Heat rash or Prickley Heat

The last time we went away to Spain the weather was great, hot but not too hot but! for some reason I and my son developed heat rash.

My god it was itchy. The urge to scratch is unbearable but you know if you do the relief is temporary. You know if feels great while you are scratching but when you finish the itch just gets worse and worse. We have tried camomile lotion and antihistamines to try and get some relief.

We are going again this year and because we can only go during school holidays, we know it’s going to be even hotter. Apart from not going altogether has anyone found a good method of not getting the dreaded Prickley Heat?
It looks like little sharp bumps on the skin. My theory is because we are just sitting around and not doing much sweat can’t get out of the skin properly and sits just under it. Probably complete rubbish but it’s a theory.

Anyone know of a cream or way of relieving the itch?

Do you take the anti-histamines after you’re already suffering, or before?

Calamine lotion.

Wear loose cotton or linen clothing and try steroid cream if it develops. And keep hydrated too.

Every year in hot weather I have issues with rashes which seem to be triggered by wearing sports clothing made from synthetic material. At least I did until I restricted the use of synthetic material to bike rides and applied steroid cream at the very first signs.

@martinhutch Only had it for the first time last year. So took AH on the chemists advice but it didn’t help. I grew up in Durban, South Africa humidity capital of the world, and never suffered this there ever! No matter how hot and humid it got so this is a bit of a mystery.

@ernie. Normally always loose cotton t-shirts

Taking anti-histamines in advance – the 1-a-day non-drowsy version – helped me a fair bit.

The main thing that helped was to not even touch it when it started, let alone scratch it. Easier said than done.

@martinhutch Oh yeah. Way easier said than done. 🙂 But you can’t help it and once you start you can’t stop. Will start taking them in advance though.

My missus suffers badly from prickly heat on holiday; she gets some relief using The Green People suncream…bit spendy but certainly helps.

It’s worth remembering that heat rashes can easily trigger fungal infections. In fact I’m not sure how easy it is for a lay person to distinguish between the two, so the answer might be antifungal cream. If it develops I would show it to a doctor or pharmacist and ask them if they suspect a fungal infection.

In the short term Prednisolone, I have chronic urticaria and the first few days of a sun holiday were always a challenge! Doctor used to prescribe them for me as an ‘emergency pack’ but I used to take in advance and it worked well.

After 2 weeks in Greece I realised that my hives had gone away without any antihistamine etc, and stayed away for many weeks after being home, took me right back to when I saw an immunologist years ago who suggested Vit D supplements.

I still need the odd antihistamine but it’s much better  controlled now.

Oh, I also changed sun cream which seems to help…Piz Buin Allergy stuff ?

I sort of suffer this, and this season I’m looking at mineral sun screens for our hols in Lanzarote in four weeks time, rather than a chemical sunscreen.

There is a suggestion that mineral types may allow the skin pores to breathe easier, and sweat can escape easier.  Ask me in six weeks if it works….

I can wholeheartedly recommend a holiday in Scotland as a solution. Especially this year.

Heat rash or death by midges? Tough choice.

I’ll be there in 6 weeks as well. So will take onboard the suggestions above.

This year even the midges have had enough

Any suggestions for antihistamine? Or just the normal off the shelf stuff available in any good supermarket?

Pics?

He could have Polymorphic Light Eruption – I used to get it really badly as a kid and it’s unbelievably painful/ itchy. Antihistamines (as far as I know) won’t make a difference. I found the only thing that worked for me was to stay out of the sun or cover any exposed skin.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polymorphic-light-eruption/

Any suggestions for antihistamine? Or just the normal off the shelf stuff available in any good supermarket?

Buy them online, loads cheaper…advise from my GP was take as many as you need.

I was taking 30-40mg the night before and still waking up with hives, would take until lunch to settle down.

@edd It only looks like that after a lot of scratching so I don’t think it’s that. The spots are a little wider spaced and more pronounced. also seem to appear only near elbows and wrist  and lower legs

And try all of them to see which works best for you – loratadine, cetirizine, fexofenidine etc. both in terms of efficacy, and drowsiness.

Use a good quality aftersun every day – I get through more aftersun than I do suncream.

Raw Aloe Vera is also excellent (and the active ingredient in many a sun cream/after sun) and grows like weeds in spain.

If you skin the leaves you are left with a clear jelly like substance that you can apply directly to the skin – it’s highly effective.

Also be sensible…Only sunbathe in the mornings and late afternoons, seek shade or cover up mid-day..there is a reason the Spaniards have a siesta!!!

@uggski mine was always less bad than the NHS photo, but still very painful. Anyway hopefully you can resolve with the antihistamines. Would say that mattyfez’s advice about avoiding the worst of the sun is sound no matter what is causing it.

@uggski mine was always less bad than the NHS photo, but still very painful. Anyway hopefully you can resolve with the antihistamines. Would say that mattyfez’s advice about avoiding the worst of the sun is sound no matter what is causing it.

Not calamine lotion, but a bath of bicarbonate of soda is amazing for easing itchy skin.

@edd It’s never been painful, just itchy and once you scratch you can’t stop. Too the point where my son drew blood. Then it can get sore.

Thanks for all the advice. Will be trying the antihistamines and get some good after sun lotion. I try and stay out of the sun but not always possible.