How to Get Rid of a Heat Rash: Treatment, Remedies, and More

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You may be able to relieve heat rash with products like hydrocortisone cream and antihistamines. Some home remedies, including cold baths and using air conditioning, may help the heat rash go away.

Heat rash is a painful skin condition that often occurs in hot weather.

The symptoms of heat rash include small clusters of tiny, raised bumps on discolored, irritated skin. A prickly, burning or itchy sensation may also accompany heat rash.

Heat rash is also known as prickly heat, sweat rash, or miliaria rubra.

Although it can appear anywhere on the body, heat rash often appears around skin folds, including:

• in the neck
• near the groin
• under the arms

Heat rash occurs when excessive sweating blocks sweat pores. You’re most likely to get heat rash if you live in a hot, humid climate. Babies are particularly likely to get heat rash, especially if they’re overdressed.

Most of the time, heat rash isn’t serious and often goes away in cool temperatures. However, it can be very uncomfortable and can get worse if excessive sweating continues.

Let’s take a look at several ways you can soothe heat rash at home.

Your doctor may recommend several over-the-counter or prescription medications to treat heat rash.

Ointments

A doctor may recommend you use ointments such as calamine lotion to treat the symptoms of heat rash. This lotion has a number of benefits for the skin, partly because it contains zinc oxide.

It can help treat heat rash by soothing itchiness. Dab some calamine lotion onto your rash using a cotton pad. Reapply as needed.

A range of calamine lotions is available for purchase online.

Antihistamines

Over-the-counter antihistamines — whether topical or oral — can relieve the itching associated with heat rash. If you’re giving an antihistamine to a child, be sure to talk with your pediatrician or pharmacist about which types are best.

Steroid creams

Hydrocortisone cream, a type of corticosteroid, may help relieve symptoms of heat rash. It’s available over the counter at any pharmacy and can be applied once or twice a day to soothe itching.

While you can use it short term on your baby’s skin, don’t apply it under the diaper. It could further irritate the skin.

Learn more about hydrocortisone cream for babies here.

There are many home remedies for heat rash. Some soothe your skin or cool it down, while others reduce inflammation and itching while preventing infection.

It’s important not to scratch your rash. Scratching can lead to more irritation and possibly an infection.

Cool baths and showers

Heat rash usually eases up after the skin is cooled down. Bathing in cool water can help with this. Washing the skin gently can also unclog the pores. This is crucial since clogged pores contribute to heat rash.

Ensure that you dry your skin properly after bathing. Skin that’s left wet can become irritated.

Fans and air conditioners

While your skin heals, avoid excessive sweating and humid air. Ventilation is important in letting your rash dry out and stay cool. When possible, stay in an air-conditioned room, or use an air fan.

Light, moisture-wicking clothes

As your skin heals itself, it’s essential to avoid clothing that irritates your skin or makes you sweat more. Moisture-wicking clothing that’s light and loose-fitting can help your skin heal without irritating it.

Look for certain polyesters and other synthetic fabrics designed for fitness and sporting activities. These will be particularly suited for wicking moisture.

Cotton, while not a moisture-wicking fabric, is quite breathable. It might be comfortable to wear as well.

Ice packs or cold cloths

Cold compresses are great for soothing irritated skin. Face cloths soaked in cold water, or ice wrapped in a cloth, can reduce the pain and irritation associated with heat rash.

Here’s more information about making your own cold compress.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal can be effective at reducing itching and inflammation. This makes it a useful home remedy for heat rash and several other skin conditions.

Put 1 or 2 cups of oatmeal in a lukewarm bath and soak for 20 minutes. Make sure the water isn’t hot, so you don’t further irritate your skin.

You can also make a paste with oatmeal and water and apply it to your skin. Mix 1 part oatmeal to 1 part water, and mix until it forms a paste.

You can shop for soothing colloidal oatmeal here.

Sandalwood

Research suggests sandalwood is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic, meaning it may reduce pain. Sandalwood powder mixed with a little water and applied to the rash can reduce the burning, painful sensation associated with heat rash.

Mix 2 parts sandalwood powder with 1 part water to make a pastelike substance. Before applying it to your rash, test it on a small patch of unbroken skin. If you don’t react after an hour, you should apply it to the rash without any further issues.

You can buy sandalwood powder online here.

Baking soda

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) can soothe itchy skin. It’s also something most of us have in our pantry. This makes it a great home remedy for heat rash and other itchy skin conditions.

Add 3 to 5 tablespoons of baking soda to a lukewarm bath and soak for about 20 minutes.

Learn more about using baking soda on your skin here.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic that can cool down the skin while preventing infections. This can help soothe swelling and pain. Use aloe vera gel directly on your heat rash to relieve the discomfort.

Find aloe vera gel here.

Unscented talcum powder

Talcum powder reduces sweat by absorbing perspiration. In turn, this ensures the pores aren’t blocked.

