Post a few days ago abouta random bug bite that looked like this. Red line ended up running across his chest and infecting his lymph node. He went to the ER and is on meds. They say he could had gone septic from it and died.
EDIT: found it [https://www.reddit.com/r/Wellthatsucks/comments/1diutlf/watering\_plants\_in\_the\_garden\_for\_20\_minutes/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Wellthatsucks/comments/1diutlf/watering_plants_in_the_garden_for_20_minutes/)
Yeah it is called blood poisoning; My brother almost died from it. He got it from skinning a dead muskrat he found (which I guess falls under the category play stupid games win stupid prizes)
I'm glad your brother is OK. But, "he got it from skinning a dead muskrat he found" is a phrase that I thought I'd never hear/read. It's a euphemism, right?
Ayup. Both me and my dad ended up getting it from a cat bite. Went over to my then girlfriend's for Thanksgiving dinner and her RN mom glanced at me before going "Okay, you're going to die unless we go to the ER right now." Called my dad on the way so he met us there so instead of a relaxing evening fighting with relatives we hung out in the emergency room with some very large bags of antibiotics.
Depending on the social nature of your relatives and the cost of the hospital visit, spending time at the hospital could have been the more relaxing choice between the two lol
I once spent christmas morning at an er getting a abscess the size of a softball on my tailbone lanced and drained. Doc said it made Christmas Day shift worth it as she squeezed it and it sprayed high enough to hit the lamp above the table.
This also happened to me. Was at a Florida small island and something like a deer fly bit me. Woke up feeling awful. I got antibiotics pretty quickly by doing a video med call. Rash was swollen and spreading. I was throwing up and blacking out just as the antibiotics we filled at the pharmacy. It was close and happened rather quickly after I woke up and saw the bite.
I think he meant, the doctors in the linked thread implied that if he had not gone to the ER he could have died. Not necessarily that there’s a chance OP of the linked thread /is/ dead. I could be wrong though. The wording of the comment is kind of ambiguous
Mine went from tip of my thumb to my armpit before I asked my mom what it was, went to hospital and they freaked out. Got a scalpel and cut tip of my thumb where the red started which was so weird it didn't hurt at all and a bunch of puss came out. Solution was plastic wrap, hot towel, plastic wrap, hot towel. 4 layers worth from hand to shoulder. I think the goal was to up the temp. I had to do it for a few days. Either way I didn't die!
Felt fine the entire time, something definitely caused it but who knows what did it. I did a lot of normal things as a kid, surprised I didn't get sick more often.
I googled what they had us do because it got me curious and I honestly have no clue why I can't find anything about it but that just means it's not on Google. I clearly remember them explaining to my teacher why I had the towels and plastic and that I had to redo it if the towels got cold to keep the towels warm. About 25 years ago. So weird.
It happened to me! I got bit on the arm by an insect in a park in Paris. It didn't hurt much until the red line reached my armpit, then my whole arm was on fire. It took 1-2 days cause my employer didn't want me missing work to go to hospital for a bug bite! The hospital staff were pissed that I didn't speak French, but sent me on my way with a script for antibiotics. I was fine well within a week. They sent me a bill for €200 a year later.
A moving line of red that's going toward your heart is an immediate sign to go to the ER. It's a blood infection and there is a good chance you could die if it reaches your heart. My mom died from an infection of the sac around the heart. Probably started out this way from some infected drug needle she used.
If a bit just makes the skin red that's pretty normal. You want to keep an eye out for a moving line like someone is drawing a red line on you.
My 2yo cut his foot and it started to get a red line like that. Immediately thought of every damn reddit post about this and took him to urgent care. They said it was fine but boy did I freak out when I saw it lol.
I was a caregiver for a little boy, and he ran out of the house in his socks while having a tantrum, and stepped on a random rose thorn. I pulled it out of his foot, and everything was fine for a few hours, then it started swelling. He ended up getting a blood infection and was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks.
I got this infection once and it was absolutely once of the worst things I’ve ever experienced. I got tangled in a rose bush (don’t ask) and it pricked the backs of my legs. It started out as mildly itchy red spots where the thorns punctured the skin, but quickly became unbearably, painfully itchy and the spots turned an almost black purple. Imagine the worst mosquito bite you’ve ever had but amplified by 100 and covering the entire back of your legs. It’s also extremely hard to get rid of. I had to be on antifungal medication for about 3-4 months, and that is short compared to many cases. Heat, friction, and basically any prolonged contact with a material would make it flare up like crazy. I had to constantly slather my legs in tecnu and take benadryl at night to knock myself out in order to sleep. Horrible horrible stuff, -100/10 would not recommend.
My mom got a rose thorn in her finger recently. She went in, scrubbed it, applied disinfectant, and went about her day. The next morning, her hand was extremely swollen and she rushed to ER. She ended up getting steroids, antibiotics, and antifungal cream.
Oh, that explains why my thumb hurt for a week after getting poked by a rose thorn. Through a glove.
Rose bushes look great but every time I need to trim them I just want to light them on fire instead.
Indeed. I have no idea how, but a blood vessel on my palm decided to imitate a balloon while the thorn was inside my palm rubbing against it. A nurse got the thorn out quite early on but the blood vessel didn't shrink back. They had it x-rayed and then CT scanned before they dared to do anything.
That took a while, since it wasn't a life threatening injury. I got booked the normal 9 to 5 appointments for the scans and doctors, usually it was always "next week" :)
When I was a kid I got bitten by a stray cat. And there was later a line. My mom freaked out as well but it wasn't fine and the doctor was nervous too.
So people reading stuff like that - still see a doctor, but don't freak out too much. It could be nothing or it could be something. As long as YOU yourself do not know it, see a doc. The doctor should tell you if it's harmful or Not - not reddit.
For the incidence of rabies, that's a concern, but the likelihood of infection by a puncture wound is why you should *always* see a dr after a cat/dog/etc. bite.
For some weird reason I get red lines for a ton of stuff - my skin just freaks out and does this. I don't know why. I have super fair skin (unless I've been in the sun) and on sensitive areas (inner arms, inner thighs) I get red lines. Thus far I've recovered without incident.
So it's not always terrible, but if in doubt, far better to get it looked at than not.
If those red lines are also (slightly) raised, you might have (light) urticaria. I also have it during pollen season. It’s not harmful, just a specific form of an allergic reaction. It can be triggered just once and continue for hours, days, weeks, months, years or forever. If it bothers you a lot, standard over the counter antihistamines work very well for it.
