was ‘life or death’ situation. According to Lupus UK: “Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system is dysfunctional and mistakenly identifies the body’s own tissues as foreign invaders. In people with lupus, the immune system creates autoantibodies to attack the body’s tissues.
“These form immune complexes which cause inflammation and damage – possibly affecting the organs and/or the joints in some lupus patients.” You can read all about that, and lupus symptoms, here.
Spider shape on the skin
Spider mites are rashes due to a problem within the skin arterioles (small arteries that supply blood to the skin). These open and close to control the loss of heat from the body.
However, on occasion, they can get stuck and look like those creepy crawlies many of us hate. The open arteriole looks like the trunk of the arachn.id and the capillaries, which fan out in all directions, look like the leg
The gurus add: “These rashes can appear on the skin without needing to be associated with any specific condition. However, having more than three may suggest high circulating levels of the hormone estrogen, which could be due to liver disease or hormonal changes during pregnancy. Normally, skin spiders disappear over time, although this process can be delayed and they may even come back again.”
