Just back from WDW with a not so nice souvenier!!

[RivaLJ]

i had the same rash last summer on my ankles and calves. Of course I freaked out and went to the first aid station in the MK. The nurse told me it was a reaction from the sun reflecting on the pavement. Went away in a week on its own.

 

[jejune]

i think it would be best if you went to the doctor if it doesn't go away. two years ago my dad though he had gotten bitten/had a bad sun burn when we went to disney, but it kept getting worst even once we got home, it turned out to be Lichen Planus.

also bedbugs can be detected often by looking for dark stains on bedding, which are the bedbugs' fecal stains. so always check before getting in bed at hotels and even at home.

 

[OhMickey]

We just returned from Disney on Saturday. During our stay my oldest daughter showed me what I originally thought was bug bites. She had over 50 raised areas that she described as "very itchy". I couldn't understand why she was the only one (out of six) who had any bites at all.

After a couple of days I looked at them closely again and noticed that they didn't really look like bites at all but rather a rash. I thought it was unusual because this rash was only on her right side (including her face). She still has the rash on her face but the rest is finally fading.

The reaction to the sun does make sense because my daughter is extremely sensitive to the sun and burns very easily. But I don't understand why it is only on one side.

 

[binky]

Wow, you learn something new every day! I got back about 2 weeks ago, and I had the same itchy bumps on my legs - mainly behind and on my ankles. I didn't give it too much thought, figured it was mosquito bites. I didn't wear any sunscreen (yet I am fair-skinned and burn easily), didn't go into any pools or hot tubs, and I am the only one in my family of 4 who had the bumps. Now I read about no-see-ums and sunlight reflecting off the pavement, two things I have never heard of in my 51 years!! I don't know which one it was, but what many of you have described sounds exactly like what I had. They itched so bad, I scratched until they bled. You can stiil see where they were, although they no longer itch. Boy, these boards are a wealth of information!

 

[TnTsParty]

If you got bit by no see ums than you would have felt them - trust me. I get bit by them almost every single day (well every day of summer that I am outside for a period of time) If you didn't feel anything bite/sting you than I would have to say its a rash. But I agree if you still have it and its getting worse than I would go see a dr.

 

[minnie61650]

My 22 year old daughter gets a rash from the sun called
Polymorphic Light Eruption

It stared when she was about 14.

This is from this website:
http://allergies.about.com/cs/summer/a/aa073001a.htm

Polymorphic Light Eruption
From Judy Tidwell,
Your Guide to Allergies.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
An Annoying Skin Condition
The most common reaction of all sun allergies is called Polymorphic Light Eruption (PMLE). Often confused with prickly heat, PMLE manifests as small red, burning or itchy eruptions on the skin.
The term polymorphic is defined as something having, or occurring in, several distinct forms. In other words, a PMLE rash can appear differently for each individual. However for most people, whatever form the rash takes for them, it will usually reappear in the same form as before.

The severity of the eruption can range from an insignificant, mild rash to a severe disease which affects a person's quality of life.

This type of reaction is more common in adult women than men. The age of onset ranges from late teens to early 20s to the 40s. It can affect all racial skin types, but is more common in fair-skinned individuals.

These itchy areas most commonly appear in areas of the skin that are normally covered by clothing in the winter.
-------------------------------------------

Hope you are feeling better!

 

[missmun52]

Did you go to the doctor? I'm sorry if I seem like an alarmist, but I also had a rash with little pimples on it and couldn't figure out what it was.
If this isn't you, maybe one day it might be someone else, so let me tell you about this: (don't want to scare you)

One time I had a staph infection so bad, my regular doctor, my dermotologist & my gynocologist couldn't figure it out. I had to take a trip to the Planned Parenthood office and the doctor who works there also works the ER. She took one look and said, oh, my God, that is a really bad staph infection. She had to prescribe the medicine they use for flesh-eating virus to clear it up.
So out of four doctors, only one diagnosed it. And because of the doctors not knowing what it was, it got much worse.

Staph infection is also little pimples or boils with a rash.

If it doesn't go away, even with the benedryl, get to the doctor. CDC did studies last year about the rise in people getting staph infections in places not even near a hospital. People are getting it because of the overuse of antibiotics. That wasn't my case, but I still got it anyway. NOT LYING - she said I got it most likely from sitting on a toilet seat with urine on it and I had a scratch and the bacteria got through.
Warm, humid environments also contribute to staph infections, and excessive sweating can increase a person's chances of developing the infection.
I've just read something on MSNBC about how the CDC is worried about the rise in non-hospital related staph infections in the general public.