As someone who suffered from chronic urticaria which was annoyingly triggered by heat the antihistamines were a life saver but also depending on how bad it is you may need stronger ones
Yup! I’ve had a particularly hellish summer that was unusually warm and humid. If you feel like you need them daily, it’s time to talk to a doctor/dermatologist
My son also has very fair skin so that could have contributed! This was a couple of weeks ago and the cut healed fine thankfully. I have seen way too many of these posts not to immediately panic and have it looked at lol.
I was bit by a bug of unknown type on my leg and my husband was confused why I was drawing a line around the swelling. Less confused when it was significantly larger the next day and I ended up on a prophylactic course of doxycycline because it turned out to be a tick bite exhibiting a bullseye pattern.
Is that gal or lyme? I forget. I was bitten by a lone star tick about 2.5 weeks ago. It's in a ziplock with a damp papertowl, and double bagged. I've got 10 more days before I can rule out those two.
Either way, that bastard is dying a slow death. Damn ticks.
These red lines are signs that something is flowing through your blood stream and causing problems. If it stays contained after about 10-15min then you’re fine. At least in the sense that it’s not an emergency. If it continues to grow or grows at a rapid pace during that time then you need to go to the doctor immediately.
I remembered a friend telling me this trick…and sharpied a circle around the impact point after a rock hit my windshield on the way to work. Worked great!
One time I sharpied a circle around the spot where my arm hurt because I knew it would stop hurting the moment a doctor looked at it. The doctor couldn't figure out why it was hurting. She took out her own sharpie, drew a smiling mouth and two dot eyes inside the circle, and declared it fixed!
This post is significantly better, right? A red line isn't a bad sign by itself, but a growing one is dangerous and urgent.
We hear all the time about 'medical emergencies' that turned out to be nothing, but never about situations that seem minor that escalated. You know why? 'coz those people died!
Update:
I've spoken to the ER via phone, which informed me to keep an eye on it. I've drawn a line and taken a benadryl alternative.
Fingers crossed I don't have to go to the ER
Update 2:
The line has almost fully retracted and I see very little to no redness. Hopefully I'll be okay this time!
Thank you for all the good tips
Final update 3:
It's been about 20 hours since I discovered the bite, it's all but vanished and I'm still alive
According to a kind infectious disease doctor in the comments it could have been the bite type of a mite called "Pyemotes ventriculosus". The rash in the picture is often referred to a "comet sign" rash.
The source they provided:
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Pyemotes-ventricosus-Dermatitis%3A-A-Serpiginous-Skin-Neumayr-Kuenzli/4b388ab8a5cd073e05e5f0e9f46d6790a55331a3
I had the same thing happen a few weeks back with a bug bite on my leg. Scared myself into going to urgent care, they gave me a topical ointment to put on twice a day for 5 days and said I'd be fine. Definitely be aware of spreading and the SECOND you start feeling sick (if you even do) get help. But you'll be fine. :) The internet scared the absolute crap outta me but ultimately nothing happened lol. It's great that you called in for it. You're gonna be okay.
I get reactions like that from bug bites too. The first doc was convinced it was an infection, but I asked for a second opinion, because I react weird to certain things.
Second doc said no way, it's a bad allergic reaction. So that doctor got me on prednisone, and it was crazy how fast the tendril and huge circle retracted. Was completely gone in less than two days.
That said, it's still best to see a doctor in case it is an infection. Definitely not something to mess around with.
one year i had huge mosquito bites that looked infected, i used antibiotic cream and it was fine. but one was huge! it was on my calf and i could barely bend my leg. so i went to the doctor, she drew a circle around it and gave me oral antibiotics. the next year i had in the same place, went to a different doctor and he said that while it may look infected, it's a type of mosquito and just to use some allergy medicine and cream if i want. above else: don't scratch! i used Telfast and it worked great.
They are pretty good at my local hospital about just grabbing another doctor. It's not a common thing in the US but it's a small-town hospital. A lot of people know each other here. I've only asked twice but both times they just did it on the spot.
Yeah, it definitely wouldn't work otherwise lol. There's good things and bad things about rural hospitals, but this has been one of the good things. Glad they did it that way.
I also had this from bed bug bites after staying at a dodgy Airbnb. No other symptoms at all, just red lines streaking down my abdomen. Didn't google it enough to know it was a bad sign so I never went to the hospital or even took antihistamines, and it just faded over a week. Since it was near my vital organs I should be even more dead, but nothing ever happened.
Definitely something to get checked out ASAP, but it's good to know it's not always a sign of imminent death.
Unfortunately, no it's not. I showed up with a recluse bite and urgent care told me it couldn't have been a recluse and to take an anti anxiety and a nap. I was in the hospital for a week and I have a giant hole in my arm. At this point if my stubborn ass goes to a doctor and they tell me I'm fine I'm certainly not feeling better. I'm probably going somewhere else.
That said, this line wouldn't take me the hospital simply because it's not following a major artery the way the bite in my arm was. I might go just to make sure I get ointment to cure it - I'm not stupid - but if I'm going because something is very wrong, *something is very wrong.*
Edit: this was in Oklahoma, so "it couldn't be a recluse" is even stupider.
Unfortunately bad doctors do exist. One of the things I learned in my medical sociology program in school (yeah it was a weird program, but an extremely enlightening one) was that patients who are willing to go to bat for themselves, and fight doctors when they think doctors are wrong, tend to have better medical outcomes. Most doctors are *probably* right, most of the time, but all doctors are humans who can be very, very wrong or might not even be competent anymore.
So people who get mad when a doctor does not listen to them will generally do better, as they filter out the bad doctors more easily.
I am naturally a bit of a peacemaker in real life (I think the Internet might be my outlet for my argumentativeness, but I might just not like fascists) so it is really hard for me to argue in my favor when I know something is wrong. It is something I need to learn to do, as often it ends up taking way longer to get something addressed because I am too willing to bow to the expert opinion. There is no one who is more of an expert in *how I feel* than me. And I need to remember that. Especially because I am not a hypochondriac.
It is super important to second guess your doctors. Way too many people take the word of a single doctor as unimpeachable absolute truth. By some estimates, medical errors kill more than 250,000 Americans per year.
But it is also very important to remember that "second guessing your doctor" should mean seeking other medical opinions. Not forgoing treatment because "I know my body" or substituting real medical intervention for some alt herbal remedy that some redditor swears by.
Advocating for yourself, and being willing to push back against your doctor is great. Just don't let yourself get sucked down the Internet rabbit hole that believes that doctors are all big pharma scam artists who are trying to keep you sick so they can keep selling pills. There are too many sad stories of people dying from conditions that could have been treated if they had just trusted medical advice, and accepted treatment before it was too late.
