Petechial hemorrhages are small round spots that form on the skin, serous membrane, or mucous membrane. The cause of the formation of petechiae is considered subcutaneous bleeding. As a rule, spots appear on the skin, as well as on the eyelids and the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. Some of the causes of the formation of petechial hemorrhages do not require special treatment. However, other factors can be quite serious.
Petechiae in their appearance may resemble an ordinary rash. The reasons that provoke a similar pathology can be very different. Therefore, if you encounter this problem, it is worth consulting with a specialist about the formation of these elements.
Appearance
Petechial hemorrhages resemble a rash in appearance, but they are more pronounced and look quite scary. Directly, spots can resemble very small patterns of purple, red, brown, which is interconnected with subcutaneous bleeding. As a rule, the petechiae are flat to the touch, which is a hallmark of an ordinary rash. When pressed, they do not lose their color. Thus, it can be determined whether it is a rash or another abnormality of the skin.
Causes of occurrence
Petechial hemorrhages occur as a result of damage to small blood vessels - capillaries. When the capillaries burst, blood begins to flow under the skin.
Experts identify a huge number of reasons that can provoke the appearance of petechial hemorrhages on the skin of an adult or child. These include the following:
- traumatic damage to the skin or local injury;
- sunburn;
- allergy to bites of certain insects;
- autoimmune type pathology;
- infections of a viral and bacterial nature;
- radiation, chemotherapy - cancer treatment methods;
- platelet count in the blood is much lower than normal;
- bone marrow cancer, leukemia. These diseases significantly reduce platelet count in human blood;
- severe vomiting and dehydration - more common in newborns;
- intense physical activity. For example, weight lifting, labor;
- sepsis;
- vasculitis;
- scurvy;
- fevers of viral origin - Ebola, dengue fever, yellow fever cause the blood to clot poorly, and bleeding occurs under the skin.
Petechial rashes can also occur as a result of taking certain medications. Medications that can cause a rash as side effects include the following:
- antibiotics
- anti-depressants and sedatives;
- hormonal contraceptives;
- blood thinners;
- medications that help put your heart rate in order;
- drugs against non-steroidal inflammatory processes - NSAIDs;
- sedative drugs.
If, after taking certain medications, you notice the formation of a petechial rash on the face and other parts of the body, then you should immediately consult your doctor and choose other medicines.
Varieties
Depending on what provoked the development of petechiae, they may differ from each other. Specialists distinguish several main types of pathology.
- Vasculitis and autoimmune pathologies. In this case, petechiae form on the lower and upper limbs. After recovery, such petechiae disappear, and at the place of their formation, the skin begins to peel strongly.
- If the disease provoked staphylococcus, then petechial hemorrhages are observed on the mucosa of the hard palate (photo of the examination is in this article) and the skin.
- Due to gonorrhea, petechiae affect the lower legs. At the same time, other symptoms of gonorrhea are clearly expressed.
- Enterovirus infection. In this case, petechiae speak of a person's recovery. They form on the back, chest and face. They disappear in a couple of days, and after them there is no trace left.
- Meningitis. Petechiae look like a hemorrhagic rash that very quickly covers the entire body. Most of the formations occur on the buttocks, legs and stomach of the patient.
Signs of pathology
The only sign of the disease is the appearance on the skin of a petechial rash (photo you can see in this article). Together with the rash, some other symptoms of the pathological condition may occur:
- hematomas;
- gums begin to bleed;
- nosebleeds open;
- critical days are very difficult;
- hemorrhage in the joint cavity occurs.
Petechiae in children
In most cases, petechiae in children result from a variety of injuries. Children prefer active games, so bruises and abrasions are their constant companions and are considered quite normal.
Subcutaneous hemorrhages can also develop in the oral cavity of the child. They are located on the mucous membrane and palate. The cause is too hard food for the child, which severely damaged the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. In addition, the formation of a large number of petechial-spotted rashes can provoke malnutrition, a lack of vitamin K in the child's body, or children's scurvy.
Another common cause is septicemia. In most cases, this reason is manifested in very young children who have a weak, incompletely formed immune system. She cannot completely kill all pathogenic microflora. Septicemia can occur along with other diseases. This concept refers to the infection of blood by a variety of bacteria. A rash on the skin will form very quickly, then spreads to the entire body, which may cause the child to faint or light-headed.
Important! If you suspect septicemia in a child, then you should immediately consult a doctor, because the petechial type of bleeding can be fatal. But in most cases, in children, petechiae begin to appear due to a variety of injuries received during the game.
When should I contact a specialist?
In any case, immediately after the appearance of rashes, you need to consult a specialist, because this rash can signal the development of quite serious diseases. The doctor will examine the mucous membranes and the skin, after which he will be able to tell you about what reasons provoked the appearance of the problem and whether they can be classified as serious.
Along with the formation of petechiae, some other symptoms may appear that will indicate a serious condition of a person or a child. These include the following:
- loss of consciousness or confusion;
- very high body temperature rises;
- bleeding opens;
- severe headache constantly worries.
If any of these symptoms are present along with the rashes, then you should contact a doctor immediately, because this can be a signal about the development of a very serious pathology.
Disease treatment
The treatment method that will provoke the development of rashes will completely influence the method of treatment. If the rash appears due to taking medication, then after discontinuation of the drugs after a while, the problem will disappear.
If the development of the disease was caused by a virus or bacteria, then the petechiae will pass after the infection is cured. In order to choose the right therapy, it is first necessary to establish the cause of the rash.
Drug treatment
After establishing the cause of the problem, the specialist can prescribe the following drugs:
- antibiotics are prescribed to treat a bacterial infection;
- to reduce the inflammatory process, it is necessary to take corticosteroids;
- if an autoimmune pathology is present, then drugs such as Methotrexate, Azathioprine, or Cyclophosphamide may be prescribed;
- For the treatment of cancer, biological therapy or chemotherapy is used.
If petechiae began to develop not because of the appearance of a disease, then rest therapy, the use of a large amount of warm liquid and special means to eliminate painful sensations will be an excellent therapy. Your doctor may prescribe pain medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or Acetaminophen.
In case of subcutaneous hemorrhage due to trauma, do not worry, because this does not pose any threat to human life. In this case, it is necessary to treat the rash with ointments against bruises. If the problem arose on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, then it is worth excluding solid food from the diet, and after a while the rash will disappear on its own.
Can complications appear?
The formation of subcutaneous hemorrhages of the petechial type does not provoke the appearance of any complications. As a rule, such manifestations disappear without any trace and do not even leave scars.
But if the petechial rash arose as a result of the underlying pathology, then certain complications may arise, for example:
- damage to internal organs;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- infections begin to develop in other parts of the body.
Preventative measures
The main method of prevention can be called avoiding causes that can trigger the development of underlying diseases. To minimize risk, you should follow these simple tips:
- do sports;
- avoid infection;
- observe the rules of hygiene;
- practice only protected sex;
- Avoid taking medications that can cause petechiae.
Of course, you can’t avoid all the factors that can cause a problem, but these simple tips will help reduce the risk of developing many diseases.