Here's a link:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105485.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html

I agree. My son got a staph infection at 9 months after surgery( I am almost certain it was from the hospital but....). It started as one bump. I took him to the doctor because it got bigger and looked funny. They did not think it was anything. A few days later he got more but they were small red bumps (that often itch, his did not). I took him back and all the doctosr in the office came and saw him (about 3-4). They put him on antibiotics immediatly and sent us to the dermatologist who confirmed it.If you let it stay it can be deadly, it travels to the blood stream then affects the organs. Anyway it looked like a really bad rash and it spread from one spot on his chest to his legs, back, arms and face. It can just happen really is what the doctors said because it is caused by bacteria that is normally on the skin (staph). You can get it when you get cut ect.

Go to a doctor if you have not already. That is the best advice you will find on here. Hundreds of things can cause a rash.

 

[goofydad621]

my wife has had it and it pops up here ont he boards from time to time. It could be a UV issue, not all clothing blocks UV.

Just a thought and a lonely one at that.

 

[BamaFan121s]

This same thing has happened to me 3 times now...only on my arms, on the right one more than the left. My family kept saying, ooh, use sunblock, it's the sun, it's the sun...guess what kiddies, it AIN'T the sun. (Um, I go to a tanning bed...frequently sometimes, and am constantly out at home, but only get this in WDW...not the sun.)
I am allergic to some detergents and on this past trip slept out from under the sheets 2 nights, and it was gone. Back under them, they came back. The arm that was the worst: I sleep with it under a pillow, under my head, right next to the pillow case EVERY night. Hmm...
Don't really know what it is, but I sympathize w/ everyone.

 

[Janet-TX]

I know this is going to sound crazy, but for those of you who get the smooth, red blotchy rash around your ankles and calves when it is hot/humid, I have tried something that usually works for me....or at least the rash is not as bad. I put clear gel deodorant on my ankles and legs (from knee down) before I go out. It really helps me. No kidding!

 

[I_Believe_In_Faries]

living in Florida and the ocean it sounds like sea lice. They bite you when you are in the ocean and leave little red spots all over you litk mosquito bites. Try a bath filled with the johnson and johnson oatmeal bath stuff and let that dry them out. I had sea lice bites all over my legs and that helped me. Hope you feel better!

 

[Cruiser1969]

I had those "mosquito-type" bites on the back of my leg, too! I also was the only one in the family to get any "bites" . . . extremely itchy and they take a long time to go away. I still have marks and I got them a month ago!!

I saw a young fellow with them all over his calves. I truly believe they are a bite of some sort, but I, too, never went in the ocean or hot tub my whole time in Florida.

 

[tink1978]

I think so!
There was an article in a recent magazine about something like this. It stated that sun reflecting off pavement can give you a severe rash. It was probably in "First" or "Women's World". I will look through them. I believe one "cure" was pain pill/oatmeal baths. Hope you feel better soon!!!

Someone else had a post on this a while back and called it "WDW Rash".

 

[Wendy1953]

Hmmmmm, I wonder if that's my issue. Is your 'rash' and redness on or under the skin Peg?? Every time I go to WDW, when it's hot/humid I get this blotchy, red rash on my calves, front and back. But, it is under the skin rathr than on top of it. I do have a b/p issue and am on meds for it. And I do tend to retain water during the summer months but again, on meds for that as well. Only about 10 lbs over my desired weight. So, I can't describe it to my doctor, so I took a picture of my legs for her. Know what she said it was??? Eczema!! I kept telling her that it wasn't on top of the skin but underneath...that it couldn't be felt by touching the skin and it didn't crust or scab. Nope, she didn't care. She said eczema and that was that.
But, it does happen about 3 days or so into my trips and that's about when I shave my legs. I wonder if shaving at night, before bed might help. I never even gave that a thought. Thanks!!

I also got blotches and used hydrocortisone on my legs...it worked...however, I changed my brand of shaving cream, and I didn't get it the last visit down! Was using skintimate...now using satin care by gillette!

 

[Evil Queen]

Hmmm, since you were at the ocean they could be "ocean itch/sea lice" - not really lice but jellyfish larva that is in the ocean from March - August. You might have walked into a cluster of them - they're no bigger than a spec of pepper so you wouldn't see them.

Here's a link to read more:

http://www.fau.edu/safe/sea-lice.html

I was thinking this too. DS10 has a reaction to them, but I don't.

They also seem to make him break out in hives about a week later, and this can last for several days.