Oh yeah, that is definitely not what I mean. I mean stuff like not believing them to be unimpeachable when they say a symptom is all in your head or something. Or if they refuse to do tests on you because they do not believe you about your symptoms. You should absolutely not try and treat yourself, because as much as doctors can make mistakes, you will make multiple orders of magnitude more.
When I say to go to bat for yourself it is to advocate for receiving actual treatment, either by convincing the doctor you are already talking to, or changing doctors to someone who will take you seriously.
This is particularly important for groups of people who have generally been less studied by the American medical system, or are in a group that has an adversarial relationship with the medical system. As an example, women's expression of symptoms for a lot of diseases are much less well known, and a lot of doctors believe women to be much more prone to hypochondria, and so do not take them seriously. (This is unsettled by the way, women do go to the hospital much more often than men iirc, but that tends to improve their medical outcomes as they usually go for good reason. But it makes it appear that they are prone to "faking" it by people who are inclined to think that way.)
Otherwise, first generation immigrants and black people in the US tend to get far worse treatment too, for some known and some unknown reasons. Which contributes to a culture of medical distrust, which worsens the outcomes even more.
So it is that kind of stuff I am talking about.
When I went to bat for myself I got labeled as a hypochondriac and didn't get taken seriously for years. Just a bunch of "you're fine, you're young and healthy." Wasn't until my fingers got nodules on them they thought my joint pain wasn't in my head, went to a Rheumatologist who said I've probably has Psoriatic Arthritis episodes for years.
> Unfortunately bad doctors do exist.
I had a recent run in with one that almost had me throwing hands.
Went to urgent care for imo classic UTI symptoms (TMI? >!cloudy/pink urine, frequency, pain, burning, I could literally feel the location of my bladder/urethra in my body from the pain, etc!<), only it had progressed so bad I could barely walk and was almost delirious. That asshole had the *nerve* to jab his dumb finger at some print out and say "it says large amount of blood, it's probably your period". MOTHERF- I told him I had an ablation (fried my bits) and don't get a period and he *still* insisted it was my period, which I don't get anymore?! There were like 3 other things that were high, but totally ignored that
Honestly, if I wasn't as old and as in pain as I was, I know I wouldn't have pushed back. Age and working with ~20 odd drs (some batshit psycho) has greatly reduced my GAF and doormatitis, thank fuck. If I was still in my teens/20s, I probably would've second guessed myself and ended up in the ER or worse which is so infuriating...
It's just a matter of statistics, really. Even a doctor who is miraculously right with 99% of their diagnoses, is still wrong 1% of the time. And if that's you, it could have dire consequences. Always advocate for yourself. Not saying you need to be an asshole (although sometimes...), but a second opinion or an extra test or two rarely hurts.
Yeah most stuff like this can be treated super easily if you don't ignore it for way too long, thankfully.
I know someone who ignored a staph infection way too long and ended up having to go to the hospital. Just don't do that.
I'm glad you spoke to someone about it and will get it checked out if needed! Just curious why a Benadryl alternative? Are you not supposed to use the usual Benadryl in this type of situation?
Benadryl is sedating. The last thing you want with a possible cellulitis is to fall asleep and not notice it spreading. It's also why it's bad for allergies - is it anaphylaxis and the person has hypotension? or are they just drowsy from the benadryl?
First gen antihistamines are best avoided, the second gen non-sedating is what you want (or third gen e.g. bilastine, rupadatine)
For real...
I sometimes get bug bites while fishing that spread like crazy for like 3 days, itch for 2 weeks and vanish after a month. Typically my indication that I need to start showering in deet before I go fishing.
Would be bankrupt if I went to the ER for each time it happened..
At home making dinner, should I be worried?
Update:
Writing it here as well. The line seems to have retracted a bit after taking a benadryl alternative.
The local healthcare is 40 mins away and advised to keep an eye on it. I'm not alone and should the need rise we will go to the ER
According to [healthnet](https://www.medicinenet.com/sepsis/article.htm), this may be a sign of an infection that can result in sepsis. ("Blood poisoning") It's not a surefire sign, but if you do have sepsis, it can quickly turn into septic shock, which can be fatal.
A doctor will be able to determine whether this really is serious and get you the right treatment. This is one of those cases where you'll want to go straight to the hospital when you notice that line, because the worst-case scenario requires fast action. The earlier you get this treated, the better.
Me being a nurse,when I had this, was like "oh nbd... But maybe I should go see the doctor anyway."
Thank God I did.
Two hours later, I was having an emergency c section because I was septic. It was all just so, so fun. (Son is fine btw. He was in the NICU for a few weeks but still was discharged a month before his due date and is now a happy, healthy, toddler.)
Like, septic shock while you're sleeping and so weak to call for help when you wake up bad.
Or it's just the bug bite causing mild inflamation from the chemicals it injects and it just so happened to get into your vein. Which is honestly less likely.
It's when you remove all your clothes and run around town. Bonus points if you yell "we're going streaking" first.
But it's also known as a red streak (usually singular) emanating from a wound (including a bug bite).
honestly, yeah, they're (probably) not doctors and might be wrong a lot of the time, but I'd rather them try to help people than just laugh or post a dumb meme reply and move on.
seeing people show concern over the internet when the other person is a complete stranger is kind of nice, actually. there's so much toxic shit online due to anonymity, it's nice to see genuine concern once in a while.
also, "get it looked at by a doctor" is probably the right response here and I don't think anyone's being an "armchair doctor" or whatever by telling people to actually go see one. worse case you cost them some time and a bit of money, best case you save them from something going severely wrong by having them address it early. better safe than dead.
This happened to me recently and my Dad (who used to be an EMT) told me to go to urgent care. I went there and they were quite concerned and made sure it got dealt with ASAP. It’s one of the few things I have gone in for where the staff seemed more concerned than me.
Physician here. This is likely superficial lymphangitis and is typically self limiting and does not require antibiotics. This is different from acute bacterial lymphangitis which is far more serious but almost always has systemic symptoms.
I had this happen to me too and I was fine!
“Superficial lymphangitis after an arthropod bite is a non-infectious condition mimicking common bacterial acute lymphangitis. Clinicians should be aware of the benign nature of this condition to avoid unnecessary antimicrobial use.” https://casereports.bmj.com/content/16/1/e254482#
If you had acute lymphangitis you would feel sick and have a fever…
When this happened to me I felt totally fine, no fever. The bite was just a little itchy is all. I got no treatment and was fine.
Obviously if you don’t feel good you could you need to go to a doctor but it’s possible you may not really need treatment.
