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Ack....Heat Rash


earthyfamily
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For about a month now I've been battling back and forth with a heat rash on my neck.  I know when it happened (during some particularly hot and humid weather). One day it will seem as though it's getting better, and then something will aggravate it and it'll start up again.  It's particularly difficult to deal with because when I sleep at night I scrunch up tight and I guess it gets irritated again.  Anything I can do to get it to go away finally?  Pleeeease help, it's soooo annoying.

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I looked it up and the pictures don't match.  It's not raised at all. It only feels slightly rough.

 

Hives from heat can be flat and smooth. They itch horribly, and can disappear and reappear, often in the same places. If you do have hives, consistent use of antihistamines (like Zyrtec) should help. You should see some immediate relief, but may have to take them for several weeks to totally clear your system.

 

If it is heat rash, I second the recommendation for hydrocortisone cream. 

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Heat rash is hives from heat.  I got them for years, but only when I ate pasta for lunch and then did something hot.  I didn't know it at the time, but it's a sign of a mild food allergy, most frequently wheat.

 

Take some benadryl and drink a lot of water, at least 3 glasses more than usual.  They will go away.

 

In the mean time, avoid whole wheat products and try to limit white flour products to no more than 1-2 servings per day.

 

And NEVER eat it when you're trying a new antibiotic you don't know if you're allergic to, or you might turn a very mild allergy into a more serious one like I did.

 

If you have other signs of allergic inflammation - blood shot eyes, dark circles under your eyes, or frequent loose stools when you eat more flour products than usual, you might want to look at a full on gluten free diet.   There are some theories that avoiding mild allergens can prevent autoimmune diseases and colon cancer.  I don't know if they have been substantiated by science or not, but they are prevalent in books about gluten free eating.

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Heat rash is hives from heat.  I got them for years, but only when I ate pasta for lunch and then did something hot.  I didn't know it at the time, but it's a sign of a mild food allergy, most frequently wheat.

 

Not to be contrary, but heat rash is caused by blocked sweat glands.  Cholinergic urticaria (hives from heat) is a different condition and, as you mentioned, can definitely be linked to diet. Giving up high histamine foods was very helpful for me. 

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Not to be contrary, but heat rash is caused by blocked sweat glands. Cholinergic urticaria (hives from heat) is a different condition and, as you mentioned, can definitely be linked to diet. Giving up high histamine foods was very helpful for me.

I realized after I got it that I had blocked my own sweat glands by applying a thick lotion and then spending much of the day in the heat. Won't do that again!
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Ok so if it's heat hives, does it still burn and itch even when you don't see anything there?  Like I said it comes and goes. Night before last I accidently slept with a blanket practically wrapped around my neck and the next day it was pretty irritated, putting lotion on it ( a light gel lotion) seemed to make it worse.  Today I really can't see anything there but it's still irritated, itchy and burns a bit....or does this definitely sound like heat rash?  It just seems like it will start going away and then something will irritate it and it comes back.

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Ok so if it's heat hives, does it still burn and itch even when you don't see anything there?  Like I said it comes and goes. Night before last I accidently slept with a blanket practically wrapped around my neck and the next day it was pretty irritated, putting lotion on it ( a light gel lotion) seemed to make it worse.  Today I really can't see anything there but it's still irritated, itchy and burns a bit....or does this definitely sound like heat rash?  It just seems like it will start going away and then something will irritate it and it comes back.

 

Hives are almost always visible. I would say they itch rather than burn or feel irritated. Lotion could definitely make heat rash worse.

 

I would try using cortisone cream.  If it's hives, it won't hurt to use it, although it probably won't help much. If it's heat rash, consistent use should make it go away.

 

Hope you feel better soon. :grouphug:  

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Hives are almost always visible. I would say they itch rather than burn or feel irritated. Lotion could definitely make heat rash worse.

 

I would try using cortisone cream.  If it's hives, it won't hurt to use it, although it probably won't help much. If it's heat rash, consistent use should make it go away.

 

Hope you feel better soon. :grouphug:  

 

That's kind of what I was thinking...if it were hives, if I didn't see them, I should have relief right?

 

I will pick up some cortisone cream tonight and start it in the AM...don't want that stuff rubbing off onto my pillow and getting all over my face while I sleep.

 

Thanks!!!

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