There are many conditions that can cause cough and rash, including allergies and certain types of infections. A doctor can diagnose the cause of your symptoms and help determine the best course of treatment.
Your body has many ways of protecting you from harm. A cough is one of these methods of protection. Coughing helps clear your throat or lungs of irritants and allows you to breathe more easily.
While a cough is your body’s way of clearing irritants, it may also indicate that you have an underlying medical condition. Coughing can be acute (lasting for a short time) or it can be chronic (lasting for more than
A rash is the skin’s reaction to an irritant or underlying medical condition. Rashes can vary in appearance. They can be red, scaly, or blister-like.
Several different infections and other medical conditions can cause rash and cough. Here are 10 possible causes.
Allergies
- Allergies are an immune system response to a foreign substance that’s not typically harmful to your body.
- They cause a wide array of symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening.
- The most common allergens include pet dander, foods, medications, insect stings, mold, and plants.
- Allergies may be diagnosed with a skin test.
Fifth disease
- Fifth disease can cause symptoms like headache, fatigue, low fever, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea, and nausea.
- Children are
more likely than adults to experience a rash. - The condition can cause a round, bright red rash on the cheeks.
- It also causes a lacy-patterned rash on the arms, legs, and upper body that might be more visible after a hot shower or bath.
Learn more about fifth disease.
Q fever
- This is a zoonotic bacterial infection
caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. - Humans typically get Q fever when they breathe in dust that was contaminated by infected cattle, sheep, or goats.
- Symptoms vary widely, but are usually mild and flu-like.
- High fever, chills, sweats, body aches, cough, and severe headaches are possible symptoms.
Histoplasmosis
- This type of lung infection is caused by inhaling Histoplasma capsulatum fungal spores.
- The spores that cause this condition are
commonly found in places where birds and bats have roosted. - It has acute and chronic forms, and is generally a mild illness, though it may become chronic or severe in people with weak immune systems.
- Symptoms include fever, dry cough, chest pain, joint pain, and red bumps on your lower legs.
Learn more about histoplasmosis.
Measles
- Measles can cause symptoms like fever, sore throat, red, watery eyes, loss of appetite, cough, and runny nose.
- It may also cause a red rash, which spreads from the face down the body
3 to 5 days after first symptoms appear. - In some cases, it may be characterized by red spots with blue-white centers, which appear inside the mouth.
Scarlet fever
- Scarlet fever
often occurs at the same time as or right after a strep throat infection. - It can cause a red skin rash all over the body, but not the hands and feet.
- This rash is made up of tiny bumps that make it feel like “sandpaper.”
- It can also cause a bright red tongue.
Learn more about scarlet fever.
Coccidioidomycosis
- Coccidioidomycosis is also known as valley fever.
- It’s an infection
caused by the Coccidioides fungus commonly found in soil and dust in the southwestern United States and in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. - The symptoms of valley fever often resemble those of the flu including fever, cough, headache, chills, night sweats, joint pain, fatigue, and rash.
- An extremely rare, serious form of valley fever may spread to other parts of the body including skin, bones, liver, brain, or heart.
Learn more about coccidioidomycosis.
Sarcoidosis
- This is an inflammatory disease in which granulomas, or clumps of inflammatory cells, form in various organs and tissues such as the lungs, skin, or lymph nodes.
- The exact cause of sarcoidosis is unknown.
- Symptoms of sarcoidosis vary and depend on which organ or tissue is involved.
- General symptoms may include fever, fatigue, joint pain, weight loss, dry mouth, nosebleeds, and abdominal swelling.
Read full article on sarcoidosis.
Infective endocarditis
- Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endocardial parts of the heart, especially the valves or prosthetic valve devices.
- Symptoms vary from person to person, but
may include fever, chills, sweating, weakness, fatigue, headache, body aches, night sweats, abdominal pain, cough, and chest pain that is worse with breathing. - Other rare symptoms include red spots on the palms and soles and tender nodules on the hands.
Read full article on infective endocarditis.
Roseola
- This contagious, viral illness shows up as a high fever followed by a signature skin rash.
- Typically, it affects children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years.
- Sudden, high fever between 102°F and 105°F (38.8°C and 40.5°C) that lasts for 3 to 5 days.
- Fever is followed by a pink rash that starts on the neck and abdomen and then spreads to the face, arms, and legs.
- Other symptoms include irritability, fatigue, swollen eyelids, swollen lymph nodes, decreased appetite, diarrhea, sore throat, and mild cough.
Cough and rash are typically signs of an underlying medical condition, such as a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. They may also be symptoms of an allergy.
