The symptom checker reviewed by doctors

Choose a symptom and answer simple questions using our physician-reviewed
symptom checker to find more information on your health issue.

  • Symptom
  • Assessment
  • Results

Is your face, chest, or back covered in small, pus-filled sacs/bumps or pimples, blackheads, or sore, red bumps?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be ACNE, a common skin problem that often begins in adolescence and can continue throughout life.

Start Over

Do you have a flushed appearance, perhaps with redness around your cheeks, chin, forehead, or nose?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be ROSACEA, a skin disease that affects the face.

Start Over

Do you have a painful red bump or a cluster of painful red bumps?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be a BOIL. A cluster of boils is called a CARBUNCLE. These occur due to infection under the skin.

Start Over

Do you have a small, boil-like infection around a hair shaft or pore?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be FOLLICULITIS, an infection of the hair follicle. These can occur after use of a shared hot tub or bath.

Start Over

Do you have red, tender, and swollen areas of skin, perhaps around a cut or scrape?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be CELLULITIS, an infection of the skin. This can also be normal healing in the first 1-2 days after an injury.

Start Over

Do you have red, itchy bumps on your skin, and are they sprinkled randomly?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

These could be INSECT BITES.

Start Over

Do you have irregular, raised, or flat red sores that appeared after taking medicine?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be an ALLERGIC REACTION to the medicine.

Start Over

Have bumps formed suddenly on your face or body?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

These could be HIVES (URTICARIA), a skin reaction to an allergen, medicine, or infection. They can also appear in some people who are very nervous.

Start Over

Do you have a red, itchy, scaly, and oily rash, and does it affect the areas around your eyebrows, nose, or the edge of your scalp?

Choose an option below.

Is the person an adult?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be a sign of SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS, a condition in which the sebaceous glands overproduce oil and can be associated with DANDRUFF.

Start Over

Is the person a child and does the dry, scaly skin cover the head?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be CRADLE CAP, a form of seborrhea in infants.

Start Over

Do you have a red, scaling rash, and did it begin after contact with clothing, jewelry, or perfume?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be IRRITANT CONTACT DERMATITIS. It’s caused by a reaction to detergents, perfumes, certain metals (e.g. copper), and other substances.

Start Over

Do you have a red, itchy rash, and are blisters forming? Are the bumps in a linear pattern? Do they look like streaks of bumps in a line?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS, caused by POISON IVY, POISON OAK, or POISON SUMAC. The oil from these plants causes an ALLERGIC REACTION.

Start Over

Are there red, swollen, tender bumps in your armpits or other areas where hair grows?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be HIDRADENITIS SUPPURATIVA, inflammation of the sweat glands.

Start Over

Do you have small red dots on your skin, or larger, bruise-like spots that appeared after taking a prescription or over-the-counter medicine?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be ALLERGIC PURPURA, a serious allergic reaction to a medicine, such as an antibiotic, that can cause bleeding under the skin.

Start Over

Do you have a rash that started with a single scaly, red, and slightly itchy spot (likely on your chest or back), and within a few days, did large numbers of smaller patches of the rash, some red and others tan, break out over your chest and abdomen?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be PITYRIASIS ROSEA. The causes aren’t known.

Start Over

Do you have an intensely itchy rash with red bumps and blisters, and does it appear on your elbows, knees, back, or buttocks?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS, a rash associated with a sensitivity to gluten, a mixture of two proteins found in cereal grains, such as barley and wheat.

Start Over

Do you have large, red bumps on your skin that seem to bruise, and are they tender to touch?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be ERYTHEMA NODOSUM, possibly caused by an infection or reaction to a medicine.

Start Over

Do you have a white, scaly rash over red, irritated skin, possibly on your elbows and knees or the back of your neck or behind your ears?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be PSORIASIS, a condition caused by the overproduction of skin cells.

Start Over

Do you have a red, blotchy rash, with “target-like” sores or hives?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be ERYTHEMA MULTIFORME, a common rash caused by strep throat, viral infections, and reactions to medicines.

Start Over

Do you have a red rash that is raised on your forehead and face, then spreading to your neck, trunk, and downward, and do you have a fever and sore throat?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be MEASLES, a virus that often affects children or people that were not vaccinated.

Start Over

Do you have multiple blisters on your face, chest, and back, and spreading downward, along with a fever, cough, aches, tiredness, and sore throat?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be CHICKENPOX, a virus called varicella-zoster that most often affects children.

Start Over

Do you have red blisters that are extremely painful and that may crust?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be SHINGLES, a varicella-zoster (same virus that caused chickenpox) viral infection of the nerves.

Start Over

Is the person a child or an adult who had a fever and then developed a bright red rash covering the cheeks (“slapped cheek” appearance)?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This is a viral infection called FIFTH DISEASE.

Start Over

Do you have soft white or flesh-colored bumps that don’t itch or cause other symptoms? Do they spread after they are picked or scratched?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

These could be WARTS. PLANTAR WARTS appear on the feet. WARTS also commonly appear on the hands. GENITAL WARTS appear in the genital area and are a type of sexually-transmitted infection.

