Heat Rash: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Heat rash, which is medically termed miliaria, occurs when your sweat gland ducts get blocked. It looks like small clear, white, or red bumps on your skin that can sometimes be filled with fluids. Heat rashes are common and show up when your body heats up, or you sweat a lot. These types of rashes are also known as prickly heat, summer rash, or wildfire rash.

Heat rashes are common in babies, young children, and active people who sweat a lot. It's common for heat rashes to be accompanied by itching that can make you want to scratch your skin intensely. However, you don’t need to worry as this skin condition goes away by itself, and there are various ways to prevent and treat it. But if your symptoms are not going away, seek urgent care for heat rash treatment.

In this blog, you will learn about heat rashes, their causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment.

What Exactly Is a Heat Rash?

A heat rash is a skin condition that occurs when sweat tends to accumulate and cannot easily evaporate. As a result of the trapped sweat, the skin develops a heat rash that can be itchy and sometimes painful. In hot, humid conditions, heat rashes are prevalent and commonly occur on the face, neck, chest, or back. They might be minor to severe and usually go away on their own after a few days. If the rash persists or is accompanied by fever, chills, or other symptoms, you should consult a doctor for heat rash treatment.

What Are the Causes of Heat Rash?

There can be various reasons why a person can develop a heat rash. People who sweat a lot are more prone to this condition. Listed below are other causes of heat rash:

• Excessive heat and humidity: Warmer climate and excessive humidity is a major cause of heat rashes as they lead to heavy sweating that can cause the sweat glands to block.
• Blocked sweat glands: This condition occurs because the sweat gland gets blocked due to heavy sweating, which causes the sweat to not evaporate. This can further lead to skin irritation and cause heat rash.
• Wearing tight clothes: Wearing clothes that are too tight and does not allow your skin to breathe causes your body to sweat excessively, resulting in blocked pores. This causes skin rashes.
• Unhygienic habits: Heat rashes on the skin can be caused by unhygienic practices such as not bathing frequently, wearing unclean clothes, and so on.

What Are the Symptoms of Heat Rash?

Heat rashes are common skin conditions that have various symptoms. You will mostly notice small bumps on your skin that can feel itchy and uncomfortable. At times you might also feel a burning sensation in the affected area. Listed below are different symptoms of heat rash:

• Itching and irritation: The most typical symptom of skin rashes is itching or prickling sensation on the skin. This is especially noticeable when showering or wearing clothing. This condition may not be resolved by simply taking cold baths or applying prickly heat powders.
• Red bumps or blisters: Heat rashes cause raised bumps and blisters to appear on the skin. These bumps and blisters can be painful and sometimes ooze out clear fluids.
• Prickling or stinging sensation: Another symptom of heat rash is a prickling or stinging sensation. You will feel a prickling or stinging sensation on the affected area of your skin due to the heat rash.
• Secondary infection: In case of severe heat rash, the affected area might get a secondary infection that can be quite painful, causing swelling, and doesn’t go away easily.

Prevention of Heat Rash

Here are a few ways in which you can prevent heat rash on your skin:

• Avoidance of excessive heat and humidity: One of the best ways to prevent heat rash is to avoid excessive heat and humidity, which leads to more sweating. Always try to stay in shady and cool places whenever you go out.
• Dressing in lightweight, breathable clothing: Another way to prevent heat rash is wearing lightweight clothes made of cotton. This type of clothes allows your skin to breathe and produce less sweat that evaporates easily. In this way, your pores don’t get clogged, which can further lead to heat rash.
• Using fans, air conditioning, or cool showers to regulate body temperature: Your skin will produce more sweat that will clog your sweat glands when your body temperature rises. To cool down and regulate your body temperature, you can use fans, and air conditioners, and take cool showers.
• Don’t go outside during hot weather: Avoiding the sun and the heat is necessary to prevent heat rash. Don’t go outside when the sun is high, and the heat is at its peak. Always stay in cool places where you don’t sweat a lot.

Treatment Options for Heat Rash

The heat rash normally goes away in a day or two. You should move to a cool and less humid area and remove any clothing that causes more sweat to resolve the condition faster. There are various other treatment options available that you can do by yourself for a heat rash. Some of the heat rash treatment options include:

• Cool compress or cold shower: Put a cold compress on the affected area for 10 to 20 minutes or take cold showers to reduce the symptoms significantly.
• Avoiding excessive sweating: Stay in cool places and avoid going under the sun and heat to reduce or avoid excessive sweating.
• Using mild, fragrance-free skincare products: Various skin care products can help reduce itching and inflammation in case of heat rash.

When to Visit Urgent Care for Heat Rash?

If you notice that the signs and symptoms of heat rash don’t go away within a day or two, or you get other infections that may be painful, you must visit an urgent care clinic. The doctor at the clinic would provide the necessary diagnosis and treatment for infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

Home Remedies and Natural Treatments for Heat Rash

There are various ways you can treat heat rash at home. Some of the homemade itchy skin rash treatment includes:

• Aloe vera gel or cucumber slices for soothing effects: Applying aloe vera gel or cucumber slices on the affected skin can reduce the itchy feeling and cool down the skin.
• Oatmeal baths to relieve itching: Oats have possible anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that help to relieve itching. So take oatmeal baths frequently if you have a heat rash.
• Importance of hydration and drinking plenty of fluids: Drinking plenty of fluids and keeping your body hydrated helps regulate your body heat. If your body produces less heat, then you will have less sweat.

Get Fast Relief for Heat Rash at StatMD Urgent Care

Heat rashes mostly occur during hot weather when you sweat a lot. They can cause red bumps and blisters on the skin, which can be painful. With a proper heat rash treatment, your conditions can be improved quickly.

StatMD Urgent Care offers fast and accessible service, making it an excellent option for those seeking treatment for heat rash. Our center provides a quick and dependable alternative for consumers seeking preventative care and rapid response to heat rash. Prioritizing urgent treatment can help to improve skin health and general well-being. Contact us today if you are searching for the best heat rash treatment in Bakersfield.