Due to the global warming, the temperature of the earth is rapidly increasing which is leading to severe consequences on human health. This climate change has led to various skin diseases among people and sweat rash or miliaria has been the most common one. From babies to adults, everyone regardless of age and gender, are hugely affected by the humid weather.
What is Sweat Rash?
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The prime role of your skin is to offer protection to the internal part of the body from the external world. Acting as a barrier against invader causing chemicals, ultraviolet ray, infection or any other intruder which is potential to harm the body, the preventive nature of the skin is significant. Moreover, the skin has a role to manage body temperature and for this very reason, the body starts to sweat for cooling itself.
Perspiration or sweat is produced by the sweat glands that are spread across the body only except for the few parts like toenails, ear canal and fingernails. These glands are rooted in a deep layer of skin or dermis and essentially controlled by the temperature. In addition to the context, sweat manufactured from the gland reaches to the skin surface by the duct.
However, the development of miliaria as follows,
- Sweat rash develops when this duct becomes clogged and sweat is unable to reach the skin surface
- Gradually, sweat is trapped under the surface of the skin that causes a rash or mild inflammation
Adults are seen to develop the skin condition on different parts of the body that compel them to rub together in specific areas like underarms and inner thighs. In addition to the context, sweat rash can be problematic for the babies and thighs, elbows and armpits are the most affected skin parts for them.
Types of Sweat Rash
There are three different types of miliaria that cause damage to your skin severely and all of the sweat rashes are not identical in appearance.
Miliaria Rubra
Prickly heat or miliaria rubra is a common skin condition that is seen among babies and adults. The condition causes discomfort on people’s skin on a huge level and because it is rooted deeper portion of epidermis or external layer of skin. There are certain causes that can increase the chances of developing this type of malaria including,
- Signs of red bumps on the skin
- Prickly or itchy sensation
- Soreness or inflammation of the skin due to the body being unable to let sweat through the surface of the skin
- Lack of sweat in the damaged region of the skin
You should be careful if you notice these symptoms because the bumps can become be full of pus. Bumps with pus in miliaria rubra are known as miliaria pustulosa.
Miliaria Crystallina
One of the most common skin conditions is miliaria crystalline but it does not as severe compared to other types of sweat rash. White bumps or small clear bumps that are filled with fluid will become visible on the surface of the skin. The fluid is mainly the sweat trapped in a bubble and this type of bumps is likely to burst.
But do not worry; there is no risk factor or severity related to the burst of bumps. Moreover, this type of sweat rash does not cause itchiness on the skin or is not even merely painful. Infants are likely to suffer from this more than adults.
Miliaria Profunda
This is a rare type of miliaria that is primarily caused by sweat rash. It can last for a short span but it is often seen to leave a long-term effect on human skin taking the nature of chronic skin condition.
The dermis is to be blamed for this particular skin disease referring to the fact that the rash develops under the deep layer of skin. Adults who are active physically than babies are susceptible to face the consequences of this heat rash. Heat rash can prevent sweat from leaving your skin which eventually leads to dizziness and nausea.
Symptoms of Sweat Rash
Root level symptoms of sweat rash are the small red bumps spread around sweat glands. Pink or red patches are also seen is some of the areas.
The advanced stage of heat rash shows large welts and signs of irritation. This problem leads to red bumps mainly.
Groin, face, neck, abdomen and back are the usual areas to be affected by the condition. Sweat rash does not leave buttocks, elbow fold and areas under breast alone either.
Risk Factors for Heat Rash
The heat rash generally increases with an uncomfortable feeling resulting in red-coloured tiny blisters. Often the rashes become itchy having a sensation; especially, when you sweat during the afternoon. There are certain risk factors that accelerate the condition including,
Tropical Climates
General atmosphere but with a humid and hot weather throughout the year can affect people’s skin resulting in heat rash. The local people are susceptible to undergo this severe problem on a large scale.
Age
Affecting every age group, heat rash can be seen in any period of life. Nonetheless, the infants are susceptible to be the prime victim of this condition. Infants are mostly seen to suffer due to the delicate skin they have.
Aged people can develop the condition if they do not exercise regularly which leads to lack of airing in various places of the body.
Physical Exercise
The heat rash can be a result of lack of activities but too much of physical activities can trigger the uncomfortable skin rashes as well. As excessive perspiration can put people at high risk, elderly people are susceptible to undergo such skin condition.
The rate of developing this uncomfortable skin rash is high among the babies because the infants spend most of their time in bed being incapable of turning when they feel hot or get sweaty. As they have fragile skin, irritation is likely to develop leading to sweat rash.
However, adult people can suffer from this condition because of the high level of immobility disrupting air circulation. Moreover, obesity can be menacing because the continuous skin rubbing is susceptible to increase the risk. Rash under hanging belly or abdominal fat can often cause the problem.
