If your child's rash is serious you will often know by the other symptoms which include fever, difficulty breathing or swallowing.
If the child's rash is accompanied by a fever or the child is having difficulty swallowing or breathing or if the child's rash is flat, bright red or looks like small dots it could be serious and you should take the child to the doctor or ER.
Not all rashes are serious and often go away on their own even when the rash is a viral rash.
However in some cases the rash may be more serious than others so if the rash is accompanied by the above symptoms or the rash is getting worse you should take the child to the ER or urgent care for treatment.
A viral rash on a child will often look red, pink or purple in color and can appear as a smooth, raised or blistered rash.
The viral rash on a child can also have spots, bumps or patches and can even appear on any part of your body, but most often a viral rash appears on the face, trunk or limbs of the body.
The appearance of the viral rash on the child can vary depending on the virus that is causing the viral rash and infection.
The viral rash may also be accompanied by itching, burning, pain or fever.
A chickenpox virus rash can cause small, itchy blisters that spread over the body.
A measles virus can cause a flat, red rash which starts on your face and spreads downwards.
Fifth disease causes a bright red rash on your cheeks which resemble a slapped appearance and is also known as slapped cheek.
Hand, foot and mouth disease causes blisters on your feet, hands and the inside of your mouth.
Hives cause raised, itchy welts which can appear anywhere on your body.
Viral rashes can also sometimes be mistaken for other conditions including bacterial infections and allergic reactions.
If you or a child or someone gets a rash that appears viral and does not go away or gets worse you should see a doctor.
With a virus that causes a viral rash a rash of reddish flat or even raised spots often follows the viral infection and it can start on the trunk and spread all over and may turn white when you touch them.