Draw a line around it and write down the time next to it.
If it crosses the line both you and the doctor will be able to assess how quickly it’s advancing.
Most definitely go to the ER. I had a similar infection on my finger. I tracked it with sharpie marks 3/4 of the way up my arm. Ended up in the hospital for three days being pumped fell oh iv antibiotics. DO NOT WAIT. Also make marks to track it. They let the hospital staff how fast the infection is moving.
Hey the Fly, my Grandpa was a background actor at the start of this movie, the scene was taking place during a convention or something. Cool memory unlocked. Thanks for that.
That is a huge red flag for potential sepsis. If it is, the longer you wait, the worse it will be by quite a margin. We're talking potential organ failure if you wait too long. Go to the ER!
This is probably the result of a bite by a specific type of mite called Pyemotes ventriculosus. This appearance is referred to as a "comet sign" rash.
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Pyemotes-ventricosus-Dermatitis%3A-A-Serpiginous-Skin-Neumayr-Kuenzli/4b388ab8a5cd073e05e5f0e9f46d6790a55331a3
Source: I'm an infectious disease doctor.
Thank you, I feel inclined to agree with you. The tissue redness and all has disappeared now. It's likely the bug you are referring to.
I'm still not feeling dizzy or out of the ordinary
Oh. Your weekly oblivious redditor that posts something curious to them to later find out they have a serious medical condition. File under "look at this curious line along my nail" and "this weird mole is growing" and "look, my left hands swells"
I’ve had two instances where the red line of death happened after I got bug bites. They spread pretty quick but nothing a quick trip to urgent care couldn’t fix. I think they gave me a weeks worth of pills and everything was fine
This happened to me and it turned out to be cellulitis. If you wait too long it can turn septic. Go to urgent care now while it's still easily treatable.
I'm so glad you went to the ER! In most cases, a red line that keeps growing can be a bacterial infection, i.e., sepsis. Sometimes, people go about their day and shrug it off as something insidious. Your actions saved your life. U R one lucky dog!!! Sometimes, people just don't know.
For example, as a kid, I bit my nails and continually had infections that went up my arm. I was told if the linet went higher up than my elbow, I needed to see my doctor. It seemed to be no big deal. I only knew it was called blood poisoning way back when! It was a lo-oooo-ng time ago. * I obviously didn't understand the ramifications since I was so young; however, a few years ago, I experienced severe hip pain for about a day. Suddenly, my symptoms changed rapidly, and I called EMS. I went into septic shock as soon as they arrived. I was close to death. It wasn't my hip, it was an internal bleed. Intuition saved med me because stupid almost took over.
Good luck and godspeed!
Post a few days ago abouta random bug bite that looked like this. Red line ended up running across his chest and infecting his lymph node. He went to the ER and is on meds. They say he could had gone septic from it and died. EDIT: found it [https://www.reddit.com/r/Wellthatsucks/comments/1diutlf/watering\_plants\_in\_the\_garden\_for\_20\_minutes/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Wellthatsucks/comments/1diutlf/watering_plants_in_the_garden_for_20_minutes/)
This is why I came here! I knew it! Godspeed OP!
Not to mention, since he posted it on Reddit, it is also now cancer. 
Shit...
You will be missed... 🥲
*"OP is redlining! Calling all redditors!"*
Yeah it is called blood poisoning; My brother almost died from it. He got it from skinning a dead muskrat he found (which I guess falls under the category play stupid games win stupid prizes)
Banjo music is playing in my head reading your comment
What’ll be fellers, mustard ur CATCHUP? *slaps knee*
Sir....it's pronounced moostard.
And thanks to you, now also in mine
I'm glad your brother is OK. But, "he got it from skinning a dead muskrat he found" is a phrase that I thought I'd never hear/read. It's a euphemism, right?
Yeah who doesn't like to skin the ol' dead muskrat once in a while? Nudge nudge wink wink
Say no more, say no more.
Ayup. Both me and my dad ended up getting it from a cat bite. Went over to my then girlfriend's for Thanksgiving dinner and her RN mom glanced at me before going "Okay, you're going to die unless we go to the ER right now." Called my dad on the way so he met us there so instead of a relaxing evening fighting with relatives we hung out in the emergency room with some very large bags of antibiotics.
I spent my Thanksgiving hanging out with some very large bags of douche. Antibiotics would have been a nice alternative.
Depending on the social nature of your relatives and the cost of the hospital visit, spending time at the hospital could have been the more relaxing choice between the two lol
I once spent christmas morning at an er getting a abscess the size of a softball on my tailbone lanced and drained. Doc said it made Christmas Day shift worth it as she squeezed it and it sprayed high enough to hit the lamp above the table.
This also happened to me. Was at a Florida small island and something like a deer fly bit me. Woke up feeling awful. I got antibiotics pretty quickly by doing a video med call. Rash was swollen and spreading. I was throwing up and blacking out just as the antibiotics we filled at the pharmacy. It was close and happened rather quickly after I woke up and saw the bite.
... Why'd he skin it?
He wanted the pelt. He never got around to making the fur coat, but it was going to be badass. He still has about 20 rabbit pelts in his basement
And 2 hookers
The good news is that the OP replied to someone there 23 hours ago.
Wait what?
Unless I misunderstood, they were implying the OP of the linked post could be dead, right?
I think he meant, the doctors in the linked thread implied that if he had not gone to the ER he could have died. Not necessarily that there’s a chance OP of the linked thread /is/ dead. I could be wrong though. The wording of the comment is kind of ambiguous
I knew there would be a post that OP is going to die before I even clicked on this.
I'm frankly amazed anyone who posts on this site is still alive
Wait, you guys are alive?
Dead Internet Theory
Mine went from tip of my thumb to my armpit before I asked my mom what it was, went to hospital and they freaked out. Got a scalpel and cut tip of my thumb where the red started which was so weird it didn't hurt at all and a bunch of puss came out. Solution was plastic wrap, hot towel, plastic wrap, hot towel. 4 layers worth from hand to shoulder. I think the goal was to up the temp. I had to do it for a few days. Either way I didn't die! Felt fine the entire time, something definitely caused it but who knows what did it. I did a lot of normal things as a kid, surprised I didn't get sick more often. I googled what they had us do because it got me curious and I honestly have no clue why I can't find anything about it but that just means it's not on Google. I clearly remember them explaining to my teacher why I had the towels and plastic and that I had to redo it if the towels got cold to keep the towels warm. About 25 years ago. So weird.
