Heat Rash Treatment

Heat rash treatment can calm the itchy bumps of "prickly heat" and soothe irritated skin. Treatment can also help heat rash heal more quickly.

Recognizing Heat Rash

Heat rash, also called prickly heat, looks like little red or pinkish bumps. There may also be tiny blisters filled with clear fluid. Skin may feel prickly or there may be a burning sensation. Heat rash can also be intensely itchy. Even without any heat rash treatment, skin usually returns to normal in two or three days.

Causes

Heat rash isn't just a summer problem; it can happen any time skin gets overheated. Overheating can happen in hot weather, but it can also come from exercise and from bundling up in wintertime.

When skin gets overheated, sweat glands must work overtime to cool the skin down. The excess sweat soaks the skin's surface, which can lead to changes in the top skin layer, causing sweat ducts to become blocked. The blocked glands then become swollen, forming the little blisters or bumps.

Types of Heat Rash

The medical term for heat rash is miliaria. There are three types of miliaria:

• Miliaria crystallina is caused by obstruction of the sweat ducts in the outermost layer of skin. The rash looks like tiny blisters with clear fluid inside.
• Miliaria rubra is the classic itchy, bumpy heat rash. It's caused by obstructed sweat glands deeper in the skin.
• Miliaria profunda is much less common. It involves sweat leaking into deep layers of skin and causing slightly raised bumps that don't itch.

Who Gets Heat Rash

Heat rash can affect anyone, but it happens most often in babies and children. Well-meaning parents bundle their babies up to keep them warm, but a rash can develop when the baby's skin gets too warm and sweaty. Babies tend to get this rash in the folds of their necks and in the diaper area, but it can appear almost anywhere. Children, who may spend a lot of time running and playing, are also likely to get heat rash, especially in areas covered by clothes.

Is Heat Rash Treatment Needed?

Heat rash isn't dangerous like sunburn is, and most doctors will tell you that heat rash treatment isn't needed. Staying out of the heat and keeping the skin cool is all that is recommended. Left alone, the rash will clear up on its own in a few days.

The problem is, heat rash can be maddeningly itchy! The bumps can look unattractive, too. Here are some heat rash treatments to help relieve symptoms and encourage the rash to clear up:

• Keep skin cool. This can be as simple as wearing lighter clothing or staying out of the sun. If air-conditioning is available, use it.
• Try a breeze. Sitting near a fan can help. For babies, put the fan far enough away that the baby receives only a gentle breeze.
• Bathe with cool water. Cool baths every few hours can be soothing. Cool compresses can help, too. Allow skin to dry completely between baths or compresses.
• Apply hydrocortisone cream. For older children and adults, 1% hydrocortisone cream can kick the itch. A thin layer, applied to the rash two or three times a day, may help the bumps heal faster, too. Be sure to follow the package directions, and never use these creams on babies.

Treatments to Avoid

• Oily lotions or ointments can block sweat glands, making heat rash more likely to occur and slower to go away.
• Herbal preparations such as aloe, which is also used to treat sunburn, may feel soothing for some people. However, others find that they're irritating. Using the wrong medicine can actually cause a secondary rash.
• Talcum powder can help keep skin dry, but it's bad for the lungs if accidentally inhaled.

Prevention

To help keep heat rash from coming back:

• Wear lightweight, breathable fabrics such as cotton. Dress babies similarly to older children.
• Stay in air-conditioned places during the hottest part of the day.
• Adjust clothing to match activity level.
• Take a break, get out of the sun, or go indoors if skin begins to feel uncomfortably warm.