Use unscented talcum powder, as scents might irritate your skin. Apply a little on sweat-prone areas like your underarms, backs of your knees, and inner thighs. Coat the skin and let it sit as if it were an antiperspirant deodorant.

Find talcum powder here.

Neem

Neem (margosa) can help treat a number of skin rashes. Some research has shown it has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, human studies are limited.

You can combine neem powder with water to make a paste. This paste can be applied to the rash, left on for a few minutes, and washed off. You can also add neem powder to a lukewarm bath.

Epsom salt

Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) has a range of claimed health benefits. According to anecdotal accounts, a lukewarm bath with a cup or two of Epsom salt may relieve itchiness.

If you give a child an Epsom salt bath, make sure they don’t swallow any water. When consumed orally, Epsom salt is a laxative. In excess, it can cause diarrhea.

You can buy Epsom salt online here.

Provided there are no complications, your heat rash should disappear within a few days of starting home treatment.

The rate it takes to disappear depends on how severe the rash was initially and whether you’re treating it effectively. If your rash worsens after a few days, you may need to speak to a healthcare provider.

While there are a number of effective home remedies for heat rash, you might need a doctor’s guidance if any complications occur.

You should also contact your doctor if a rash doesn’t go away within a week of starting treatment, or if you start to develop a rash after starting any new medication.

You should also consult your doctor if a rash seems infected. Symptoms of infected skin include:

• pus
• oozing
• white or yellowish fluid
• increased pain
• swelling

Take your child or baby to the doctor immediately if they have:

• fever
• sore throat
• muscle aches
• any other flu-like symptoms

Since heat rash occurs when your body overheats and sweats, you can prevent heat rashes by staying cool.

To prevent heat rashes, take the following precautions on hot days:

• Stay in air-conditioned, cool areas.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Don’t wear excessive layers of clothing.
• Avoid too much physical exertion.
• Take cool showers or baths.

Parents should ensure that children and babies stay cool, hydrated, and dressed comfortably. Be sure you’re changing your baby’s diaper frequently, too. Wetness can contribute to heat rash.

Should heat rash occur, there is a range of home remedies available to treat it. These include cold showers and compresses, as well as a variety of ointments and medications.

Heat rash (prickly heat) – NHS

Heat rash is uncomfortable, but usually harmless. It usually gets better on its own after a few days.

Check if you have heat rash

The symptoms of heat rash are:

• small, raised spots
• an itchy, prickly feeling
• mild swelling

The rash often looks red, but this may be less obvious on brown or black skin.

The symptoms of heat rash are often the same in adults and children.

It can appear anywhere on the body and spread, but it cannot be passed on to other people.

Heat rash appears as raised spots that are 2mm to 4mm across. Some spots may be filled with fluid.

Credit:

CID – ISM / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/1036411/view

If you’re not sure if your child has heat rash

Look at other rashes in children.

How you can treat or prevent heat rash yourself

The main thing to do is keep your skin cool so you do not sweat and irritate the rash.

To keep your skin cool

• wear loose cotton clothing
• use lightweight bedding
• take cool baths or showers
• drink plenty of fluid to avoid dehydration

To calm the itching or prickly feeling

• apply something cold, such as a damp cloth or ice pack (wrapped in a tea towel) for up to 20 minutes
• tap or pat the rash instead of scratching it
• do not use perfumed shower gels or creams

A pharmacist can help with heat rash

Speak to a pharmacist about heat rash. They can give advice and suggest the best treatment to use.

A pharmacist might recommend:

• calamine lotion
• antihistamine tablets
• hydrocortisone cream – though not for children under 10 or pregnant women as they need to get advice from a doctor before using this treatment

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

• the rash does not improve after a few days
• your baby has a rash and you’re worried

Causes of heat rash

Heat rash is usually caused by excessive sweating.

Sweat glands get blocked and the trapped sweat leads to a rash developing a few days later.

Babies often get heat rash because they cannot control their temperature as well as adults and children can.

Page last reviewed: 15 February 2021
Next review due: 15 February 2024

Heat stroke and sunstroke: symptoms and first aid

Likbez

Health

6 July

If dangerous symptoms appear, there is no time to think.

Signs that heat stroke is coming

Heat stroke is overheating. It happens when the body for some reason cannot cool down, that is, return to a healthy temperature. It is considered to be values ​​from 36.1 to 37.2 ° C.

The causes of overheating can be different: heat, high physical activity, lack of moisture in the body. In general, it doesn’t matter. Heatstroke is equally dangerous, regardless of what caused it.

Sunstroke is a special case of heat stroke. This is a local overheating of the head caused by direct sunlight.

Fortunately, heat stroke does not happen all at once. He has a harbinger – thermal exhaustion. This is a growing condition that signals: the body cannot cope with thermoregulation, it needs urgent help to cool down.