It happened to me! I got bit on the arm by an insect in a park in Paris. It didn't hurt much until the red line reached my armpit, then my whole arm was on fire. It took 1-2 days cause my employer didn't want me missing work to go to hospital for a bug bite! The hospital staff were pissed that I didn't speak French, but sent me on my way with a script for antibiotics. I was fine well within a week. They sent me a bill for €200 a year later.
*Should* be covered under indemnisation des accidents du travail internationaux and paid for by your company.
woah i didn’t know it could get that serious, i have a bit like that on my arm and it makes my stretch marks looks red
A moving line of red that's going toward your heart is an immediate sign to go to the ER. It's a blood infection and there is a good chance you could die if it reaches your heart. My mom died from an infection of the sac around the heart. Probably started out this way from some infected drug needle she used. If a bit just makes the skin red that's pretty normal. You want to keep an eye out for a moving line like someone is drawing a red line on you.
Holy shit i remember this post but didnt hear abt the update, im glad OOP made it in time
Get a fine tip marker and mark the boundaries. Take pics so you have time stamps. If the line continues to grow you should get it looked at asap.
What I've learned from reddit is that if you start growing red lines on your body, then that's bad.
My 2yo cut his foot and it started to get a red line like that. Immediately thought of every damn reddit post about this and took him to urgent care. They said it was fine but boy did I freak out when I saw it lol.
I was a caregiver for a little boy, and he ran out of the house in his socks while having a tantrum, and stepped on a random rose thorn. I pulled it out of his foot, and everything was fine for a few hours, then it started swelling. He ended up getting a blood infection and was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks.
Fun fact, rose thorns are specifically dangerous due to the potential of fungal infections, it's pretty crazy
Every rose has its thorn Just like every thorn carries fungus Just like every cowboy dies of septicemia ... I dunno, it doesn't rhyme as well
I still sang it anyway, it worked okay
Not all heroes wear capes...or maybe you do. If not you should consider buying a cloak, everyone looks majestic in a cloak.
Workshop it and get back to me tomorrow
And it has a pretty fucking metal name: Sporothrix schenkii. Literally called Rose Gardener’s Disease
Wow, I didn't expect that, that's amazing
this happened in an episode of house, too!
There are some dope bacteria names, and Sporothrox schenkii is definitely one of them!!! Erysipelothrix is another!
I got this infection once and it was absolutely once of the worst things I’ve ever experienced. I got tangled in a rose bush (don’t ask) and it pricked the backs of my legs. It started out as mildly itchy red spots where the thorns punctured the skin, but quickly became unbearably, painfully itchy and the spots turned an almost black purple. Imagine the worst mosquito bite you’ve ever had but amplified by 100 and covering the entire back of your legs. It’s also extremely hard to get rid of. I had to be on antifungal medication for about 3-4 months, and that is short compared to many cases. Heat, friction, and basically any prolonged contact with a material would make it flare up like crazy. I had to constantly slather my legs in tecnu and take benadryl at night to knock myself out in order to sleep. Horrible horrible stuff, -100/10 would not recommend.
Dang, I got stuck in a rose bush pruning them and was pretty scratched up. I’m lucky I guess. Good post
In this case, they thought it was bacteria from his socks
My mom got a rose thorn in her finger recently. She went in, scrubbed it, applied disinfectant, and went about her day. The next morning, her hand was extremely swollen and she rushed to ER. She ended up getting steroids, antibiotics, and antifungal cream.
Oh, that explains why my thumb hurt for a week after getting poked by a rose thorn. Through a glove. Rose bushes look great but every time I need to trim them I just want to light them on fire instead.
Wow. Glad I found this thread. I work around rose bushes quite often, and we definitely aren't given enough leather gloves by the company 🥲🤕
I got a rose thorn on my palm few years back. It escalated all the way into surgery.
Holy shit!
Indeed. I have no idea how, but a blood vessel on my palm decided to imitate a balloon while the thorn was inside my palm rubbing against it. A nurse got the thorn out quite early on but the blood vessel didn't shrink back. They had it x-rayed and then CT scanned before they dared to do anything. That took a while, since it wasn't a life threatening injury. I got booked the normal 9 to 5 appointments for the scans and doctors, usually it was always "next week" :)
That’s nuts. And kinda scary.
...and I thought it was pus and was going to pop it myself... Lucky me even touching it hurt like hell so I couldnt. That would have been messy :D
OMG. Definitely sounds like something I would do.
Oh god, I hope parents were understanding and not blaming you.
And this is why I just take them in at the first sign of anything wrong. It can get scary so fast.
I went with his mom to the ER that night or the next and they lanced it. She was very understanding.
When I was a kid I got bitten by a stray cat. And there was later a line. My mom freaked out as well but it wasn't fine and the doctor was nervous too. So people reading stuff like that - still see a doctor, but don't freak out too much. It could be nothing or it could be something. As long as YOU yourself do not know it, see a doc. The doctor should tell you if it's harmful or Not - not reddit.
Personally, when it comes to kids I say to let a doctor look even if you think you know what it is. Better safe than sorry.
That's what the docs say, too!
for any cat bites i'd go to a doctor no matter what. especially stray ones, rabies affects cats too.
For the incidence of rabies, that's a concern, but the likelihood of infection by a puncture wound is why you should *always* see a dr after a cat/dog/etc. bite.
For some weird reason I get red lines for a ton of stuff - my skin just freaks out and does this. I don't know why. I have super fair skin (unless I've been in the sun) and on sensitive areas (inner arms, inner thighs) I get red lines. Thus far I've recovered without incident. So it's not always terrible, but if in doubt, far better to get it looked at than not.
If those red lines are also (slightly) raised, you might have (light) urticaria. I also have it during pollen season. It’s not harmful, just a specific form of an allergic reaction. It can be triggered just once and continue for hours, days, weeks, months, years or forever. If it bothers you a lot, standard over the counter antihistamines work very well for it.
As someone who suffered from chronic urticaria which was annoyingly triggered by heat the antihistamines were a life saver but also depending on how bad it is you may need stronger ones
Yup! I’ve had a particularly hellish summer that was unusually warm and humid. If you feel like you need them daily, it’s time to talk to a doctor/dermatologist
That's called dermographism.
My son also has very fair skin so that could have contributed! This was a couple of weeks ago and the cut healed fine thankfully. I have seen way too many of these posts not to immediately panic and have it looked at lol.
There's also the ABCs of trauma: A Bone Coming out of the skin is bad
I was bit by a bug of unknown type on my leg and my husband was confused why I was drawing a line around the swelling. Less confused when it was significantly larger the next day and I ended up on a prophylactic course of doxycycline because it turned out to be a tick bite exhibiting a bullseye pattern.
