Types of Prickly Heat
- Miliaria crystalline: Blockage that occurs in the upper part of the crust.
- Miliaria rubra: Blockage occurs in the middle layer of skin.
- Miliaria profunda: Blockage occurs on the inside of the skin layer.
Prickly Heat Symptoms
- Prickly feeling in rash area
- Red bumps
- Itchiness
Causes of Prickly Heat
- Prickly heat is due the sweat glands becoming blocked when the weather is hot and humid that causes the formation of small red bumps.
- Bacterial infection
- Overweight and sedentary lifestyles
- Excessive sweating causing blockages of sweat glands
- underdeveloped sweat glands for children and infants
- side effects of certain medicines.
- It can also occur if babies are wrapped up too warmly in clothes or blankets. Newborns babies that are placed in incubators may also develop heat rash.
In most cases home remedies will suffice to provide some quick relief, but in severe cases it would be best to consult with your doctor. Here are a few tips and home remedies to get rid of prickly heat include:
1.Mint, Rose water
Mix 10 gm extracted juice of Mint (Podina) and 50 ml Rose water (Arq Gulab) and drink the solution will lower body temperature and speed up healing of prickly heat.
2.Emblica gooseberries, Sugar candy
Take 20 fresh or dried Emblica gooseberries (Amla), cut them in 2-3 pieces and soak in a clay pot with a lid overnight. In the morning, mash the gooseberries in the water, strain, add Sugar candy and drink this water. Do this for at least seven days. This helps in cooling your body from inside.
3.Pineapple Cucumber
Eat a bowl of Pineapples or Cucumbers to replenish lost fluids and keep body cool. Cucumbers and Pineapples are another source of water for body and coolness.
4.Lime Juice
Vitamin C is natural anti-histamine; it will reduce the amount of histamine produced.
Drinking lots of Lime juice also works well in treating prickly heat. Consume 3 to 4 glasses of lime juice daily and you are sure to see the effects in one fortnight itself.
5.Fuller’s earth, Rose water
Dissolve 4-5 tbsp of Fuller's earth (Multani mitti) in 4 tbsp of Rose water or plain water to make a thin paste. It should be smeared over the affected parts. When the paste dries, wash with cold water. Fuller’s earth is a highly beneficial treatment for prickly heat.
6.Baking Soda
Make a compress by dipping a washcloth in a mixture of 2 teaspoon of Baking soda per gallon of cool water. Apply to the rash for five to ten minutes. While the water will reduce inflammation, the Baking soda will work towards easing itching and irritation. Do this four or five times a day.
7.Sandalwood, Coriander, Rose water
Combine 2 tbsp sandalwood powder, 2 tbsp coriander powder and 2-3 tbsp of Rose/cold water to make a smooth paste. Smear the paste over the affected areas and leave it to dry. Rinse off with cold water thereafter. Apply to the affected skin twice or thrice a week depending upon the condition of prickly heat. One of the useful home remedies for prickly heat.
8.Margosa/Neem leaves Paste
Take some Margosa (Neem) leaves and make a smooth paste by grinding with water. Apply to the affected skin and let it dry. The antibacterial property of Margosa helps in killing the germs and can heal the infectious blisters of advanced miliaria.
9.Aloe Vera Gel/Paste
Apply Aloe Vera gel on prickly heat to get relief from itching as well as to soothe redness and inflammation. Or gently rub Aloe Vera pulp pieces over the affected area, thrice a day. Leave it on for some time and go for a cold water bath. Aloe Vera has antibacterial properties providing immediate relief from other skin diseases as well. Aloe-Vera has long been associated with bringing about relief from sun burn, and burns in general.
10.Gram flour Paste
Apply a paste of Gram flour (Besan) mixed with water over the heat rashes. Gently rub the paste and leave for about five minutes. Wash it off with cold water. It is effective in giving relief in prickly heat.
11.Oatmeal Bath
Oatmeal is an effective home remedy for prickly heat. Add a cupful oatmeal powder into the bath tub and stir it well. Soak yourself or child in the bathtub for about 15 minutes to ease the tenderness and soothe the skin. Oatmeal baths twice a day may also relieve the itch.
12.Corn flour /Cornstarch Paste
Prepare a smooth paste by mixing cornstarch or flour with water. Smudge the paste over the affected areas and allow it to dry for about ½ hour. Thereafter, go for a cold water bath and wash off the paste. Or dust over the affected areas, after each bath.
13.Jambul seeds Paste
Make a paste of Jambul (Jamun) tree leaves or its fruit‘s seeds and a little water and apply to the skin rash. Leave it on for about fifteen minutes and then wash off with cool water. This is one of the best home remedies for prickly heat treatment.
14.Ginger, Onion Water
Boil 1 tbs freshly grated Ginger and 1 tbs chopped Onion in a liter of water and allow it to cool. Then dip a sponge into the solution and dab over the affected skin.
15.Alcohol, Plain water
Prepare a cooling compress of one part Alcohol to three parts boiled water after cooled. Gently wash skin with soft gauze and lukewarm water, soak a clean washcloth into the solution and squeeze it out to remove excess water. Apply the cloth to the rashes. This is a good remedy to ease the itchy prickly sensation of the heat rashes.
16.Black Tea Soak
Prepare a cooling soak for your itchy and dreadful prickly heat. Soak in a tub of lukewarm water a few Black tea bags let it cool. While bathing, soak yourself for about an hour on weekends. Tea has anti oxidant properties.
17.Honey
Honey is a great source for speeding up the healing process. Apply it over effected area. It is also beneficial to cure prickly heat
18.Banyan bark, Sacred fig bark
Banyan tree (Bargad /Borh) or Sacred fig barks also help in treating prickly heat effectively. Take dry barks of the Banyan tree or Sacred fig and grind them into a fine powder. Apply the pastes made of powdered Barks on affected areas for quick relief from prickly heat.
To help protect yourself or your child from prickly heat:
- Wear loose clothing, especially made of cotton, Avoid plastic pants and plastic diaper liners.
- Avoid heavy moisturizers and lotions. These can clog the pores and make your skin prone to prickly heat.
- Bath often when high heat and humidity occurred
- After each bath, apply non-perfumed or herbal talcum powder. These will keep the body, sweat and moisture free
- Avoid excessive heat and humidity where possible.
- Avoid using harsh, drying soaps. Herbal soaps and skin cleansers are ideal for skin that is prone to heat rash.
- When outdoors, stay in shaded areas
- Ensure that your sleeping environment is cool and well ventilated.
- Leave babies nappy off as often as possible for prickly heat cure.
- Keep the skin clean and allow skin to breathe
- Trim your baby's fingernails regularly so he doesn't scratch himself if the rash starts itching.
- Prickly heat rash may also erupt during the winter if your baby is overdressed. Look out for rashes and symptoms of overheating even during the relatively cooler months. Sometimes a baby will get heat rash after a cough ointment is rubbed on his chest.
- Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids so he doesn't get dehydrated.
- A light dusting of cornstarch may help prevent heat rash in your baby's creases, but avoid using talcum powder, which is dangerous for your baby to breathe.
See your doctor if:
- your child has a high temperature (over 102 degrees F) that isn't responding to medicine
- the rash doesn't go away after three or four days
- the rash appears to be getting worse
- the rash gets infected
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