Heat exhaustion can be recognized by the following signs in various combinations:

1. Pale, cold, clammy skin.
2. Dizziness.
3. Weakness and confusion.
4. Sensation as if it were getting dark before the eyes.
5. Increased perspiration.
6. Headache.
7. Nausea, slight vomiting.
8. Rapid heartbeat.
9. Muscle spasms and cramps.
10. Dark urine (color indicates dehydration).

Symptoms of heat stroke

If you missed the stage of heat exhaustion and it came to heat stroke, the symptoms will be even more unpleasant:

1. Body temperature above 40°C.
2. Labored breathing.
3. Profuse vomiting.
4. Fainting.
5. Serious cardiac arrhythmias.
6. Possible damage to internal organs due to heat shock.
7. Malfunctions in the brain.

All this is very dangerous, not only your health, but also your life is at stake. So take immediate action. Moreover, it is desirable already at the stage of thermal exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion first aid

If we are only talking about the initial symptoms of overheating, the first aid algorithm looks like this.

1. Stop physical activity.
2. Get out of the sun (out of a hot room) into the shade, into a light draft, into a room cooled by an air conditioner.
3. Remove all clothing if possible.
4. Place gauze or a towel soaked in cool water on the forehead.
5. Drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. This is necessary to eliminate possible dehydration and give the body moisture to produce an adequate amount of sweat.
6. Drink rehydron or an isotonic sports drink. Such a liquid contains electrolytes important for metabolism and the functioning of the nervous system. And you could lose them with intense sweating.

First Aid for Heat Stroke

If you or someone around you has already suffered from heat stroke, local assistance may not be effective. Vomiting, cardiac disturbances, pre-syncope are observed – immediately call an ambulance.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency and the person experiencing it needs urgent help.

While the ambulance is on its way, follow the same procedures as for heat exhaustion. To increase the effect, they can be supplemented with “heavy artillery”:

1. Surround the victim with ice packs (frozen vegetables and berries are also suitable), wrapped in a thin sheet.
2. Place the person in a cold water bath to quickly lower the critical temperature. Attention: this advice can only be used if you (the victim) are assisted by other people. Diving alone is dangerous.

Arriving doctors will assess the patient’s condition. If pre-medical first aid for heat stroke is provided on time and is effective, hospitalization will not be necessary. However, doctors may put you on an IV to replace electrolytes lost with moisture, and suggest blood and urine tests and an ultrasound to determine the condition of the internal organs. With results of analyzes go to the therapist. He will tell you what to do next.

Prevention of heat and sunstroke

If you have had heat stroke, you will be particularly sensitive to high temperatures in the coming week. Therefore, follow these precautions carefully.

1. Drink more water

Ideally, 2-4 cups of fluids (water, fruit and vegetable juices) every hour you spend in direct sunlight at a high temperature. Especially if you are still doing physical labor in the heat. To sweat effectively, your body needs more moisture than usual. Don’t let it be scarce.

2. Try to spend the hottest hours indoors. Avoid exercising in direct sunlight during this period.

3. Wear light-colored light clothing

Clothing should be as loose as possible to facilitate air circulation around the body.

4. Don’t forget your hat

A hat or panama hat will help prevent sunstroke. A cap and a bandana are not very suitable on a hot day: it is better to choose a light and wide-brimmed headdress.

5. Take frequent cool showers or baths

This will lower your body temperature.

6. Do not drink alcohol or drinks with caffeine

They promote dehydration and constrict blood vessels. Because of this, the body produces less sweat than it needs to cool down.

7. Monitor urine color

Dark is a sign of severe dehydration. Look for a few more non-obvious signs in this article.

Read also 😎☝

• 8 things not to do in the heat
• 5 tips for those who can’t stand the heat
• 15 best sunscreens for face and body
• Why you want to sleep in the heat and what to do about it
• How to train in the heat so as not to end up in the hospital

How to properly help with heat stroke – Moscow 24, 05/25/2016

Study the question

Unlike sunstroke, heat stroke is characterized by overheating of the whole body. It can happen both indoors and outdoors.

The main causes of heat stroke are:

• High temperature
• Lack of fluid in the body
• Excessive physical activity during hot hours and/or in a stuffy room overweight people, as well as citizens suffering from chronic diseases or diseases associated with the cardiovascular system.

  Please note that people under the influence of alcohol or drugs are more likely to get heatstroke.

  There are three degrees of severity of heat stroke.