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

i had the same rash last summer on my ankles and calves. Of course I freaked out and went to the first aid station in the MK. The nurse told me it was a reaction from the sun reflecting on the pavement. Went away in a week on its own.

The same exact thing happened to me last August @ WDW, also.I Freaked ,too !!!I thought I had Cellulitus /poor circulation etc and thought I could be prone to a blood clot etc and end up in the hospital. Wish I had read more about this "Pavement Sunburn" rash on these boards before my trip and I wouldn't have been so alarmed! The nurse at MK First Aid gave me a Topical Hydrocortisone ointment for my leg , said to keep it elevated as much as possible, and ice it with a cool compress when I could . It took about 1 week to fad away ...Boy was I nervous when I first noticed it though !

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

i had the same rash last summer on my ankles and calves. Of course I freaked out and went to the first aid station in the MK. The nurse told me it was a reaction from the sun reflecting on the pavement. Went away in a week on its own.

The same exact thing happened to me last August @ WDW, also.I Freaked ,too !!!I thought I had Cellulitus /poor circulation etc and thought I could be prone to a blood clot etc and end up in the hospital. Wish I had read more about this "Pavement Sunburn" rash on these boards before my trip and I wouldn't have been so alarmed! The nurse at MK First Aid gave me a Topical Hydrocortisone ointment for my leg , said to keep it elevated as much as possible, and ice it with a cool compress when I could . It took about 1 week to fad away ...Boy was I nervous when I first noticed it, though !

 

[Corryn]

I agree. My son got a staph infection at 9 months after surgery( I am almost certain it was from the hospital but....). It started as one bump. I took him to the doctor because it got bigger and looked funny. They did not think it was anything. A few days later he got more but they were small red bumps (that often itch, his did not). I took him back and all the doctosr in the office came and saw him (about 3-4). They put him on antibiotics immediatly and sent us to the dermatologist who confirmed it.If you let it stay it can be deadly, it travels to the blood stream then affects the organs. Anyway it looked like a really bad rash and it spread from one spot on his chest to his legs, back, arms and face. It can just happen really is what the doctors said because it is caused by bacteria that is normally on the skin (staph). You can get it when you get cut ect.

Go to a doctor if you have not already. That is the best advice you will find on here. Hundreds of things can cause a rash.

Oh, gosh, for it to spread like that, it must have been really bad
Unfortunately, my dermatologist did Not know what it was (it would have saved me an extra week of suffering!)
My staph infection did not itch, either.....But it did hurt because it really progressed and got worse.
When it comes to rashes, you are supposed to go to the doctor if it doesn't clear after a couple of days. My kids' pediatrician: If you call them and say that your child has a rash, they make you come through the back door because like you said, So Many things can cause a rash, from the harmful to the deadly.

 

[NotUrsula]

Now, I'm not sure what the official name is, but these bugs can't be seen and they cause little red (hence the name) bumps around any part of you that comes in contact with them--especially ankles, bottoms, etc. that may contact the ground.

"Red bugs" is another name for chiggers. They are called that because they really *are* bright red, not from blood feasts, but because that is their natural color.

The problem the OP is describing sounds to me like she may have tangled with some sea lice or sand fleas, especially since she didn't see the marks until the end of her trip after going to the beach. With sea lice, the itching and rash is a reaction to the venom, so it can spread as your immune system reacts. If it hadn't been for the beach stop, I would have guessed PMLE, but getting that on the arms is rather unusual at this time of year. (I used to get PMLE, but I prevent it now by taking Rx antihistamines before I go to sunny places.)

For those who get "sock-line" redness and what looks like an under-the-skin rash that has no external bumps, what you are probably dealing with is a type of edema caused by walking more than you normally do. It is caused by blood seepage from the tiny capillaries under the skin on your legs, and it tends to be worse in folks who have poor circulation or hypertension. It stops at your socks because the pressure of the sock elastic prevents it, like supp hose would. I've been told that elevating your legs as often as possible and soaking your lower legs in cold water can help with that problem.

 

[Lizzybee]

This is exactly what happened to me on our trip in March. I only had to shave my ankle area and that is where I got the rash the next day. It was horribly painful. I figured it was from shaving & the sun. I have a hard time believing that it would be any kind of bug since I was the only one with the problem. My DH shared the bed. My DH, girls & I pretty much did all the same things otherwise.

OMG I thought I was a total freak. Same thing happened to me, just where I had shaved that morning. All these red itchy/painful splotches and the only thing I could figure was it was sun or heat related because when I made sure the skin wasn't exposed to the sun for a couple of days, it got better.