Prickly heat in children may appear as a result of overheating the body. Adult sweating is most common in tropical climates. How to recognize heat rash? What are their types? What is the treatment of prickly heat?

Potówki - what are they?

Potówki (Latin miliaria) - sweat gland disease arising under the influence of high humidity and high ambient temperature. There are heat rash (miliaria crystallina), which are vesicular eruptions without inflammatory features, and red heat rash (miliaria rubra), which are papules with inflammatory features.

Red prickles are clumps with a red discoloration. They are located in adults on the torso. In children, these lumps are most common on the face, neck, groin, and armpits. Their occurrence is accompanied by a burning sensation. Recurrent red heat rash can turn into deep heat rash (miliaria profunda) in adults living in tropical climates.

Prickly heat in adults - why do they arise?

The most common cause of prickly heat is overheating of the body and hindered drainage of sweat. Excessive perspiration can be related to high ambient temperatures, and this is usually the case. But the reason for the formation of prickly heat can also be

  • hormonal disorders of the body
  • diabetes
  • hyperthyroidism
  • menopause

Prickly heat can also occur in people suffering from neoplastic diseases (pancreatic cancer, leukemia or lymphomas).

The reason for the appearance of prickly heat in adults is also living on the so-called high speed, lack of rest, and thus - strong, chronic stress or fear of some external factor, fears for the future, etc.

Excessive activity of the sweat glands can also be caused by various diseases such as tuberculosis, infections with fever.

People who are overweight are more likely to develop heat rash. In this group, obesity is itself a cause of excessive perspiration, and sweat builds up in body folds and can cause skin burns.

But there are alsopotówkiidiopathic , i.e. arising from unknown reasons.

Prickly heat in adults - where do they occur?

Prickly heat can form on all parts of the body that are not properly ventilated. This is facilitated by wearing tight-fitting clothes.

Usually prickly heat appears:

  • armpit
  • around the neck
  • in groin
  • under my knees
  • in women under the breasts
  • in the groove between the buttocks
  • in elbow bends

There are also prickly spots on the forehead, especially in people who wear too tight caps or hats.

Prickly heat in adults - symptoms

Heat rash occurring in adults is often confused with bacterial or fungal infections and is treated in this way, which sometimes brings considerable harm to the patient. This is because, in adults, prickly heat can appear on the feet and hands.

With classic heat rash, the outlet of the sweat glands is blocked, which prevents their proper secretory activity. Then, in the places where sweat glands appear, very small, red and blistering changes appear. They are clearly visible because they appear under the epidermis.

It happens that heat rash becomes infected with bacteria. Then deep heat rash develops. These are reddened skin lesions that reach into the deeper layers of the skin.

The most troublesome is prickly heat on the back and face.

Prickly heat in adults - treatment

The basic method of fighting heat rash and preventing its recurrence is to maintain proper body hygiene. Frequent bathing, using antiperspirants and wearing airy clothes will be very helpful.

Potówki can be eliminated with home methods. A proven practice is to add baking soda or chamomile infusion to your daily bath. Of course, this is a method for people who are not allergic to chamomile.

A very good way to get rid of prickly heat in adults is aloe vera. It has disinfecting and toning properties, which causes the skin to regenerate and the sweat glands to open up. Apply the juice of the cut aloe leaf on washed skin.

If heat rash occurs on your face, you can go ahead and try washing your face with an infusion of birch bark, calendula flower, chamomile basket, peppermint leaf, sage or lemon balm.

The troublesome itching and burning of the skin that accompany prickly heat will be relieved by cold water, menthol or boric acid. Menthol and boric acid also act as a disinfectant.

A visit to a dermatologist is necessary with deep heat rash becausethe treatment of choice in this situation is antibiotic administration. Use a mash prepared from boric acid and menthol for prickly heat.

Sweat in children - where do they come from?

Sweat in children usually develops when caring parents over-dress their child, leading to overheating of the body. This causes tiny red or whitish spots to appear on the baby's skin.

Wearing windproof clothes causes the delicate skin of the baby to become chafed and, as a result, the openings of the sweat glands are closed.

In more severe forms, bacterial superinfections (aerobic granulomas and staphylococci) may occur, which require treatment with antibacterial and anti-yeast drugs.

Prickly heat in children - what types of prickly heat?

Dermatologists distinguish three main types of prickly heat.

