That can be especially problematic with medical images. A striking photograph may be genuine, but the accompanying story can be completely unrelated to the actual diagnosis.

What should you do with a rash like this?

If someone develops painful, spreading, blistering, oozing, bleeding, or rapidly worsening skin lesions, they should seek medical evaluation rather than trying to diagnose the condition from an online photograph.

A healthcare professional can examine the skin and, when necessary, perform tests to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.

The takeaway

The picture is attention-grabbing, but the claim “these are the consequences of sleeping with…” cannot be established from the image itself. When it comes to unusual skin changes, a proper medical examination is far more reliable than a viral social-media caption.