A skin disorder caused by sweat and heat, which leaves behind deep red rashes or prickly skin, is called prickly heat. This disorder happens when the sweat glands get obstructed and it leaves a skin rash which is very irritating and itches a lot.
There is no inflammation in the rash but because of the itch that it produces, the rashes can become painful. These rashes can happen to anyone of any age. However, they tend to affect infants the most. In infants, diaper rashes that happen due to prickly heat are very common. Prickly heat is a condition that can happen often and some people are more predisposed to the disorder than the others. These people might suffer several recurrences of the disorder in one season.
The symptoms of the disorder are pretty clear. The skin breaks into small blisters which may or may not be filled with some kind of fluid. The skin becomes itchy and scratching it produces a deep red rash. Whenever there is exposure of the skin to sunlight, the blisters can reappear. These can also reappear due to high humidity.
When the rashes occur at places where more perspiration occurs, the irritation is also more. The rashes also tend to happen on the arms where people wear long sleeves in high temperatures.
The causes of prickly heat are pretty simple. Poor hygiene is the number one reason for prickly heat. Due to the poor hygiene, the sweat glands can become clogged and the sweat is not able to pass out of the body. This affects people more when the weather is hot and humid.
Obesity is also one of the main causes of prickly heat. It has been seen that people who are obese are more susceptible to breaking out in rashes related to prickly heat. A predisposition to get more affected by prickly heat can also be a genetic problem. Prolonged activity in the sun has been seen to intensify prickly heat. Children who play in the sun for long in the summers often come home complaining of painful itch in their backs. This especially happens to those who are in the habit of wearing synthetic clothes instead of cool cottons during summers or during a warm spell.
The good news is that prickly heat is completely curable. There are many household remedies that can be used to get rid of prickly heat and help ensure a speedy recovery. There are a lot of steroids and steroid ointments that are available in the market for curing prickly heat. However, steroids, because of their many possible side effects, should be avoided as much as possible. Instead, try to increase hygiene by taking as many cool baths as possible. A shower immediately after you come in from work opens up the clogged pores and cools down the skin, thus reducing inflammation. Try to expose the affected areas to cool air. Aloe vera can also be used to soothe the affected areas.