ADDRESSING

PRICKLY HEAT
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PRICKLY HEAT

• Common type of skin rash called miliaria is sometime

referred to as prickly heat or heat rash or sweat rash .

• Miliaria occur in some people when they sweat a lot .

• It is itchy inflammation of superficial layers of skin, typically

with rash of small vesicles, common in hot humid weather. 2
CAUSE OF PRICKLY HEAT

• It is due to a blockage of sweat duct which causes sweat to seep into skin cells.

• This causes tiny pocket of swelling which cause rash.

• They are red bumps on a skin & an itchy or prickly feeling on skin.

• Heat rash is common in summer months & particularly in humid climates.

• These conditions are usually self-limited and resolves in hours to a few days without treatment.

• Any body part can be affected, majorly face, neck, back, abdomen, elbow folds, groin.

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TYPES OF HEAT RASH

• Clear (Miliaria crystallina)

• Red (Miliaria rubra)

• White/Yellow (Miliaria pustulosa)

• Deep (Miliaria profunda)

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MILIARIA CRYSTALLINA (CLEAR) :

• Also known as miliaria sudamina

• This is caused when the blockage of sweat duct
is close to the surface of skin .
• The rash is like tiny clear spot that appear in
crops.
• They may look like beads of sweat .
• The spot tend to disappear within a few hr or
day.

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MILIARIA PROFUNDA

• Caused when blockage of sweat duct occur

at the level of the middle layer of skin .

• This typically occur in people who live in

hot climate .

• Bigger lump develop on the skin when you

sweat.

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MILIARIA PUSTULOSA

• The bump on skin become infected with

the bacteria living on the skin surface.

• The fluid inside the bumps contain pus.

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MILIARIA RUBRA
• Common type & one most people would identify as prickly heat .

• It is caused when blockage of the sweat duct occur at a deeper part of the outer
layer of skin .

• Crops of tiny red bumpy spot develop. The spot are just a few mm in size &
may look like tiny blisters.

• They occur mostly where there is friction with cloths. Some area of skin
become red.

• On the affected area of skin there is reduced amount of sweat or no sweat at

all.

• One may feel tried & become intolerant of heat .

• If one continue to sweat & the cover a larger part of body, then one may have
small risk of developing a high temp & /or heat exhaustion .

• This is because you are not able to sweat properly to get rid of body heat.
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HEAT RASH TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
• Avoid heat & humidity .

• Avoid further sweating. e.g., staying in an air-conditioned room for few hr or day .A cool
bath or shower can also be soothing & help to avoid sweating .

• Simple cream may cool & soothe skin .

• Wear loose cotton clothing.

• Using an antibacterial soap or antiseptic wash may help to keep the number of germs on
skin down. This may reduce the risk of developing miliaria .

• Avoid caffeine which can make body lose water.

• Drink plenty of cool water or electrolyte replacement fluid even if not thirsty.
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• The first way to treat prickly heat is to move away from the irritant that’s
causing your skin to break out in a sweat. Make sure to change out of sweaty or
wet clothing right away after experiencing intense heat.

• Once you’re in a cooler environment, the sensation of itching underneath your

skin might take a while to subside.

• Treatments
• calamine lotion
• topical steroids

• Avoiding skin products that contain petroleum or mineral oil

• A natural remedy for prickly heat is calamine lotion.

• It can be applied to the affected area to cool the skin.

• Hydrocortisone cream in a low dosage can also make the feeling of itching
subside.
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