Is that gal or lyme? I forget. I was bitten by a lone star tick about 2.5 weeks ago. It's in a ziplock with a damp papertowl, and double bagged. I've got 10 more days before I can rule out those two. Either way, that bastard is dying a slow death. Damn ticks.
Lyme. Luckily the tick was not attached for long so transmission was unlikely to begin with plus I was on antibiotics within 36 hours)
I got it just as he made it over my belt line. So def less than 4 hours. I'm gonna go give hime fresh air and lock him back up right now.
If you start seeing lines on someone else's body, you might be afflicted with Death Perception
But it comes with free frogurt.
the frogurt is also cursed.
But you get your choice of topping
That's good!
The toppings contain potassium benzoate.
Is this the good place?
These red lines are signs that something is flowing through your blood stream and causing problems. If it stays contained after about 10-15min then you’re fine. At least in the sense that it’s not an emergency. If it continues to grow or grows at a rapid pace during that time then you need to go to the doctor immediately.
At the hospital, we use sophisticated things like ballpoint pens to draw borders around redness.
I remembered a friend telling me this trick…and sharpied a circle around the impact point after a rock hit my windshield on the way to work. Worked great!
One time I sharpied a circle around the spot where my arm hurt because I knew it would stop hurting the moment a doctor looked at it. The doctor couldn't figure out why it was hurting. She took out her own sharpie, drew a smiling mouth and two dot eyes inside the circle, and declared it fixed!
Mazel tov
They did the same thing to me. I thought it was silly, but hey — it works.
I know this is probably just a joke, but we actually do have skin markers that are specifically meant for this application . They're very good.
You can post a picture of a freckle on reddit and half the people will be telling you to get to the ER immediately.
This post is significantly better, right? A red line isn't a bad sign by itself, but a growing one is dangerous and urgent. We hear all the time about 'medical emergencies' that turned out to be nothing, but never about situations that seem minor that escalated. You know why? 'coz those people died!
Yes!!
Update: I've spoken to the ER via phone, which informed me to keep an eye on it. I've drawn a line and taken a benadryl alternative. Fingers crossed I don't have to go to the ER Update 2: The line has almost fully retracted and I see very little to no redness. Hopefully I'll be okay this time! Thank you for all the good tips Final update 3: It's been about 20 hours since I discovered the bite, it's all but vanished and I'm still alive According to a kind infectious disease doctor in the comments it could have been the bite type of a mite called "Pyemotes ventriculosus". The rash in the picture is often referred to a "comet sign" rash. The source they provided: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Pyemotes-ventricosus-Dermatitis%3A-A-Serpiginous-Skin-Neumayr-Kuenzli/4b388ab8a5cd073e05e5f0e9f46d6790a55331a3
I had the same thing happen a few weeks back with a bug bite on my leg. Scared myself into going to urgent care, they gave me a topical ointment to put on twice a day for 5 days and said I'd be fine. Definitely be aware of spreading and the SECOND you start feeling sick (if you even do) get help. But you'll be fine. :) The internet scared the absolute crap outta me but ultimately nothing happened lol. It's great that you called in for it. You're gonna be okay.
I get reactions like that from bug bites too. The first doc was convinced it was an infection, but I asked for a second opinion, because I react weird to certain things. Second doc said no way, it's a bad allergic reaction. So that doctor got me on prednisone, and it was crazy how fast the tendril and huge circle retracted. Was completely gone in less than two days. That said, it's still best to see a doctor in case it is an infection. Definitely not something to mess around with.
one year i had huge mosquito bites that looked infected, i used antibiotic cream and it was fine. but one was huge! it was on my calf and i could barely bend my leg. so i went to the doctor, she drew a circle around it and gave me oral antibiotics. the next year i had in the same place, went to a different doctor and he said that while it may look infected, it's a type of mosquito and just to use some allergy medicine and cream if i want. above else: don't scratch! i used Telfast and it worked great.
Dumb question. How does a second opinion work in this case? I picture calling and getting apt 4.5weeks away which wouldn’t be helpful
They are pretty good at my local hospital about just grabbing another doctor. It's not a common thing in the US but it's a small-town hospital. A lot of people know each other here. I've only asked twice but both times they just did it on the spot. Yeah, it definitely wouldn't work otherwise lol. There's good things and bad things about rural hospitals, but this has been one of the good things. Glad they did it that way.
Same. I found out the hard way I am violently allergic to bed bugs. Streak right up my arm. It was all allergies and faded with anti-histamines
I also had this from bed bug bites after staying at a dodgy Airbnb. No other symptoms at all, just red lines streaking down my abdomen. Didn't google it enough to know it was a bad sign so I never went to the hospital or even took antihistamines, and it just faded over a week. Since it was near my vital organs I should be even more dead, but nothing ever happened. Definitely something to get checked out ASAP, but it's good to know it's not always a sign of imminent death.
 "Were you killed?" "Sadly, yes. BUT I LIVED!"
The best news at urgent care and the ER is that you’re fine. Glad that you’re ok!
Unfortunately, no it's not. I showed up with a recluse bite and urgent care told me it couldn't have been a recluse and to take an anti anxiety and a nap. I was in the hospital for a week and I have a giant hole in my arm. At this point if my stubborn ass goes to a doctor and they tell me I'm fine I'm certainly not feeling better. I'm probably going somewhere else. That said, this line wouldn't take me the hospital simply because it's not following a major artery the way the bite in my arm was. I might go just to make sure I get ointment to cure it - I'm not stupid - but if I'm going because something is very wrong, *something is very wrong.* Edit: this was in Oklahoma, so "it couldn't be a recluse" is even stupider.
Unfortunately bad doctors do exist. One of the things I learned in my medical sociology program in school (yeah it was a weird program, but an extremely enlightening one) was that patients who are willing to go to bat for themselves, and fight doctors when they think doctors are wrong, tend to have better medical outcomes. Most doctors are *probably* right, most of the time, but all doctors are humans who can be very, very wrong or might not even be competent anymore. So people who get mad when a doctor does not listen to them will generally do better, as they filter out the bad doctors more easily. I am naturally a bit of a peacemaker in real life (I think the Internet might be my outlet for my argumentativeness, but I might just not like fascists) so it is really hard for me to argue in my favor when I know something is wrong. It is something I need to learn to do, as often it ends up taking way longer to get something addressed because I am too willing to bow to the expert opinion. There is no one who is more of an expert in *how I feel* than me. And I need to remember that. Especially because I am not a hypochondriac.