Start Over

Do you have a bald spot on your scalp or a “ring” of itchy red skin anywhere on your body?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be RINGWORM, a fungal infection that’s most common in children. It is not caused by a worm, the circular nature of the rash leads to its name.

Start Over

Do you have a rash that is red, but not itchy and does it affect the palms of your hands or soles of your feet?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be SYPHILIS, a sexually transmitted infection.

Start Over

Do you have a red, itchy rash that affects your groin area?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be a fungal infection called JOCK ITCH in men, YEAST INFECTION in women, or DIAPER RASH in infants.

Start Over

Is an area of your skin covered in light-colored patches?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be TINEA VERSICOLOR, a discoloration caused by a fungus. This is common in people that spend a lot of time outside with warm/damp skin (e.g., surfers).

Start Over

Have crusted, tan-colored sores formed near your nose or lip?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be IMPETIGO, a rash caused by a bacterial infection, such as STREPTOCOCCUS or STAPHYLOCOCCUS.

Start Over

Do you have bite-like sores that itch intensely, and that may have started on your hands, or between your fingers or toes, or along your waist band line?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This is a sign of SCABIES, an infestation of insects known as mites.

Start Over

Did a fine rash start on your arms and legs and also affect the palms of your hands and soles of your feet, and have you had a fever and headache?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER, a disease spread by deer ticks.

Start Over

Do you have a “butterfly” rash on your forehead and cheeks and do you have achy joints?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be a symptom of LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, a severe, arthritis-like disease.

Start Over

Is your skin tinged yellow, and are the whites of your eyes and your mouth yellow?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be JAUNDICE. It’s common in newborns, but can be a sign of HEPATITIS, a disease of the liver.

Start Over

Do you have a blue or black area on your skin, and did the discoloration occur after the area had been hit?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This is probably a BRUISE or ECCHYMOSIS.

Start Over

Are there scaly, pink, gray, or tan patches or bumps on your face, scalp, or on the backs or your hands?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be ACTINIC KERATOSES, a skin condition that can especially affect people with light skin who have been overexposed to the sun. These are PRECANCEROUS lesions.

Start Over

Do you have a scar that has grown larger than expected?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be a KELOID, an overgrown scar or HYPERTROPHIC SCAR.

Start Over

Do you have a soft or rubbery growth that is easily movable and seems to be just under the skin?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be a LIPOMA, a growth made up of fat cells.

Start Over

Is the person a newborn and is the baby’s face covered in small, white bumps?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be MILIA, or baby acne.

Start Over

Do you have small, firm, round bumps with pits in the center that may sit on tiny stalks or can spread with being picked at or scratched?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM, bumps caused by a virus.

Start Over

Do you have a bump with a white dome under your skin, perhaps on your scalp, nape of your neck, or upper back? Is there a central pore or small hole over the top of the bump?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be a SEBACEOUS CYST, or blocked oil gland.

Start Over

Do you have a soft, fleshy growth, lump or bump, perhaps on your face, neck, armpits, or groin? Does it appear to be on a stalk?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be a SKIN TAG or ACHROCHORDON.

Start Over

Do you have a yellow area under your skin, perhaps near your eyelids?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This may be an XANTHELASMA, a fatty deposit.

Start Over

Is there a dark bump that may have started within a mole or blemish, or, is there a spot or mole anywhere on your skin that has changed in color, size, shape, or is painful or itchy?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be a MELANOMA, a type of skin cancer.

Start Over

Is there a fleshy, growing mass that has a “pearly” domed appearance on or near your nose, eyes, or other areas that have been exposed to the sun, such as your back or chest?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be BASAL CELL CARCINOMA, the most common type of skin cancer.

Start Over

Is there an unusual growth on your face, lip, or chin that is red, scaly, or crusted?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA, a type of skin cancer.

Start Over

Are there dark or black raised spots anywhere on your skin that keep growing or have appeared recently?

Choose an option below.

Possible Diagnosis

This could be KAPOSI’S SARCOMA, a serious type of skin cancer most common in people who have HIV/AIDS or other immune deficiencies.

Start Over

Self Care

See your doctor if over-the-counter acne treatments, such as benzoyl peroxide, don’t help. Gently washing your face with mild soap on a daily basis may be helpful. Sometimes prescription medicines, such as an antibiotic, may be prescribed by your doctor.

Self Care

Treatment isn’t usually needed, but antibiotics may be useful for moderate to severe symptoms. Drinking alcohol may worsen the symptoms.

Self Care

Gently compress the BOIL with a warm cloth. Use antibiotic ointments if needed. Call your doctor if the boils don’t come to a head, open and drain, or if the redness spreads or if you develop a fever.

Self Care

Most of these will heal on their own. Clean the area with mild, soapy water. Use antibiotic ointments if needed. See your doctor if the condition worsens or doesn’t improve.

Self Care

Clean the area carefully with soap and water and apply an antibiotic ointment. Call your doctor if redness and pain increase instead of slowly improving or if you develop a fever.

Self Care

These aren’t usually harmful. Use hydrocortisone cream, antihistamine, and ice to relieve itching. If symptoms get worse or don’t clear up, call your doctor. If new symptoms arise, such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, or nausea, go to the emergency room right away.

