Skin Tenderness

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* Your tender skin is also red, scaly, flaking, peeling or blistered.

* Your skin looks sunburned, but you haven't been overexposed to the sun.

* Your tender spots are turning a dark color.

* Your tender skin is red and warmer than the skin in the same area on the opposite side of your body.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

If you've sun-roasted, scalded or burned yourself, chances are you're not confused about the cause of your tender skin.

But sometimes the causes of skin that feels very tender or sore to the touch are not quite so clear. For example, it might surprise you to know that your skin can get the flu. Oddly enough, viral infections of almost any kind (respiratory or intestinal) can actually make your skin hurt, along with bringing aches to your muscles and bones.

One virus that is particularly unkind to skin is Herpes zoster, which causes the searing pain of shingles.

Another common cause of tender skin is dryness from lack of humidity in the air, particularly in wintertime. Almost any injury that presses on or injures a nerve can make skin painfully sensitive, doctors say. If a specific area of skin bothers you after an episode of back pain, for example, there may be damage to a single segment of nerve. Diabetic neuropathy, which irritates the nerves in the skin, may also cause skin to be sore or numb to the touch.

Symptom Relief

Here's how to help tender skin become comfortable to live in again.

Soothe the flu. If the flu or another virus is making your skin sore, try aspirin to relieve the pain, says Libby Edwards, M.D., chief of dermatology at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Caution: Don't give aspirin to a child with flulike symptoms. Use acetaminophen products like Children's Tylenol instead. Aspirin given to children under age 21 during the flu, chickenpox or any feverish period may cause Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal swelling of the brain.)

Hydrate the skin. If you suspect dryness is causing your tender skin, try this basic hydrating technique from Caroline Koblenzer, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Soak in a bath to let your skin absorb moisture, then seal in the moisture with an inexpensive emollient like white petroleum jelly or Eucerin lotion. Both are available without prescription at pharmacies. (For other hints and tips on dealing with dry skin, see Skin Flaking on page 467.)

Don't let shingles send you through the roof. If your painful skin is caused by shingles, a mild, over-the-counter pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen will help, says Charles Ellis, M.D., a professor of dermatology at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. But if the pain is severe, Dr. Ellis advises you to see your doctor. He may prescribe acyclovir, a drug that can shorten the illness.

Stop the pain that persists. Skin pain can linger after a bout of shingles, particularly in older people. Prescription oral cortisone can treat this problem, as can tricyclic antidepressants. (In fact, the tricyclics are good for any chronic nerve pain.) For long-term cases, Dr. Ellis suggests you consider asking your doctor to refer you to a university pain clinic.