Any external influence negatively affects the baby's skin. Newborns are especially susceptible to such changes. Among similar ailments, prickly heat is the most common. The task of parents is reduced to the fact that it is necessary by all means to protect the child from such a disease. If this did not work out, it is necessary to take timely measures of therapy. As you know, thermoregulation in the baby's body is far from perfect. The sweat glands, in response to overheating, produce too much secretion to cool the body as quickly as possible. If something interferes with evaporation, skin irritation occurs and prickly heat appears in the child.
Young mothers cannot always outwardly distinguish this disease from others. Often, prickly heat is confused with an infectious rash or an allergic reaction. As a result, they do not go to the doctor, which leads to negative consequences.
Terminology
Before we talk about the symptoms and treatment of prickly heat in children, it is necessary to understand the terminology. Prickly heat is the result of irritation of the skin, resulting from an imbalance between sweat and evaporation. ATIn most cases, the disease is found in babies under one year old, but there are cases when older children also get sick. As for adults, they are practically not at risk, but sometimes prickly heat affects this age group.
The disease is not contagious, it appears mainly in the summer. Heat is considered one of the main factors of influence, so a child’s prickly heat can also occur in winter if the baby is wrapped too intensively. Therefore, parents need to monitor the maintenance of temperature balance in children and prevent overheating and hypothermia.
Classification
Sweating in a child is of three main types. Let's take a closer look at each of them:
- Red. The rash is surrounded by reddened skin, the nodules do not merge with each other. Most often, this type of ailment occurs under the armpits and in intimate places. Among the main signs can be identified soreness in the process of touching and severe itching. Usually redness disappears after a couple of weeks.
- Crystal. This type is characterized by small silvery or white bubbles. Places of localization are the torso, neck and face of the baby. Bubbles can merge, forming easily bursting spots. Then a rash appears on the child's body in this area. This kind of prickly heat does not itch children, it dries up after a few days.
- Papular. Occurs a few hours after the child sweats. It is characterized by the appearance of small flesh-colored blisters, most often such a rash is localized on the skin of the upper and lower extremities. The bubbles disappear after a while, leaving no marks or scars.
Causes of the disease
Due to the peculiarities of an organism that has not yet been formed, prickly heat is considered a childhood disease. Mostly because of the mistakes of parents related to the care of the baby, the child is endangered. So, the following reasons are distinguished:
- The temperature in the room is too high. Most people believe that if a child has appeared in the house, it is necessary to close the windows tightly to prevent a cold. The temperature in the room at the same time reaches thirty degrees, as during a hot summer. It is not surprising that sooner or later parents will see a rash. Prickly heat in children occurs as a result of overheating. We remind you that the optimum temperature in the room should be no more than twenty-two degrees Celsius.
- Overuse of diapers. Despite the fact that manufacturers talk about the ability of this product to "breathe", you should not leave a child in it throughout the day. The facts are that rashes are often caused by diapers. Also, newly-made mothers like to use a special cream that is not washed off for several hours, which produces a negative effect. It is recommended to change diapers at least six times a day and wash off the cream every time.
- Wrapping up the baby. This method was a necessity in the old days, when people lived in huts, and children were wrapped in blankets to keep warm. Currently, this is not necessary, because the room warms up evenly. Wrapping up is a direct path to disease.
- Fever. If we talk aboutnatural causes of the disease, we can recall the infectious process. Usually, children have a high temperature, which leads to skin irritation. What does sweating look like in children? These are reddening of the skin, accompanied by the presence of bubbles of different colors.
Localization of the rash
It is worth noting that prickly heat can appear on any part of the skin. In some cases, localization is limited to one area, and in others - to a vast space. In infants, this causes sleep disturbance and anxiety. Prickly heat in children (photo below) can be easily confused with chickenpox and other similar diseases. In any case, before taking action, you should consult a doctor.
Sweating is distinguished by its localization. Let's talk about the most common rash spots:
- neck, which is a fairly common area of localization. This is not surprising, because this part of the baby's body is short and has a large number of folds. Such a place is difficult to treat with drugs due to the anxiety of the baby;
- sweating on the face of a child often indicates the presence of an allergic reaction;
- upper back - rash due to overheating or wearing clothes made of synthetic materials;
- groin folds and buttocks - this area of the skin is poorly ventilated and is almost always covered with a diaper;
- head - this place is very rarely prone to rash, only as a result of prolonged wearing of a hat or otherheadwear.
Key Features
As you have already understood from our material, the main symptom of miliaria is a rash, accompanied by reddening of the skin. In some cases, the situation is ordinary and does not require the intervention of a doctor. However, if you find pustules in a baby at an elevated temperature, you can’t do without the help of a doctor.
Parents should promptly respond to the he alth problems of their child. The main symptoms of prickly heat in children include:
- skin swelling;
- foul-smelling cracks and ulcers;
- soreness, itching and burning;
- increased body temperature.
Why are these signs considered dangerous? The fact is that they symbolize the beginning of the inflammatory process, which in the end can lead to irreparable consequences. Parents need to contact a pediatrician, usually he can easily diagnose the problem. If a child has a rash that looks like prickly heat, you should make an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible. An extra consultation with a doctor will not do any harm.
