Heat rash – causes, types, symptoms, treatment [WE EXPLAIN]

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Prickly heat can appear in places that are especially prone to excessive sweating. They take the form of tiny blisters that are reddened, also accompanied by itchy skin. The formation of prickly heat in adults is a persistent problem that is treated with antibiotic-containing agents. These types of drugs are applied topically to remove inflammation caused by bacterial infection. What are the causes of prickly heat? What does prickly heat look like? What is the most effective for heat rash?

Potówki – what is it?

Heat rash can be defined as a mild inflammation of the clogged sweat ducts. When sweat ducts are blocked, sweat cannot make its way to the surface of the skin to evaporate and becomes trapped under the skin. The result is a sweat rash, which is characterized by small, raised lumps (like coarse sandpaper) evenly distributed over different parts of the skin. Rash usually goes away on its own and goes away within hours to days.

There are, among others:

1. sweat rash on the back,
2. sweat rash on the hands,
3. armpit sweat,
4. heat rash on the feet,
5. heat rash on the buttocks,
6. sweat rash on the thighs,
7. sweat rash on the face
8. stomach heat,
9. sweat rash on the shoulders,
10. prickly heat in adults,
11. heat rash in infants,
12. prickly heat in older children.

Also check: What causes a rash on the back?

Prickly heat – causes

Both in adults and in children, prickly heat is formed when the sweat glands secrete large amounts of sweat. This, in turn, may be caused by high ambient temperature (e.g. heat), too warm clothes, but also disorders resulting from impaired hormonal balance (diabetes, hyperthyroidism, menopause) or concomitant neoplastic diseases (pancreatic cancer, leukemia or lymphomas).

The cause of the appearance of prickly heat in adults may also result from the so-called life. high speed, lack of rest, and thus – strong, chronic stress or fear of some external factor, fears for the future, etc. In situations of mental imbalance, the human sweat glands are overactive, which may be manifested by the appearance of prickly heat.

Of course, excessive activity of the sweat glands can also be caused by various diseases such as tuberculosis, infections accompanied by fever. Persons who are obese are more likely to develop prickly heat as being overweight leads to increased sweating throughout the body. Adult sweat rash can also develop when the reason for their development is unknown (idiopathic heat rash).

Irritation in adults may also appear as a result of overheating the body. This applies to situations in which the body is exposed to intense sunlight or wearing too warm clothes. Then heat rash can appear on the forehead, neck, back, under the knees or around the feet. Often, heat rash in adults is confused with other infections, such as bacterial or fungal infections.

The risk factor for the appearance of prickly heat is also:

1. age – newborns are more susceptible,
2. tropical climate – people living in the tropics are much more likely to get sweat rash than people in temperate climates.
3. Exercise – Anything that causes you to sweat heavily, especially if you’re not wearing clothing that allows the sweat to evaporate, can trigger prickly heat.

Heat rash – symptoms

The main symptoms are small red lumps called lumps that can be itchy or cause an intense stinging sensation. They appear in different parts of the body, in some cases at the same time.

The most common places of heat rash are the face, neck, under the breasts, and under the scrotum. They can also appear in skin folds and areas of the body that rub against clothing, such as the back, chest, and abdomen. These are the places that sweat more.

A similar condition that can occur at the same time is folliculitis. This happens when the hair follicles become clogged with foreign objects such as dead skin cells and sebum, which can later become infected, causing inflammation as well.

Also read: Sweat instead of blood. Now this is how you measure your blood sugar

What does prickly heat look like?

The types of sweat rash are classified according to the depth of the blocked sweat ducts. The symptoms for each type of prickly heat are different. The types of prickly heat include:

1. common sweat rash (miliaria crystallina) – it is the mildest form of heat rash, it attacks the sweat ducts in the upper layer of the skin. This form is characterized by clear, fluid-filled vesicles and nodules (lumps) that break easily.
2. red heat rash (miliaria rubra) – they are more common in adults than in children and infants. This form of prickly heat is known to cause more discomfort than prickly heat because it occurs deeper in the outer layer of the skin or epidermis. Red prickly heat occurs in hot or humid conditions and can cause itching or stinging, red lumps on the skin, no sweat in the affected area, and inflammation and soreness of the skin because the body cannot wick sweat across the surface of the skin. The lumps that appear may sometimes progress and fill with pus – then we are talking about vesicular / pustular heat (miliaria pustulosa),
3. potówki głębokie (deep billionaire) – the least common form of prickly heat. It occurs in the dermis – the deepest layer of the skin. In the case of repeated episodes, the sweat glands in larger areas of the skin can become chronically inflamed and damage the deeper layers of the skin. Miliaria profunda produces relatively large, hard, fleshy tumors.

The editorial board recommends: When sweat works like a shower

Heat rash – treatment

It is certainly very important to maintain proper body hygiene through bathing and using antiperspirants. Adult sweating is relatively easy to combat with home remedies. To get rid of them, you can use baking soda or a basket of chamomile and add them to the bath. As for baths with the addition of a chamomile basket, you should prepare an infusion of this material beforehand.

A very good way to get rid of prickly heat in adults is aloe vera. It has disinfecting and toning properties, which causes the skin to regenerate and the sweat glands to open up. If heat rash occurs on your face, you can safely try washing your face with an infusion of birch bark, calendula flower, chamomile flower, peppermint leaf, sage or lemon balm.

Cold water, menthol and boric acid will reduce the itch, as it has antiseptic and soothing properties. It also cleanses the sweat glands of sweat.

If deep heat rash has developed, antibiotic therapy and simultaneous use of boric acid and menthol mash will be necessary.

See: Calendula – what is this plant?

Potówki – prevention

In order to minimize the risk of prickly heat, you should:

1. avoid activities that cause excessive sweating,
2. use air conditioning to cool the environment,
3. wear light clothing made of a breathable material, e.g. cotton,
4. give up hair removal for a while,
5. avoid overexposure to hot and humid weather,
6. gently exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells and sebum, which may clog sweat glands
7. often take cold showers or cool baths with mild soap – they can also help prevent sweat rash when the temperature rises above normal for an extended period of time.

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