  • Common sweat

Prickly heat occurs when the drainage ducts of the sweat glands in the outermost layers of the epidermis are closed.

There are numerous small, whitish or transparent blisters 1-2mm in size on the skin, around the head, neck and body. They are not reddened (not inflamed) and burst spontaneously over time.

In newborns, they usually appear on the 6th or 7th day of life.

Sometimes pimples accompany fever diseases, or they are located at the site of sunburn.

If the gland mouth becomes infected with purulent exudate, we speak ofpus .

  • Red sweat

Red sweat appears as a result of using olives after a bath to lubricate the baby's skin. Red prickly heat may occur in obese children who sweat profusely.

The obstruction of the gland opening occurs in the lower layer of the epidermis.

A rash of red lumps 2-4mm in size with a vesicle on top indicates inflammation. The pimples are located on the neck, hairy skin of the head and torso, in places exposed to constant pressure and rubbing (around the neck, waist, groin, under the elbows and knees).

Sometimes inflammatory changes merge into larger patches. They can also coexist with thrush and folliculitis.

They are diagnosed in newborns between 11 and 15 days of age.

The skin itches and burns, which makes the baby restless and cries a lot. If the vesicle at the top becomes a pimple, it is calledpustule .

If there is a bacterial superinfection, staphylococcal glanditis may developsweat.

  • Deep sweat

Potówka deep, is the most severe type of heat sweat, where damage to the mouth of the sweat gland occurs below the cutaneous-epidermal border.

It is a type of sweat rash characteristic of a tropical climate, where improper thermoregulation in children is particularly dangerous and can lead to disruption of many organs.

Blockage of the sweat ducts leads to partial or complete inhibition of perspiration. Whitish lumps 1-3 mm in size appear on the trunk and limbs.

Potówki in children - treatment

Treatment of mild heat rash usually requires changes in the way the child is cared for and dressed according to the ambient temperature. So that the child does not develop prickly heat:

  • take care of the right temperature in the room where the child is, the room should not be warmer than 22-24 degrees C
  • do not dress your child in clothes made of synthetic fibers, the best are purely cotton ones, and do not wear clothes that are too tight or too small, because they will rub the skin.
  • follow good hygiene, change diapers often and thoroughly cleanse your baby's skin so that contaminated skin is not exposed to bacteria,
  • do not use olive oil to grease your baby's skin, as it promotes the formation of prickly heat,
  • if your child develops heat rash, you need to deal with them quickly, prepare a bath with starch, it will help eliminate skin lesions and soothe itching, mix 2 tablespoons of potato flour in a glass of cold water, then pour the contents of the glass into 2-3 hot water, stir carefully until a starch is formed. When it cools down, add the contents of the pot to the tub of bath water. Let the baby stay in the bath for about 15 minutes. Gently pat your skin dry and do not rub anything on it.
  • instead of starch, you can also add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to your bath, which has a bactericidal effect. The water in the tub should be a light pink color. The bath should last about 15 minutes.
  • when prickly heat appears after bathing, apply a liquid powder that does not contain anesthesin on dry skin. The treatment will relieve troublesome symptoms

If your child develops heat rheumatism or has had bacterial infections, see a doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will assess whether you need to use an antibiotic cream or suspension.

Sweat in children - what pretends to be?

Not all changes on a baby's skin are prickly heat. If there are papules on the skin, it may be neonatal or infantile acne. Causeailments is the stimulation of the baby's sebaceous glands by the mother's hormones. The lesions appear on the chin and nose and look a bit like blackheads. Real blackheads can appear on a child's skin when we use, for example, paraffin for care, which clogs the pores in the skin.

Surface inflammation of the hair follicle can also be mistaken for prickly heat. Pimples appear on the face, scalp, and extremities. Folliculitis is associated with improper care (rare and inaccurate washing of children), or it may be a complication of steroid treatment.

Prickly heat can also resemble childhood eczema, which occurs in newborns and infants with atopy. If the breastfeeding mother does not follow a hypoallergenic diet, a rash will develop on her baby's skin. The changes will be visible on the cheeks, torso and limbs.

Sometimes heat rash can also be confused with drug rash (eczema resulting from the use of drugs in children) or toxic erythema. Any disturbing change on the child's skin should be shown to the doctor so as not to miss more serious ailments than prickly heat.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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Category:

Dermatology