Complications
Ignoring the symptoms almost always leads to unpleasant consequences, prickly heat in this case is no exception. A small rash causes diseases such as diaper dermatitis, infection of skin lesions (pyoderma), vesiculopustulosis, and others.
Special attention should be paid to the following signs:
- high body temperature that is very hard to bring down;
- loss of appetite,baby does not want to eat anything;
- child anxiety, feeling unwell;
- bubbles turn yellow, burst easily. The skin area around them is subject to severe swelling;
- rarely, the infection spreads beyond the skin. If at the same time the baby has a weak immune system, dangerous diseases like pneumonia, otitis, etc. develop.
Diagnosis
It must be said that it is rather difficult to identify prickly heat without knowledge of medicine. But it is easy to identify the first symptoms. Parents should remember that measles, chickenpox, prickly heat and other skin diseases begin with a rash. Determining the nature of the rash is best left to the attending doctor.
In addition to the pediatrician, the child can be taken to a dermatologist. It is recommended to conduct a study with two specialists at once in order to reduce the risk of an error. As a rule, after a visual examination, an experienced doctor can already name the diagnosis. If the presence of a fungal or bacterial infection is detected in children, pustules and swelling appear on the skin. In more complex forms, ulcers with a putrid odor can be observed that are difficult to treat. How to treat prickly heat in a child? Let's talk below.
General recommendations
First of all, there are a few rules that all parents must adhere to. Recommendations include the following:
- dress your baby according to the weather, avoid overheating and hypothermia;
- very important clothing size. The skin often sweatsplaces where the fabric fits snugly against the body. In addition, you need to monitor the diaper, change it more often;
- bath and wash your baby several times a day, cleanliness is essential to avoid skin problems;
- after water procedures, thoroughly dry the baby's body so that it is dry, and only then dress the baby;
- the apartment should be provided with fresh air, but do not allow drafts;
- you need to let your baby's skin breathe, don't use creams unless necessary, take air baths.
Treatment of prickly heat in children is individual, it is prescribed by the attending physician in each case. Especially effective is complex therapy, which includes the use of drugs and traditional medicine.
Medicated treatment
Pharmacy products are not the key to a positive result. But in some cases, they are actively used to combat the rash. Photos of prickly heat in a child do not look very attractive.
To disinfect redness, doctors recommend using boric or salicylic acid. This remedy should be used to treat the skin around the blisters in order to avoid burns. Redness can be directly treated with solutions like "Fukortsin".
If you need to reduce the level of sweating in a child, use talcum powder, which will absorb excess moisture. An analogue in this case is baby powder. This tool is very easy to find, because it is sold in every pharmacy andis inexpensive. Among the drugs that have a drying effect, salicylic-zinc ointment can be distinguished. The method of application is to apply it to the inflamed areas of the skin several times a day.
Traditional medicine
As already noted, the complex treatment of prickly heat in a child is considered the most effective. In addition to medicines, you can also use traditional medicine. However, before use, you should consult a doctor and check for allergies.
The best recipes for treating rashes are:
- Chamomile decoction. This remedy reduces the level of redness and soothes. Chamomile can be bought at a pharmacy, pour boiling water and wait for it to cool. After pumping, moisten a swab with decoction and apply to the baby's skin.
- Water with vodka plus calendula tincture. All these funds should be mixed in equal amounts, moisten the swab with the resulting liquid and treat the affected area.
- Laundry soap helps with prickly heat in a child. You just need to lather your hand while bathing and walk over the inflamed areas of the skin.
- Soda. Pour half a glass and pour boiling water. Soak a cotton swab in the resulting liquid and treat the inflamed areas.
- Potato starch. Pour half a cup of the product with hot water and stir. Add all this to a bucket of warm water, put the baby in the bathroom and pour over. It should be noted that rinsing is not recommended. The water temperature must be within thirty degrees.
What not to do?
During treatment, it is possible, due to ignorance, to greatly harm the patient. When you are dealing with prickly heat in a child, do not do the following:
- inflamed areas of the skin do not need to be smeared with cream, this will only aggravate the situation;
- when the disease is already manifested, it is recommended to bathe the baby three times a day, and use soap only once;
- change diapers as often as possible, recommended about seven times a day;
- if the baby has pustules, do not self-medicate. The symptom indicates that an infection has appeared in the body. The only right decision would be to contact a specialist and pass the necessary tests.
Prevention
In order to prevent skin diseases, first of all, you need to follow the rules of hygiene. In addition, parents should be careful and attentive.
Recommendations to avoid prickly heat in a child:
- no need to wrap the baby too tightly, if the room is more than twenty degrees, he will not freeze;
- to take care of baby's skin, you need to take precautions. It is best to use water-based hypoallergenic products;
- choose baby creams carefully. For example, fatty preparations are preferably used in the cold season;
- proper nutrition is also important, you should not overfeed your baby;
- need to make sure that the baby's skin is constantly breathing. Bathe your baby more often, add soothing water to the waterherbs;
- recommended to use clothes made from natural fabrics (linen, cotton).
Miliaria is a fairly common disease and can happen to anyone. There is nothing to worry about, most mothers successfully cope with the disease. It is worth remembering only that this disease is not treated by itself, it is necessary to take specific measures.
