Thursday, 31 July 2014

What is prickly heat

What is prickly heat

We are looking into What is prickly heat today

What is prickly heat, have you ever wonderedWhat is prickly heat

So today we are looking into the question What is prickly heat?
Prickly heat is also known as heat rash or miliaria. It is a red and itchy rash on the skin that causes a stinging or prickly feeling and that’s where the name comes from.  Prickly heat usually occurs in hot conditions but it can affect people in the winter if they are wearing too much clothing or sit too close to a heater. Even in summer, the rash is most common on areas of the body that are covered by clothing, but prickly heat can affect any area of the skin.
The rash occurs when sweat glands become blocked normally as a result of excessive sweating. This is because bacteria and dead skin cells can collect in the sweat glands which traps the sweat and subsequently bursts out and irritates the skin. The rash is made up of tiny spots and bumps in an area of red skin.
Prickly heat is not a serious condition but is very irritating so to try and avoid it you can  spend time in the shade and avoid exposure to heat to help lessen the amount of sweat produced. Wear loose cotton clothing as this will also make sweating less likely than if you are wearing synthetic fabrics. 
 If you do find yourself getting prickly heat then calamine lotion will soothe and cool the itchy skin and a  hydrocortisone cream can reduce the itching but this should not be applied to the face and as always it is important to follow the instructions. Generally a prickly heat rash will disappear of its own accord within a couple of days.   It may also help to take an antihistamine tablet.
So What is prickly heat? has been answered in our blog today.

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