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Dec 21, 2023 · Heat rash, also called prickly heat or miliaria, is caused by blocked sweat ducts. Here's how to prevent and treat it.
May 31, 2022 · Still, heat rash happens to adults too. Here, experts explain what it is, what it looks like, and, most importantly, how to get rid of heat rash and prevent it from cropping up to begin...
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Sweat glands
Eccrine sweat glands occur over most of the body and open directly onto the skin's surface. Apocrine glands open into the hair follicle, leading to the surface of the skin. Apocrine glands develop in areas with many hair follicles, such as on the scalp, armpits and groin. Eccrine sweat glands are involved in hyperhidrosis, though apocrine glands may play a role as well.
Types of heat rash
The types of heat rash are classified according to how deep the sweat is trapped in the skin. Signs and symptoms for each type vary.
Heat rash usually heals by cooling the skin and avoiding exposure to the heat that caused it. See your health care provider if you or your child has symptoms that last longer than a few days or the rash seems to be getting worse.
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Heat rash develops when a duct that leads from a sweat gland to the surface of the skin is blocked or inflamed. This then blocks the opening of the sweat duct on the surface of the skin (sweat pore). Instead of evaporating, sweat is trapped beneath the skin, causing irritation and bumps on the skin.
Factors that increase the risk of heat rash include:
•Being a newborn, as newborns have immature sweat ducts
•Living in a hot, humid climate
•Being physically active
Heat rash usually heals without scarring. People with brown or Black skin are at risk of spots of skin that get lighter or darker in response to inflammatory skin conditions (postinflammatory hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation). These changes usually go away within weeks or months.
A common complication is infection with bacteria, causing inflamed and itchy pustules.
To help protect yourself or your child from heat rash:
•In hot weather, dress in loose, lightweight clothing that wicks moisture away from the skin. Don't wrap newborns in too many layers.
•In hot weather, limit physical activity. Stay in the shade or in an air-conditioned building. Or use a fan to circulate the air.
•Keep your sleeping area cool and well ventilated.
•Avoid creams and ointments that can block pores.
•Avoid drugs that cause sweating, such as clonidine, beta blockers and opioids.
Jun 30, 2023 · Heat rash is an irritation of the skin that typically occurs in hot, humid conditions that make you sweat excessively. Your sweat glands become blocked, resulting in an itchy, blister-like rash.
- Sherri Gordon
Aug 18, 2023 · Diseases & Conditions. Heat rash: How to spot it and what to do. An uncomfortable heat rash may signal your body needs a chance to cool down before other heat-related illnesses take hold. August 18, 2023. By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch. Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
- hhp_info@health.harvard.edu
Apr 11, 2024 · Heat rash, also known as eccrine miliaria, sweat rash, and prickly heat, is a skin rash that causes the skin to turn red and feel warm or prickly (stinging). It also causes small red dots in the affected skin area in people with lighter skin tones and darker spots in people with darker skin tones.
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May 31, 2023 · Heat rashes are a common summer skin problem caused by excessive sweating to the point that the sweat gets trapped under the skin. Adults most often develop heat rashes on parts of the body...
