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Home remedies for prickly heat

The scorching summer heat is at its worst in May. These long languorous days of humid and hot weather resulting in excessive sweating are a sheer torture for some of us, especially if our skin has a tendency to break into prickly heat rashes. Those red rashes can affect almost any part of the body. Itching and burning sensation that follow can cause a lot of discomfort.

How is this prickly heat caused?
Quoting from this source:

It is caused by bacteria or dead skin cells blocking sweat glands. The rash particularly affects areas where sweat is trapped and cannot evaporate, such as the feet for instance. People who often have prickly heat also tend to be susceptible to heat stroke.

Home remedies for prickly heat

The following home-remedies and tips may provide relief from prickly heat.

* Eat grapes or consume plenty of grape juice everyday.

* Drinking cool frothy butter-milk (Chaas) also does good.

* A cold infusion of coriander (dhania) seeds twice a day also works wonders.

* Sattu mixed with water and a pinch of sugar gives immediate relief.

* And how can one forget ‘tender coconut’ water which has lots of goodness in it. Just go for it and drink gallons of it.

* You could also extract juice from a pineapple, dilute it with coconut water and drink it.

* Cool your skin – treat the affected area by sponging with cold water.

* Make a paste of sandalwood powder with rose water and apply to affected parts.

* Combine cumin seeds (jeera) powder with coconut oil to obtain a thick consistency. Apply an hour before a bath.

* Take 10 grams of sandalwood paste, 5 grams of ground poppy seeds (Khuskhus) and three tablespoon of rosewater. Combine together and apply.

* Boil neem leaves and use this water to bathe.

* Don’t sit in stuffy rooms. Get plenty of fresh air.

* Wear cotton clothes; avoid synthetic clothes and such garments which do not absorb sweat.

* Sprinkle prickly heat powder all over the affected parts of your body after a bath. You could even use sandalwood-powder for this purpose.

* Bathe twice a day if you feel too sweaty and unclean.

See also: Cool drinks for summer / Keep yourself cool with Sitali and Sitkari Pranayams

Comments

  1. Diksha4:02 PM

    Baby Curash is fantastic. Also try cold compress.
    Nappy rash creams powders do the job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:47 PM

    Heat rash occurs when sweat ducts become plugged and trap perspiration beneath the skin. The rash appears as clusters of red spots or small, blisterlike bumps that are extremely itchy or prickly. Heat rash typically develops in skin folds or wherever clothing causes friction.
    Prevention methodsDressing in soft, lightweight, loose-fitting cotton clothing can help prevent heat rash. Avoiding powders and heavy creams can help, too; these products can block skin pores.
    TreatmentSweat reduction and keeping the skin cool help clear up the rash. (Think air conditioning.) Cool-water compresses, calamine lotion or over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream can help reduce itching.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Venkatesh5:08 PM

    Try washing with oatmeal soap, letting your skin air dry, and applying calamine lotion at night. during the day (when the mess of calamine lotion is too much) try a mild cornstarch based powder (baby powder is always good, or plain cornstarch... nothing with talc, it's irritating)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vasudev5:18 PM

    When outdoors, stay in shaded areas
    Avoid heavy moisturizers and lotions
    Wear loose clothing, especially made of cotton
    Bath often when high heat and humidity occurred
    Avoid excessive heat and humidity where possible.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gurunath8:45 AM

    Application of tender coconut water on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and subsides the rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox, measles, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9:37 AM

    Sweating can be caused by hormone imbalances or it can be the body's way of eliminating toxins (take a shower after you sweat to remove those toxins so that they don't reabsorb into your skin). If you don't want to purchase a deodorant you can use a baking powder and water paste to rub under your arms. If you go to the health food store, they sell liquid chlorophyll. It is considered a food product usually made from wheat grass. You add a dropper or half-dropper full to a small glass of water and drink it. It will deodorize your body and also your breath, and very cleansing and healthy for you too. Eating lots of leafy green vegetables also helps to deodorize the body.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous9:23 AM

    Thick gruel of rice mixed with a glassful of buttermilk not only makes a nutritious and easy to digest summer food but curative too in cases digestion-related disorders. Rice powder makes an excellent prickly heat powder and helps heal other inflammatory affection of the skin including burns and scalds.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Manohar9:35 AM

    sweat is secreted by your body to cool it down.
    so there is a possibility that your poor eating habits this week without too much working out has caused your body to revert back to its "unhealthiness." so when you ran today it was getting hotter and was sweating more
    could also be increased weather temps too.
    and maybe even the types of clothes you were wearing. running shorts and shirts allow for proper aeration, that will cool your body.
    cotton t shirts are not well ventilated and will increase your bodies temperature resulting in more sweating
    could also be that you were adequately hydrated today. and normally your body doesnt have enough water in it to secrete a lot of sweat.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oatmeal is an effective home treatment for prickly heat. Add some oatmeal into the bath tub and stir it well. Step into the bath tub and lie in there for 15 minutes to ease the tenderness and soothe the skin. Repeat this twice a day.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous10:31 AM

    #
    Fuller’s earth or multani mitti is yet another great home remedy for treating prickly heat. Prepare the pack by mixing 4-5 tbsp of fuller’s earth, 2-3 tbsp of rose water and plain water to form a thick paste. Apply the paste over prickly heat and allow it to dry for 2-3 hours. Henceforth, wash it off with cold water.

    ReplyDelete

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