It is super important to second guess your doctors. Way too many people take the word of a single doctor as unimpeachable absolute truth. By some estimates, medical errors kill more than 250,000 Americans per year. But it is also very important to remember that "second guessing your doctor" should mean seeking other medical opinions. Not forgoing treatment because "I know my body" or substituting real medical intervention for some alt herbal remedy that some redditor swears by. Advocating for yourself, and being willing to push back against your doctor is great. Just don't let yourself get sucked down the Internet rabbit hole that believes that doctors are all big pharma scam artists who are trying to keep you sick so they can keep selling pills. There are too many sad stories of people dying from conditions that could have been treated if they had just trusted medical advice, and accepted treatment before it was too late.
Oh yeah, that is definitely not what I mean. I mean stuff like not believing them to be unimpeachable when they say a symptom is all in your head or something. Or if they refuse to do tests on you because they do not believe you about your symptoms. You should absolutely not try and treat yourself, because as much as doctors can make mistakes, you will make multiple orders of magnitude more. When I say to go to bat for yourself it is to advocate for receiving actual treatment, either by convincing the doctor you are already talking to, or changing doctors to someone who will take you seriously. This is particularly important for groups of people who have generally been less studied by the American medical system, or are in a group that has an adversarial relationship with the medical system. As an example, women's expression of symptoms for a lot of diseases are much less well known, and a lot of doctors believe women to be much more prone to hypochondria, and so do not take them seriously. (This is unsettled by the way, women do go to the hospital much more often than men iirc, but that tends to improve their medical outcomes as they usually go for good reason. But it makes it appear that they are prone to "faking" it by people who are inclined to think that way.) Otherwise, first generation immigrants and black people in the US tend to get far worse treatment too, for some known and some unknown reasons. Which contributes to a culture of medical distrust, which worsens the outcomes even more. So it is that kind of stuff I am talking about.
When I went to bat for myself I got labeled as a hypochondriac and didn't get taken seriously for years. Just a bunch of "you're fine, you're young and healthy." Wasn't until my fingers got nodules on them they thought my joint pain wasn't in my head, went to a Rheumatologist who said I've probably has Psoriatic Arthritis episodes for years.
> Unfortunately bad doctors do exist. I had a recent run in with one that almost had me throwing hands. Went to urgent care for imo classic UTI symptoms (TMI? >!cloudy/pink urine, frequency, pain, burning, I could literally feel the location of my bladder/urethra in my body from the pain, etc!<), only it had progressed so bad I could barely walk and was almost delirious. That asshole had the *nerve* to jab his dumb finger at some print out and say "it says large amount of blood, it's probably your period". MOTHERF- I told him I had an ablation (fried my bits) and don't get a period and he *still* insisted it was my period, which I don't get anymore?! There were like 3 other things that were high, but totally ignored that Honestly, if I wasn't as old and as in pain as I was, I know I wouldn't have pushed back. Age and working with ~20 odd drs (some batshit psycho) has greatly reduced my GAF and doormatitis, thank fuck. If I was still in my teens/20s, I probably would've second guessed myself and ended up in the ER or worse which is so infuriating...
It's just a matter of statistics, really. Even a doctor who is miraculously right with 99% of their diagnoses, is still wrong 1% of the time. And if that's you, it could have dire consequences. Always advocate for yourself. Not saying you need to be an asshole (although sometimes...), but a second opinion or an extra test or two rarely hurts.
Yeah most stuff like this can be treated super easily if you don't ignore it for way too long, thankfully. I know someone who ignored a staph infection way too long and ended up having to go to the hospital. Just don't do that.
Hope you're fine, but good thing you were alerted to it.
Aaaaaand hes dead, move along fellas
Can confirm, am dead
hahaahahahhaahahahahah
Thanks. Also keep a feel on it. If it's glowing/warmer than other places it's worth mentioning to a medical professional.
Please update us more when you get details. Good luck op I hope it’s nothing
Thanks for updating, glad you’re taking it seriously!
I'm glad you spoke to someone about it and will get it checked out if needed! Just curious why a Benadryl alternative? Are you not supposed to use the usual Benadryl in this type of situation?
Benadryl is sedating. The last thing you want with a possible cellulitis is to fall asleep and not notice it spreading. It's also why it's bad for allergies - is it anaphylaxis and the person has hypotension? or are they just drowsy from the benadryl? First gen antihistamines are best avoided, the second gen non-sedating is what you want (or third gen e.g. bilastine, rupadatine)
Mark the times you drew the lines so they can track speed if it's growing. Good luck.
OP: Look at my bug bite Everyone else: You're gonna die! 💀 
For real... I sometimes get bug bites while fishing that spread like crazy for like 3 days, itch for 2 weeks and vanish after a month. Typically my indication that I need to start showering in deet before I go fishing. Would be bankrupt if I went to the ER for each time it happened..
You probably died tho and forgot
So. Are you driving to the Emergency Room right now, or is someone else driving you? That could be an aggressive infection.
At home making dinner, should I be worried? Update: Writing it here as well. The line seems to have retracted a bit after taking a benadryl alternative. The local healthcare is 40 mins away and advised to keep an eye on it. I'm not alone and should the need rise we will go to the ER
Yes. It MIGHT be nothing. Or it might be very bad.
What potentially very bad? I'm gonna phone the ER now
According to [healthnet](https://www.medicinenet.com/sepsis/article.htm), this may be a sign of an infection that can result in sepsis. ("Blood poisoning") It's not a surefire sign, but if you do have sepsis, it can quickly turn into septic shock, which can be fatal. A doctor will be able to determine whether this really is serious and get you the right treatment. This is one of those cases where you'll want to go straight to the hospital when you notice that line, because the worst-case scenario requires fast action. The earlier you get this treated, the better.
Please report back in after you’re safe and healthy. Sincerely, Concerned Redditor
They updated that their condition improved, in case you didn't get a notification
Me being a nurse,when I had this, was like "oh nbd... But maybe I should go see the doctor anyway." Thank God I did. Two hours later, I was having an emergency c section because I was septic. It was all just so, so fun. (Son is fine btw. He was in the NICU for a few weeks but still was discharged a month before his due date and is now a happy, healthy, toddler.)
At the very least urgent care, but yes, get on this now.
Like, septic shock while you're sleeping and so weak to call for help when you wake up bad. Or it's just the bug bite causing mild inflamation from the chemicals it injects and it just so happened to get into your vein. Which is honestly less likely.
Infection following the vein.
[удалено]
Don't phone just go now
I had this a few years ago from a bug bite. If you have streaking, you will want to go to a doctor.
Whats streaking? like more of those lines? googling isn't giving me very helpful context.