Self Care

Call your doctor. Try an antihistamine for itching and rash.

Self Care

Use an antihistamine and cool compresses for itching. If the hives don’t go away on their own (often as early as 20 minutes after starting) or are accompanied by other symptoms, such as swelling around the lips or trouble breathing, see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away.

Self Care

Try using hydrocortisone cream or selenium sulfide shampoo (apply to damp skin, wait five minutes and then wash it off) on the affected areas. See your doctor if the symptoms continue or spread.

Self Care

Try gently scrubbing the scales to remove them with a mild brush or washcloth. Hydrocortisone cream or selenium sulfide shampoo (apply to damp skin, wait five minutes and then wash it off) may also help. See your doctor if the rash doesn’t go away or if the hair doesn’t grow in that area.

Self Care

Avoid whatever you think caused the symptoms and treat the area with hydrocortisone cream or other soothing lotions.

Self Care

Wash the area with soap and water to remove any oil that remains on the skin. The rash will go away after about a week. To relieve itching, apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to the rash. See your doctor if the rash covers a large area of your body (e.g., multiple limbs or is near your eyes, mouth, or nose), does not go away, or if new symptoms, such as fever, appear.

Self Care

See your doctor. Avoid using antiperspirants and deodorants.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

Check with your doctor. Calamine lotion and antihistamines may relieve itching and redness. The rash will probably go away in a few weeks. PITYRIASIS ROSEA doesn’t usually require any treatment other than for itching.

Self Care

See your doctor. Antibiotics can help control symptoms. Avoid foods that contain gluten.

Self Care

This condition usually isn’t serious, but see your doctor to check for other diseases or causes of your symptoms.

Self Care

See your doctor. Keep the skin moisturized. Your doctor may prescribe ointments, oral medications, and/or sunlight therapy, also called phototherapy, to treat the symptoms.

Self Care

See your doctor.

Self Care

See your doctor right away. Make sure your child gets the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization to help prevent this disease. Be sure to keep the affected person away from pregnant women, as measles can lead to birth defects.

Self Care

See your doctor. Treat symptoms with acetaminophen, cold medicines, and anti-itching creams, cool compresses, and baths. A vaccine is available to prevent this disease.

Self Care

See your doctor. Analgesics, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and cool compresses may help. Some anti-viral medications can also help.

Self Care

In adults, use cold medicines to treat symptoms. Do not give cough/cold medications to children under five years. See your doctor if the rash is widespread or if you are pregnant.

Self Care

For most WARTS, you can try over-the-counter treatments. If they don’t work, see your doctor about freezing them off. If the warts appear in the genital area, see your doctor. These warts shouldn’t be treated without your doctor’s care.

Self Care

Treat with an over-the-counter antifungal cream and/or see your doctor. Avoid close physical contact with others, as it is extremely contagious.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

Try an over-the-counter antifungal cream. If the rash doesn’t go away, see your doctor. Women with irritation inside the vagina should first see their doctor before using over-the-counter yeast infection medicines.

Self Care

TINEA VERSICOLOR can be treated with selenium sulfide shampoo or an antifungal cream.

Self Care

See your doctor. Treatment usually involves an antibiotic cream or ointment and an oral antibiotic. The condition is very contagious, so wash your hands well to avoid infecting anyone else.

Self Care

Prescription medicine may be needed, along with washing clothing and bed coverings in hot water and detergent.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

No treatment is usually necessary. Ice may slow the bleeding and decrease swelling under the skin and pain in the area.

Self Care

See your doctor. ACTINIC KERATOSES may lead to skin cancer.

Self Care

These are benign (non-cancerous) and may fade in time. See your doctor if you want the KELOID removed, but surgery may cause more scar tissue to form. Keloids may be prevented by using a pressure dressing and can sometimes be treated with steroid injections.

Self Care

These aren’t cancerous, but have them checked by your doctor. You can have a LIPOMA removed if it bothers you or becomes irritated.

Self Care

This condition usually clears up after the first few weeks of life and doesn’t require treatment.

Self Care

See your doctor. These bumps are contagious and most common in children and teens. Early treatment helps prevent the spread. They may take many months to completely resolve even with treatment.

Self Care

These cysts aren’t cancerous, but have them checked by your doctor to make sure of the diagnosis. Large cysts or ones that become irritated and/or inflamed can be removed with surgery.

Self Care

These are harmless, but if one gets irritated, you can have it removed. They can also be frozen by your doctor.

Self Care

If it bothers you, see your doctor about having it removed.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

Have this checked by your doctor. This type of cancer is easily treated if caught early.

Self Care

See your doctor right away. Delaying treatment can worsen outcomes.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.

DISCLAIMER

Symptom Checker content is provided for informational purposes only. This tool may leverage certain generative artificial intelligence tools to generate results, but you should not rely on this tool as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health or the information provided when you use this tool, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your healthcare professional because of something you may have read using this tool or on the FamilyDoctor.org website. Use this content solely at your own risk. If you think you may have a medical emergency, dial 911.