goodtoknow says: Heat rash is common, especially in young adults. It's sometimes called heat bumps or prickly heat, but prickly heat's proper medical title is miliaria. The small red spots usually appear within a few minutes of sweating, mainly on the chest, back and arms. Prickly heat is caused by blocked sweat glands, sometimes triggered by a sudden bout of sweating when you first arrive in a hot country. The best way to avoid prickly heat happening again is to stay out of the sun. If a rash does flare-up take anti-histamines. Steroid cream can help too.
For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of heat rash and prickly heat, read on.
Prickly heat is an itchy skin rash. It is sometimes called miliaria. It may occur when you sweat a lot. The main treatment is to keep cool as much as possible. A mild steroid cream may also help.
Prickly heat is thought to be due to blockage of the sweat glands. This can occur when we sweat a lot such as when on holiday in a hot country. Heat, sticky sweat, dead skin cells, and dead bacteria on the skin may all contribute to blocking the sweat glands. If the sweat gland is blocked, the sweat seeps into the nearby skin. This causes tiny pockets of inflammation which causes the rash.
The rash may begin within a few days of arrival in a tropical climate. However, it might develop weeks, or even months, later. Babies and obese people are more prone to prickly heat.
Prickly heat can also occur in cooler climates when sweating is a problem. For example, people who lie on their back for long periods due to illness may get prickly heat on their back.
- What are the symptoms of prickly heat?
- How do you treat prickly heat?
Prickly heat normally goes in a few days. But, it can sometimes last several weeks if the hot and humid conditions remain.
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© EMIS and PIP 2004 Updated: November 2002 CHIQ Accredited