Diaper rash is an inflammation and skin infection caused by a fungal or microbial infection, which also occurs in adults, but more often in young children. How to treat diaper rash with the help of pharmacy and folk remedies is described in this article.
Causes of diaper rash
The most common cause of diaper rash is excessive sweating with frequent rubbing of skin folds. As a result, this leads first to irritation and redness of the skin, then to infection. If you do not make a decision on how to treat diaper rash in time, then cracks and bleeding from them can be added to these unpleasant symptoms.
People most commonly affected by this disease:
- patients with impaired renal function, who are obese or have very delicate and sensitive skin;
- people who lead an inactive lifestyle prefer synthetics in clothes;
- visitors to pools treated with chlorine;
- older people and those who do not pay attentionpersonal hygiene;
- children under 1 year of age and newborns (above is a photo of diaper rash in a child).
How to treat the disease and what are the preventive measures that prevent the development of complications? These issues are discussed in detail in the article.
The most common causes of diaper rash:
- excessive sweating due to heat or fever;
- active formation of skin secretion secreted from the sebaceous glands;
- friction between the folds of the epidermis;
- urinary incontinence (more common in sick older people);
- after bathing, the skin does not have time to dry;
- wearing underwear and using synthetic bedding;
- hemorrhoids;
- skin diseases;
- allergic skin reactions to various hygiene products;
- poor immunity.
Symptoms and areas of diaper rash
Most often this disease manifests itself in places where there are skin folds: these are the armpits, buttocks, groin, under the breasts in women, folds on the abdomen and neck, between the fingers of the extremities and inside the palm, behind the ears. Many of these areas are covered by clothes almost all day, and therefore there is no ventilation and air access in them. In addition, there are many sweat glands on them, which has an additional irritating effect on the epidermis.
Inflammation is formed due to the action of sweat on the skin and the secretion of the sebaceous glands containing irritating substances. Skin folds also contribute to the rapid reproduction of microorganisms, because inside them the temperature and humidity increase, the access of air and light is reduced, which contributes to the formation of an optimal nutrient medium for microbes and fungi. Therefore, most often patients come to the doctor with the question of how to treat diaper rash in adults between the legs, in the groin area or buttocks.
Symptoms of the disease can develop in a few hours. They are as follows:
- redness of the skin or folds;
- cracking and spotting;
- peeling of the epidermis and the appearance of erosion;
- affected areas acquire a gray coating, there is an unpleasant smell due to multiplied microbes or fungus;
- in the affected areas, the patient feels itching, burning and pain;
- when processing folds, the sensations are very unpleasant and painful.
Different forms of disease
Diaper rash as a disease has 3 degrees, characterizing the severity of its course:
- mild form manifests itself in the presence of a small red rash, in which the skin remains intact;
- medium - ulcers and erosion form on the affected areas;
- severe - cracks, crusts appear on the dermis, the lesion increases sharply.
In the absence of treatment and long-term chronic illness, eczema with frequent relapses is possible.
General principles of treatment and preparations
In order to figure out how to treat diaper rash, you should know that for this you can use both folk andmedicines. The effectiveness of treatment depends on how quickly problems are detected in the patient.
For successful treatment, the rules of care, herbal and medical remedies are applied:
- washing the skin folds with soapy water and drying (blotting, but not rubbing), air baths three times a day;
- antiseptics that are used to treat affected areas 2-3 times a day for 5-7 days (calendula tincture, salicylic and boric acid, furatsilin);
- drying agents (talcum powder, Teymurov paste, zinc ointment, baby powder);
- ointments and creams necessary for the regeneration of skin cells ("Bepanten", "Panthenol", "Dexpanthenol", "Solcoseryl"); they are applied 2-3 times a day for at least 7 days;
- gadgets from a napkin soaked in a solution of copper sulfate;
- use of herbal infusions;
- sterilized sea buckthorn oil (or other essential oils) to soften the skin;
- antihistamines to help reduce itching and discomfort (Tavegil, Loratadine, etc.).
Treatment for men
The most problematic places in the male half of humanity are the armpits and groin. Their lesions are often found in overweight men and those who do not adhere to the rules of personal hygiene. Patients with diabetes mellitus also fall into the risk group. Unpleasant symptoms of redness, itching and pain can also appear with sexually transmitted diseases, thereforethe first stage of treatment should be a visit to the doctor to clarify the diagnosis and exclude concomitant diseases.
As a rule, the doctor explains how to treat diaper rash under the armpits or in the inguinal zone, prescribes medicinal and herbal remedies that have an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect.
In addition to personal hygiene and washing the affected areas with clean water twice a day, folk remedies are also commonly used: decoctions and infusions of chamomile, calendula, oak bark, thyme. They are prepared simply: 1 tbsp. l. dry herbs for 1 tbsp. boiling water. You need to boil for 30 minutes. over low heat, then take a piece of cotton cloth, moisten with infusion and apply to the affected skin.
Under the action of medicinal herbs, the skin dries up and inflammation is removed. To soften it, steamed vegetable oils (olive, sea buckthorn, lavender, etc.) are used, which are used to lubricate the affected areas 2-3 times a day.
If infection with a fungus or bacteria occurs, then treatment is best carried out under the supervision of a specialist dermatologist using medications.
