Does this look like it needs medical attention

[Haveyoueverseenthis]

Hi

A family member has discovered what was initially an itchy red blotch but has now turned into this. It’s painful, it’s on upper arm. Anybody have any knowledge on what this could be?

They are going to ring NHS24 hopefully

It def could be shingles I think. In which case gp asap who can give antivirals if early enough but essentially it will have to run its course.

My son was given antivirals for shingles recently aged 9. It def helped clear it up.

Spider bite - most likely false widow. We have two neighbours in hospital with suspected bites at the moment!

If the redness gets worse then you need urgent antibiotics. Otherwise they do get better - but take a very long time to heal

I'd try to see a doctor first thing. If it's shingles it may well have spread by then.

Looks very similar to the false widow spider but my husband had.

the thing that will make it likely to be shingles is that the rash itself will develop quickly but won’t get any bigger overall. It stays about the same size though more blisters could form between existing ones.

no
shingles doesn’t usually spread it is confined to a relatively small part of the body. not like chicken pox.

it can be infectious to others but only if a. It is touched and b. That person hasn’t had chicken pox.

(But yes to a doc)

Oh it must be area specific it would have been really helpful if they had given them to DS who just had them in the middle of his GCSEs.

The itching, the spacing and the redness behind does lean me towards shingles.

This is a photograph of a shingles rash. You’ll know soon enough, anyway.

I think it’s cellulitis

DH had similar years ago when he worked in a pub and got bitten by a horse fly, the bite was originally an itchy red blob by the end of his shift it looked identical to the picture, it became infected quickly and he was quite poorly with it (shivery but burning around bite)

He needed antibiotics for it, Gp told him to stay off his feet so not to spread the infection faster

Could be pemphigoid blisters / Bullous pemphigoid.....literally just seen some on someone but apparently rare. Pop up overnight and can get infected, sometimes with cellulitis like the redness on tour skin, and would probably need antibiotics as blisters can get infected if they pop exposing the skin.....if that's what it is ...