Below are some examples of diseases that have both cough and rash as symptoms that can commonly occur together:
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is caused by an infection from group A Streptococcus bacteria, and it
Measles
The initial symptoms of measles typically
- a high fever
- a cough
- a runny nose
- red, watery eyes
After 3 to 5 days, a rash will appear that starts on the face and spreads down the body as if a paint bucket was poured over the head.
Coccidioidomycosis
Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection that mostly occurs in the southwestern United States. It’s also known as “valley fever.” People become infected when they breathe in the spores of the fungus. It
Fifth disease
Fifth disease, sometimes called “slapped cheek disease,” is caused by a virus. It shows as a red rash on the arms, legs, and cheeks, and is
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection of the lungs that may in some cases cause skin lesions. The disease is
Q fever
Q fever, or “query fever,” is a bacterial infection that’s often transmitted by farm animals. It
Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease in which clumps of inflamed cells form in various organs of the body. The cause of sarcoidosis is not known, but it may be triggered by the immune system.
Infective endocarditis
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, the innermost tissues of the chambers and valves of the heart. This disorder
When children come down with a cough and rash, it can mean something different than when it occurs in adults.
If multiple children are in the household, try to quarantine the sick child as much as possible until they’re diagnosed. This can help prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
Some causes of cough and rash in children include the following:
- Scarlet fever
is common in children, and a doctor should treat it with antibiotics as soon as possible. - Measles can occur in children, though a vaccine
can prevent it. - If they have roseola, young children who are typically 6 to 36 months old can develop symptoms of an upper respiratory virus, such as a cough, congestion, and high fever, which are then followed by a rash. This is a self-limiting disease.
A cough and rash in your child are likely to be contagious. It’s important to talk with a doctor about your child’s symptoms to prevent the spread of a contagious disease to others.
When you visit a doctor about a cough and rash, they’ll first have to diagnose the cause of the symptoms you’re having.
The doctor will perform a physical examination. They’ll listen to your lungs and breathing, take your temperature, and examine the rashes on your body.
If necessary, they can run blood work to test for certain infections and examine your blood counts.
The doctor will take a swab from the back of your throat and check it for bacterial infections, such as strep throat.
Make an appointment with a doctor if you experience the following:
- a violent cough that produces thick, foul-smelling, or green phlegm
- a fever in a baby younger than 3 months old
- a cough that lasts longer than 10 days
- a cough that causes a baby to turn blue or go limp
- a rash that seems to spread across the body
- a rash that becomes painful or doesn’t seem to improve
This information is a summary. Always seek medical attention if you’re concerned you may be experiencing a medical emergency.
Doctors typically treat a cough and rash related to a bacterial infection with antibiotics. However, an antibiotic won’t help if the infection is viral.
Depending on the type of viral illness, most doctors will opt to treat with supportive care. In other words, a direct cure for the virus may not be available but the doctor expects it will resolve on its own and they recommend treating the symptoms.
Because conditions such as measles and scarlet fever spread easily, you must wash your hands frequently and refrain from coughing on others as much as possible. If your child is diagnosed with either of these conditions, you may need to keep them out of school for a period.
If a doctor prescribes antibiotics for you, taking the entire course of treatment is important. While you may feel better before your medication runs out, the bacteria may still be present in your body. Keep taking the treatment until it’s completed.
At-home care for cough and rash include resting and drinking plenty of water. Drink more water than you normally would, sipping on your drink every few minutes.
Taking a shower or using a vaporizer that emits cold vapor can help break up the mucus in your lungs, which can help you to cough it out. You can add medicated vapors into some vaporizers to help soothe a cough.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as decongestants and cough syrup,
Read the directions carefully if you’re considering administering these medications to a child. Typically, people avoid giving decongestants to children under 6 years old because side effects occur more often in children than adults.
You can soothe itchy rashes using oatmeal baths and OTC Benadryl, either cream or oral medication. Sometimes, you can apply hydrocortisone cream to reduce inflammation and therefore reduce itching. Avoid scratching the rash, even if it itches. This will help prevent scarring.
While sometimes infections leading to cough and rash may be unavoidable, you can take several preventive measures to avoid infection. These
- Practice frequent handwashing to help avoid catching an infectious disease.
- Avoid others who are sick to reduce the likelihood of catching something contagious.
- Avoid smoking and avoid secondhand smoke because smoke can aggravate a cough.
- Avoid using highly perfumed lotions or body treatments. They could worsen your rash.
- Wash your skin in warm water to minimize irritation.
- Stay up to date on your vaccines, including those for whooping cough and the measles.