Complications Leading to Sweat Rash
The key reason behind heat rash is the heat and this indicates the basic thing that once the skin is cooled down, the rashes generally go away without even taking medical help. However, the repeated growth can be problematic for everyone as the risks can go higher and the complications become prevalent.
Heat Exhaustion
People who suffer from sweat rash can face fatigue due to being exposed to the hot temperature. If the condition is not treated, the person would suffer from nausea, headache and increased pulse rate. Additionally, heart stroke, dizziness and low blood pressure are susceptible to occur leading to complications in the human body.
Infection
People who have sensitive skin; especially infants with tender skin are prone to suffer from bacterial infection. This type of infection must not go unnoticed because the more you ignore the skin rash, the worse the condition might get. During this problem, the skin is not able to breathe.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The sweat rashes are visible always and can be seen through naked eyes. Thereafter, it is not required to take lab tests to identify the skin condition. Moreover, the doctors are able to check the rash by assessing its appearance.
When it comes to the discussion of treating sweat rash, you can take ointments.
- For treating the complicated cases, it is better to take topical steroids
- With the anhydrous solution, new lesions cannot be formed further.
- Anhydrous solution also prevents duck blockage
- Calamine lotion helps in soothing the itchiness on skin
If your skin is exposed to burning, redness and itching, you can diminish its anti-inflammatory nature by using anti-fungal cream. Hydrocortisone is able to treat inflamed heat rash with the mixture of clotrimazole. Additionally, clotrimazole is one of the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal options that people can take.
Home Remedies for Sweat Rash
As heat rashes are very common and most people dwelling in hot humid regions are prone to develop these, people have been able to find out effective ways that can restrict the solution quickly.
In order to save your neck, groin, back, hands and upper chest, you can use home ingredients to get rid of the rashes. Moreover, in this way, you will not have to spend a penny further for treatment because all the ingredients will be available at your home.
Baking Soda
Do you have a penchant for baking delicious cakes? But when summer comes, you dread that you are going to have the red itchy rashes.
Without worrying a bit, take out a spoonful of baking soda which can be ideal for treating rashes. In addition to the context, baking soda acts as an exfoliating agent that can unclog the pores by eliminating dirt, impure properties and dead skin cells.
- Mix a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of cold water
- Soak a clean piece of cloth in the concoction
- Apply the cloth on the affected skin areas for eight to ten minutes
You can repeat this process for an entire week around five times per day.
Oatmeal
In order to get relief from sweat rash, you should use oatmeal which is known to be an anti-irritating and anti-inflammatory ingredient. Offering a soothing effect on skin, oatmeal can do more than serving your breakfast.
- Add a cup of oatmeal to water in a bathtub
- Keep stirring till the mixture takes the milky form
- Stay in the water bathtub for around twenty to thirty minutes
- Dry yourself with a towel
In order to get the effective result quickly, you should do repeat this whole process two times a day.
Margosa Leaves
Margosa leaves or neem are present in every Indian household and this particular ingredient can act as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents.
- Take a handful of neem or margosa leaves to make a paste
- Put the paste on affected areas; especially, the growth is highly visible
- Wash the place with cold water
If you are not comfortable using this procedure, you can choose the other way where you have to simmer the leaves in 2 cups of water for around twenty minutes. You can strain the solution and let it cool and then soak a washcloth in the concoction for placing over the rashes. It is easy to get productive outcome within few days only if you keep taking help of neem leaves four to five times in a day.
If you do not have neem leaves or oatmeal or baking soda at your home, you can try to use sandalwood, cold treatment or fuller’s earth which is equally effective for seat rash.
How to Prepare Yourself for the Doctor’s Appointment?
If this is the first time that you notice the prickly heat rash, you should not stress out as 8 people out of 10 are affected by this during hot and warm weather. However, if you do not want to rely on the home remedies, paying a visit to the medical professional can be useful. If you further notice the rashes to take severe condition, you can take medical advice from dermatologists.
On visiting the doctor, you can prepare set of questions to get the best help in dealing with this situation.
- What could be the prime cause of the rashes?
- Is it treatable? Can I take measures to prevent it further?
- Will I be physically hampered?
- Can this skin condition limit my physical activities?
- Is there any chance that the rashes can become contagious?
The medical help is always there for you but if you want to take effective steps beforehand, it is better to stay away from heat. With too much of sweat and heat, the skin condition can deteriorate. If you keep wearing loose fitting clothes and spend most of the time in air-conditioned rooms, the complications might not take drastic turns.
With keeping up good hygiene, one surely can tackle sweat rash issues that are likely not to harm people on a large scale. Keep a hand fan with you to bid goodbye to keep the woes of heat rash away.