Resolved question:
Hi, just wondering if I should be concerned about this. I'd like to preface this by saying I have health anxiety but would just like to clarify whether or not this is a concern.
I went to the physio earlier today and spent a longer amount of time than normal in the bed having my chin forced into it/pressed against a towel etc. 8 or so hours later I noticed some marks on my chin that looked like broken capillaries or something- like a love bite but without the surrounding bruising.
However, when I pressed on them they didn't fade at all, so I began to worry that it was a serious illness associated with a rash that doesn't fade.
Because of my anxiety I have been checking my body regularly for the rash to see if it's been spreading. I noticed on my arms some very tiny (almost microscopic, but varying in size slightly) spots. They are bright, fire truck red and, like I said, absolutely tiny. The largest one is perhaps the size of the head of a pin. However, I am unsure as to whether or not they were there before or they've come about since the marks on my chin. Unlike the marks on my chin, almost all of them fade when pressed down or when I drag the skin. They are flat and look as if they're just on the top layer, but I can't exactly tell. Some of the slightly larger ones look like thread or a splinter just under the skin, with a bright red for and a pinkish tail. I squeezed the largest one and it sort of popped though, it seemed slightly raised like a blister. The mark still remains, though.
I feel as if these marks may be spreading, which is why I'm contacting you (when I last counted there were 5 on my left arm, 8 on my right and 2 on my chest). It's currently early in the morning where I am and I'd rather go to sleep than stay up all night fretting or go to the hospital, but I thought I should make sure.
Other than these mysterious marks, I feel absolutely fine if a little tired because I didn't sleep much last night. However, as you can probably tell I am very anxious- can anxiety cause such marks to appear? Sorry for my long-winded question and thank you for your help.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
I understand your concern.
From your history, there are two possibilities. One is that of an allergy, where such tiny raised spots appear, and could be associated with itching. Normally such rashes follow a viral infection. But resolve spontaneously.
The second possibility is that of petechiae.This could happen due to reduced platelet count.
If there are no associated symptoms, then you should not worry. I can understand being worried about your health worsens the situation, but you can trust me. If there was something serious there would be associated symptoms like fever, infections, e.t.c
Feel free to discuss further,
Dr. Jaydeep
Thanks for your prompt reply. The bumps are not raised and I have not had a viral infection that I am aware of recently.
Do you think I should have the rash looked at by a doctor tomorrow? As I said, my main concern is serious illness associated with a rash that doesn't fade when pressed down on (meningitis etc) but your answer has alleviated some of my concern- thank you again.
Thank you for your follow-up.
If the rash is not increasing and there is no associated itching then there is no need to visit a physician right away.
You just need to carefully observe for new spots. If they keep appearing you can visit your primary physician and get your CBC with ESR test done.
Regards,
Dr. Jaydeep