  Symptoms of the first degree

  • There is a rapidly increasing weakness, lethargy, drowsiness
  • Dull, aching headache
  • Feeling of heaviness in the chest
  • Mild nausea
  • Pale skin
  • Increased perspiration
  • Pupils dilate
  • Breathing and pulse quicken
  • Body temperature rises to 38 degrees

  Symptoms of the second degree

  • Severe weakness
  • Noise, ringing in the ears 900 22
  • Feeling of heaviness (difficulty moving, raising head or arms)
  • Severe headache
  • Increased sweating
  • Severe nausea, possible vomiting
  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe tachycardia
  • Impaired coordination of movements
  • Body temperature rises to 39 – 40 degrees
  • Syncope is possible

  Symptoms of the third degree

  • Changes in skin color (it becomes reddish or pale with a blue tint) 900 22
  • Restless, agitated
  • Shallow breathing
  • Thready pulse (accelerated, hard to feel)
  • Weakened reflexes (slow reaction or its absence)
  • Convulsions (freezing of the limbs in one position or, on the contrary, their erratic, uncontrolled movement)
  • Delusions, hallucinations appear
  • Body temperature rises to 42 degrees (the maximum body temperature of a living person is 43 degrees)
  • Possible coma

  9 0145

  Symptoms in children

  Children are more susceptible to heat stroke and can therefore develop it even at relatively low ambient temperatures. They also have three degrees of heat stroke.

  Mild degree is expressed by the following symptoms:

  • The child becomes capricious, lethargic, complains of nausea and headache, loses appetite, tries to lie down 0021 Body temperature rises to 37 degrees
  • Vomiting and nosebleeds may occur

  The average degree is expressed by the following symptoms:

  • Severe headache, lethargy, feeling unwell
  • Impaired coordination of movements
  • Tachycardia
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Frequent vomiting
  • Body temperature rises to 39 degrees
  • Possible syncope

  9015 0 Severe degree is expressed by the following symptoms:

  • Fever develops
  • Convulsions appear
  • Body temperature rises to 40 degrees
  • Coma is possible

  First aid

  • Call an ambulance immediately for the second and third severity of heatstroke
  • Move victim to a cool place (shaded, well-ventilated area)
  • Remove excess clothing
  • Apply cool compresses (a cloth soaked in cold water) to the forehead and back of the head, around the hands and calves (if the person is fainting, limit the compress to the forehead and back of the head) 900 22
  • The patient should be given plenty of fluids: non-carbonated mineral water and weak sweet tea (note that tea is consumed with water, not instead of it)
  • In case of heart problems, give the victim Corvalol or Validol

  If possible, point the ventilator at the victim.

  Never apply ice to the victim.

  Also do not give the patient alcohol or strong tea or coffee.

  “Traditional medicine” allows the use of vinegar and vodka to strengthen lotions, but doctors do not recommend using anything other than water.

  If the victim faints

  • Call an ambulance
  • Put something under the victim’s legs so that they are slightly elevated
  • Apply cold packs to the temples wear cotton too close to the nose)

  If ammonia is not available, gently pat the patient on the cheeks.

  After recovering from fainting, give the victim weak sweet tea.

  Visit a doctor

  In any case, after suffering from heat stroke, the victim should visit a doctor. The consequences of heat stroke can harm the human body even if first aid is provided correctly and on time (the brain, organs of hearing, vision, nervous system, etc. can be affected).

  In addition, the doctor can give the necessary recommendations for the victim (for example, adhere to a sparing regimen).

  Prevention

  Some people are prone to relapse after heat stroke, so it is much better to avoid overheating by following simple rules.

  To prevent heat stroke, there are general recommendations:

  • Use clothing made from natural materials
  • Wear light hats when outdoors
  • Regularly ventilate and cool the rooms in which you are

  1.5 – 2 liters of water per day)

  • Avoid physical activity during peak hours of sunshine (approximately 11 am to 4 pm)
  • During hot hours, minimize the consumption of alcohol and carbonated drinks

  In the city, you should also remember that:

  • When leaving the house, you must have a bottle of water with you
  • It is undesirable to visit crowded places during the hours of the greatest solar activity (approximately from 11 am to 4 pm)
  • Try not to travel by public transport during rush hours

  Remember to wear a helmet when cycling. If you are driving during peak hours of sunshine, try to drive in the shade and drive more slowly. Be aware of the dangers of exercising in hot weather.

  If you feel sick while you are going to work, stand in the shade and drink some water. If possible, sit down. Call relatives or friends, report your location. Ask them to call an ambulance if you don’t call back in 10 to 15 minutes. Remember, it’s better to be late than get a heatstroke.

  In Moscow, a practice was introduced during the hottest times to distribute free bottles of water in the metro lobbies. Ambulances are on duty at the station entrances at the same time.

  If it’s sunstroke

  Sunstroke is a form of heat stroke that occurs when the head or naked body is exposed to direct sunlight. This type of overheating has more severe consequences for the brain and nervous system.

  First aid and symptoms of sun and heat stroke are the same. However, a person who has been in the sun for a long time is worth watching for a while. Overheating may occur several hours after exposure to direct sunlight.