Posted on May 28, 2008 in Latest News
Heat rash is also medically termed as prickly heat or miliaria. It is a common condition of skin. Actually heat rashes come out on your skin and instantly they start itching due to over heating or after the heat exposure. Heat rashes actually look like small bumps over the skin those are surrounded by an area of reddish skin.
Usually heat rash occurs on the covered parts of the body, including the back, neck, upper chest, abdomen, groin, or armpits. It actually goes away naturally, most of the times by its own within some days.
If the heat rashes occur in its severity then it can interfere with your body’s heat-regulating mechanism as well as it may cause fever, heat exhaustion, and sometimes death.
Heat rash occurs most often in hot, humid conditions. It’s most common in infants. Active people, newborns in incubators, and bedridden patients with fever also are more likely to get heat rash.
Causes of Heat Rashes
There are some reasons behind the heat rashes. The most important reason is excessive perspiration that usually occurs in humid and hot environment. This excess perspiration actually damages cells those are on the surface of the skin.
It also forms a barrier and traps sweat under the skin, where it actually builds up what results in the characteristic bumps. As the bumps start bursting and the trapped sweat is released, you feel the prickly and stinging sensation.
Symptoms of Heat Rash
If you are suffering from heat rash then you need to watch for the symptoms mentioned below and consult an expert if the symptoms become severe.
- Increased pain, redness, swelling, or warmth around the affected area.
- Drainage of pus from the area.
- Red streaks expanding from the affected area.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit.
- Fever of 100 F or higher, or sometimes chills with no other known cause.
Treatment of Heat Rashes
Frequently these rashes are seen to be healed by their own only. But here are some of the ways that can relieve those symptoms.
- You need to cool down the area. You should wear loose clothing as more as possible and try to be in a shady area.
- Take cool bath twice or thrice. Make the affected area cool by putting cold wet wash clothes there.
- Allow your skin to be normally dry instead of using towels.
- If your skin has become very irritable to touch, calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream can be used. But it should be used with your health professional’s approval.
- Try to avoid ointments and other lotions because there are chances that those lotions can irritate the skin.
Precautions for Heat Rash
Below are the tips that can help in preventing future episodes of the rash.
- During summer or excessive heat you can wear few clothes.
- Keep the sleeping area cool.
- Keep the skin cool and dry.
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January 16th, 2009 at 5:41 am
I have heat rash all over my toes…My room has no heat so I wore 4 pairs of socks to bed and now it wont go away and I just cant stop itching. Its almost unberable.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:48 am
your just an idiot