Prickly heat:Causes, Symptoms and Remedies

What is Prickly Heat?

Prickly heat is an irritating and painful condition. Prickly heat is also known as prickly heat rash and is caused when sweat accumulates in certain parts of our body and results in a small red bumps on the skin. These red bumps are irritating and cause severe itching in the body. Prickly heat mostly affects the back, underarms, near waist area, and chest. Prickly heat may attack people of all ages. Small children are more affected with this disease as sweat in their body does not dry soon and easily. They feel great discomfort and pain during the prickly heat rashes. However, it is harmless and do not cause any other skin disease.

Prickly heat can occur in any type of weather. It attacks mostly in hot and humid climate. Depending upon the severity of the attack, the red bumps persist from 4--5 days to 4--5 months . The main cause of prickly heat is the accumulation of sweat in some places of the body from where it cannot dry easily. This accumulated sweat later blocks the sweat gland and results in red bumps and severe itching.

Causes for prickly heat

There are several reasons for the formation of Prickly Heats. The major causes include:

1.excess intake of alcohol

2.smoking

3.unhealthy and stressful life style

4.excess consumption of junk food

5.Acidity

6.food poisoning

Other causes for Prickly Heat include cancer, side effects of certain medicines, etc.

Symptoms of prickly heat

The main symptom of prickly heat is appearance of small red bulges over chest, back, around waist area, etc. Severe itching and inflammation around the bulges may also occur.

Home Remedies for Prickly Heat

The easiest way to get rid of prickly heat is sitting in cool room or taking a cold-water bath. Other ways for getting instant relief from prickly heat are as follows:

Oatmeal:

Oatmeal powder is an effective home remedy for prickly heat. Add little amount of oatmeal in a bath tub and stir it well. Take a dip in the bath tub, this will give fast relief from inflammation and soothes the skin.

Talcum powder and ointments:

Apply herbal or non-perfumed talcum powder, e.g., nycil, dermi cool after bath. This absorbs extra moisture from the body and protects from prickly heat . Repeat this process 4-5 times a day. This keeps the body dry and free from sweat and moisture. Similarly, there are some herbal ointments and lotions like aloe vera-rich lotions that can be used for soothing and treating the affected skin.

Ice cubes:

Ice cubes are another best choice for treating prickly heat caused due to hot humid temperature. Rubbing of small ice cubes over the red bulges helps soothing the skin. The cool ice cubes will reduce the inflammation caused by prickly heat and will also puncture the red swellings.

Gram flour:

The other natural way of getting relief from prickly heat is to apply gram flour, or besan paste over the infected area. Cover the red bulges with this paste and allow it to dry. Wash it off with cold water. This helps in removing all the dead skins and relieves from inflammation and prickly heat. This is one of the useful home remedies for prickly heat.

Sandalwood powder:

Another effective natural home remedy is sandalwood paste. Equal amounts (1-2 tablespoon) of coriander and sandalwood powder is added to 2-3 tablespoon of rose water and a paste is prepared. Apply this paste over the infected area and allow it to dry. Wash it with cold water.

Fuller's earth or Multani mitti:

Multani mitti is one of the best remedy for treating prickly heat. Prepare multani mitti pack, by adding 4-5 tablespoon of the powder to, 2-3 tablespoon of rose water and plain water to make a thick paste. Apply it over the back, and other affected area. Allow it to dry for 2-3 hours and after that wash it off using cold water.

Neem leaves:

Take 20-25 neem leaves grind and make its paste using water. Apply it over the affected area and allow it to dry.