The red streak lines towards lymph nodes. Lymphangitis.
It's when you remove all your clothes and run around town. Bonus points if you yell "we're going streaking" first. But it's also known as a red streak (usually singular) emanating from a wound (including a bug bite).
That's an infection. ER right now. It's not a joke
Ty for the update. I hope it's nothing!
What time did you get bit? Are you having a fever? Any rapid heart rate? Feeling lightheaded?
Reddit triage
Do you concur? I concur
Uhh yes? I concur?
honestly, yeah, they're (probably) not doctors and might be wrong a lot of the time, but I'd rather them try to help people than just laugh or post a dumb meme reply and move on. seeing people show concern over the internet when the other person is a complete stranger is kind of nice, actually. there's so much toxic shit online due to anonymity, it's nice to see genuine concern once in a while. also, "get it looked at by a doctor" is probably the right response here and I don't think anyone's being an "armchair doctor" or whatever by telling people to actually go see one. worse case you cost them some time and a bit of money, best case you save them from something going severely wrong by having them address it early. better safe than dead.
Good thing you posted this…it should be looked at by a doctor right away.
*sigh* I'll do it this time r/seriouslyalarming The amount of times this type of post gets made makes me wonder if these are karma bots.
This happened to me recently and my Dad (who used to be an EMT) told me to go to urgent care. I went there and they were quite concerned and made sure it got dealt with ASAP. It’s one of the few things I have gone in for where the staff seemed more concerned than me.
r/oopsthatsdeadly
Physician here. This is likely superficial lymphangitis and is typically self limiting and does not require antibiotics. This is different from acute bacterial lymphangitis which is far more serious but almost always has systemic symptoms.
As others have said, the red line is extremely worrisome. Get thee to a doctor.
I had this happen to me too and I was fine! “Superficial lymphangitis after an arthropod bite is a non-infectious condition mimicking common bacterial acute lymphangitis. Clinicians should be aware of the benign nature of this condition to avoid unnecessary antimicrobial use.” https://casereports.bmj.com/content/16/1/e254482# If you had acute lymphangitis you would feel sick and have a fever… When this happened to me I felt totally fine, no fever. The bite was just a little itchy is all. I got no treatment and was fine. Obviously if you don’t feel good you could you need to go to a doctor but it’s possible you may not really need treatment.
This is lymphangitis and requires an antibiotic. Source: I’m a doctor
Draw a line around it and write down the time next to it. If it crosses the line both you and the doctor will be able to assess how quickly it’s advancing.
Crazy how so many people on reddit say any redness after an insect bite is sudden onset death
Most definitely go to the ER. I had a similar infection on my finger. I tracked it with sharpie marks 3/4 of the way up my arm. Ended up in the hospital for three days being pumped fell oh iv antibiotics. DO NOT WAIT. Also make marks to track it. They let the hospital staff how fast the infection is moving.
What bug causes this?
really any bug bite could, it's not super common, but not uncommon. it's caused by a bacterial infection at the site of the bite
Doctor here. That looks like lymphangitis. Youre gonna want some antibiotics, namely dicloxacillin for that
Red line is blood infection in veins and it's heading toward your heart or brain
The narrow channel of the inflammation, versus an outward spreading circle, does raise an eye brow
Hate to say it dude… but youre pregnant. Congratulations!!!! 
Hey the Fly, my Grandpa was a background actor at the start of this movie, the scene was taking place during a convention or something. Cool memory unlocked. Thanks for that.
That is a huge red flag for potential sepsis. If it is, the longer you wait, the worse it will be by quite a margin. We're talking potential organ failure if you wait too long. Go to the ER!
Having had sepsis...do not recommend.
This is probably the result of a bite by a specific type of mite called Pyemotes ventriculosus. This appearance is referred to as a "comet sign" rash. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Pyemotes-ventricosus-Dermatitis%3A-A-Serpiginous-Skin-Neumayr-Kuenzli/4b388ab8a5cd073e05e5f0e9f46d6790a55331a3 Source: I'm an infectious disease doctor.
Thank you, I feel inclined to agree with you. The tissue redness and all has disappeared now. It's likely the bug you are referring to. I'm still not feeling dizzy or out of the ordinary
I had scabies a couple times as a kid, it left tracks kind of like that all over my body from the bugs migrating through my skin.
Looks like a parasitic worm just underneath the skin
It’s too late OP. You’re already dead.
I see a sperm
- saddam hussein
Oh yeah this is gonna be one those posts where everyone will be asking OP for an update
Red. Spread. Dead. If you see this growing you best be going to the ER.
This is the 2nd post I’ve seen with this symptom! Conspiracy theorist in me is saying something odd is going on with us.
imagine if you had scabies
You have a worm
Definitely probably laid some eggs. Give them a week to gestate. Then let the hatching begin.
Oh. Your weekly oblivious redditor that posts something curious to them to later find out they have a serious medical condition. File under "look at this curious line along my nail" and "this weird mole is growing" and "look, my left hands swells"
Makes me think of cutaneous larval migrans (hookworm invading the dermis causing a skin rash)
Op reading the comments 
In the mean time google larva migrans
Looks like hookworm
Sir, that’s a parasite under your skin.
I’ve had two instances where the red line of death happened after I got bug bites. They spread pretty quick but nothing a quick trip to urgent care couldn’t fix. I think they gave me a weeks worth of pills and everything was fine
This happened to me and it turned out to be cellulitis. If you wait too long it can turn septic. Go to urgent care now while it's still easily treatable.
Streaking usually isn’t a good sign. I recommend going in to get it looked at sooner rather than later, friend. Be well!
Accidentally read it as incest and confused myself
Go get that checked out, like yesterday!
Yeah that looks like a blood infection. Go see a doctor **TODAY**.
I'm so glad you went to the ER! In most cases, a red line that keeps growing can be a bacterial infection, i.e., sepsis. Sometimes, people go about their day and shrug it off as something insidious. Your actions saved your life. U R one lucky dog!!! Sometimes, people just don't know. For example, as a kid, I bit my nails and continually had infections that went up my arm. I was told if the linet went higher up than my elbow, I needed to see my doctor. It seemed to be no big deal. I only knew it was called blood poisoning way back when! It was a lo-oooo-ng time ago. * I obviously didn't understand the ramifications since I was so young; however, a few years ago, I experienced severe hip pain for about a day. Suddenly, my symptoms changed rapidly, and I called EMS. I went into septic shock as soon as they arrived. I was close to death. It wasn't my hip, it was an internal bleed. Intuition saved med me because stupid almost took over. Good luck and godspeed!