Intertrigo between fingers and toes
Very often, such diaper rash appears due to mechanical injuries and excessive sweating of the legs, to which a fungal infection is often added.
Means and methods for treating diaper rash on the limbs:
- wash hands and feet regularly with soap and water;
- affected areas should be dried with napkins or a hair dryer, then treateddisinfectants;
- wear socks only from natural fabrics (cotton, wool), shoes - from breathable materials;
- try to walk barefoot or in light slippers more often;
- to reduce sweating, use talc and special ointments with a drying effect;
- make lotions with zinc;
- smear with healing and regenerating medicines (tar paste, etc.);
- for fungal infections, use specific treatment.
Inguinal area treatment
Most often, diaper rash in adults and children occurs in the groin area, which is associated with sweating in this area, the presence of folds, as well as discharge from the genital organs, changes in the composition of urine and feces that irritate the epidermis.
The rules for how to treat diaper rash in the groin are similar:
- hygienic procedures (washing) twice a day, especially on hot days;
- wearing underwear made of cotton fabric, without synthetics, which would not rub the skin in the folds;
- carrying out therapeutic measures: treatment of folds with antiseptics, talc, the use of herbal decoctions and baths;
- to reduce discomfort, baths with yarrow decoction are taken;
- when ulcers or erosions appear, you need to visit a dermatologist.
Treatment of diaper rash in women
Some women develop dermatological problems under the breasts, which often occurs during childbearing, often due to concomitant vaginal candidiasis. The symptom issmall red bubbles that can merge into large conglomerates and give complications in the form of erosion.
Most often, diaper rash occurs in the breast area in overweight women after rubbing with clothes with high sweating, the disease can be aggravated by the appearance of cracks, ulcers on the skin.
Recommendations on how to treat diaper rash under the breasts are as follows:
- mild forms are treated similarly to the above types of diaper rash;
- advanced disease is treated with zinc ointment and copper sulfate powder;
- in severe forms, it is better to consult a specialist and get an appointment with stronger medications after determining the cause of the pathology.
Intertrigo in the elderly and their treatment
The epidermis layer in the elderly is thinner and drier, less elastic, due to which, with the slightest mechanical damage, the skin becomes inflamed and can take a long time to heal. Therefore, it is very important for the elderly to use the rules for the treatment of diaper rash:
- clothes and bedding should be selected only from cotton;
- apply additional skin hydration with baby creams or ointments with a healing effect;
- treat affected areas and folds with decoctions of herbs (oak bark, chamomile, etc.);
- use zinc drying powders;
- for a more severe form of the disease - use medicinal antibacterial and antifungal agents.
Some rules on how to treat diaper rash in a bedriddensick, especially the elderly:
- hygienic procedures that eliminate the causes of inflammation;
- antiseptics: resorcinol (1%), copper sulfate (0.4%), zinc;
- it is better to use a hair dryer for drying, because wiping can injure the epidermis;
- after the skin dries, apply ointments for cell regeneration: "Methyluracil", "Solcoseryl", "Levomekol", "Panthenol" and others;
- to soften: sea buckthorn oil.
Diaper rash in young children
Diaper rash (or diaper rash) in babies under the age of one year is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria or fungi in areas of high humidity and heat, where delicate baby skin forms folds. Most often, irritations occur in the diaper area (perineum, anus, upper thighs), where there is also an optimal environment for the reproduction of microorganisms due to excretions of urine, feces and sweat, and there is no access to fresh air.
Symptoms of diaper rash in young children: redness, itching, with deep damage, ulcers and scabs appear.
Preventive measures and remedies for treating diaper rash in the groin of a baby are as follows:
- creating a microclimate in the room with cool and humid air, regular ventilation;
- when using cloth diapers, they must be boiled and dried in the sun each time;
- to arrange air baths for the baby, in the summer - in the open air (several hours inday);
- take daily baths with the addition of infusions of medicinal herbs: string, chamomile, oak bark, oats, etc.
- apply medicines only to clean, dry skin;
- use drying powders based on zinc oxide, magnesium hydrosilicate, which are the main components of ready-made baby powder;
- for treatment, you can use ointments and creams: "Drapolen", "Bepanten", "Desitin", "Diaderm", pastes "Lassara" (salicylic-zinc) or "Zinc".
Folk recipes for the treatment of diaper rash
Homemade baby powder is one of the recommendations on how to treat diaper rash in boys and girls of infancy. To prepare it, you need to mix 50 g of talc, 20 g of corn starch, 7 g of zinc oxide and 2 g of allantoin. Add 3-5 drops of oil to the resulting mixture, which will not cause allergies in the baby.
For the successful treatment of diaper rash, ointments are also used, which are easy to prepare on their own, for which honey, propolis and sour cream are mixed, then the mass is heated in a water bath, put in a warm place for 2-3 days, then boiled and cooled. Homemade ointment is applied to the affected lesions for 20-40 minutes, covered with a cloth, then it must be washed off, you can use a decoction of chamomile for this. The course of treatment is 1 week, then a break, during which you can try other remedies.
Successful treatment of suchan unpleasant phenomenon, like diaper rash, depends on how quickly the problem is detected and on the degree of skin damage. The following methods and remedies show how to treat diaper rash in adults and children with some simple rules of personal hygiene, as well as the use of herbal and medicinal preparations.
