A dermatologist explains five causes of itchy red bumps on your feet.
“Red itchy bumps on the feet can be from a differential of possibilities, and this can be distinguished based on how they look at the morphology, and the distribution at where they are located,” says Kally Papantoniou, MD, FAAD, with Simply Dermatology in NY.
What are the five causes of itchy red bumps on one’s feet?
Fungal
Dr. Kally says, “A fungal rash on the feet usually involves the area in between the toes. White mushy skin or flaking is often seen.
“Look for scaling around the foot, and red bumps with pus can rarely occur.”
Eczema
“This is very common on feet, and occurs on the top of the foot and instep; is usually very itchy, and occurs in poorly circumscribed red scaling rough patches and can lead to clear fluid filled bumps that are called vesicles,” says Dr. Kally. “The spaces in between the toes should be clear.”
Psoriasis
“Psoriasis can be difficult to distinguish from eczema,” notes Dr. Kally.
It can occur in the same location as eczema “but will usually be thicker, and clearly circumscribed, which means you can almost draw a line where the lesions start and where healthy skin begins.”
Bites
Bugs like to bite feet. Dr. Kally explains that if there’s no scale and the red itchy bumps look like bites, “it could be bed bug bites, which are so common now in metropolitan areas, and will often be arranged in groups of three or four and occur in a linear fashion.
“However another type of bite that can cause red bumps could be from scabies or even fleas.”
Dermal Process
“If there is no surface change but small red bumps there could be an inflammatory process that is occurring under the skin such as: hives, granuloma annulare, sarcoidosis, and many other rarer skin conditions.”
Never self-diagnose, says Dr. Kally, if the itchy red bumps aren’t showing signs of disappearing after two weeks of home care.
See a dermatologist. You may even need a biopsy.
Dr. Papantoniou
is a board certified dermatologist specializing in cosmetic, laser and surgical dermatology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
.
