Heat Rash: Causes, Cures & Prevention

[TammyLee]

my 5mo has just had her 2nd heat rash.  i let her go naked/diaper-free as much as poss.  when we are out i usually dress her in a onesie only.  where we live is hot & humid, so keeping her cool this summer will be difficult.

any suggestions would be appreciated!

[petrimama]

My kids get them every summer.  The obvious, although not always easy solution is to keep them cool.  At home I used to turn the portable infant bath into a mini pool in our kitchen so that they could hop in several times a day while I cooked, etc.  For when we are out on errrands,  I actually started filling up a mini storage bin with a few inches of water and sealing it tightly.  I kept it in the trunk of my car on real hot days so that they could cool off in between the grocery store and the bank, or whatever it may be.  Sounds strange and I sure get strange looks in the parking lot but my kids think it's the best thing ever - and no more rash!  (Plus since they wear bathingsuits everywhere for this purpose, it sure cuts down on laundry!)
I know yours is younger so unlimited access to water is riskier, but maybe even keeping a bottle cooler with icy wet washcloths would help?
I've also noticed that detergents, soaps and lotions, etc. make thing worse by clogging pores.                     ~L

[TammyLee]

thanks so much!  i am going to start making my own detergent, too, so maybe that will help.  the washcloth idea is a good one.  i'll try that!  i have a small cooler i can use...

[healthybratt]

I kept it in the trunk of my car on real hot days so that they could cool off in between the grocery store and the bank, or whatever it may be.

You let them swim in a rubbermaid in a parking lot at the grocery store?  No that doesn't sound strange at all. 

What an interesting idea.  I just bet my kids would love this idea.

[mishy]

two of my kids and I have, what I believe, are heat rashes.  My husband isn't so sure that is what it is.  But I have been rubbing tea tree oil on it at night it is helping significantly. 

[healthybratt]

two of my kids and I have, what I believe, are heat rashes.  My husband isn't so sure that is what it is.  But I have been rubbing tea tree oil on it at night it is helping significantly. 

If the rash persists even after bathed, cooled and treated, it's more likely yeast related.  If the tea tree is helping this might also be an indication that you have yeast, but it's hard to tell as tea tree oil seems to have so many healing qualities.  If the problem persists or comes back you may want to treat both internally and externally for yeast.  Symptoms to look for would be dry, scaly, itchy, redness, peeling skin and spreading.  Sometimes the spreading just happens locally and sometimes it will jump from one part of the body to another (arm to leg, arm to scalp, etc.).  Some variations of fungal activity will start out looking like a rather large mosquito bite and it will grow to look more like a red raised area.  I had one on the back of my leg as a kid.  It started out dime size and soon covered the entire back of my leg just under the knee before the doctor diagnosed it properly.  Keep in mind, it's also contagious.  I was overrun with candida problems and wound up giving it to my son in his diaper area.  It started out as a redness similar to diaper rash but soon spread over his entire bottom and his front as well and the skin begain to flake and peel.

[mishy]

We sweat all the time.  The weather is high 80's and 90% humidity.  But I am wondering about this rash.  Can it be a detox?  I have it in the sweat lines (middle of my chest, middle of my back), my 5 yo has it on his shoulders, my 4 yo has it on his forehead (under his hair), my 2 yo has it on her neck, and my baby has it on his shoulders, chest & arms. 
My hubby doesn't have it at all, but he has always been a big sweater and if it is sweat related his skin might be used to it.  Plus he goes to work in nice cold AC all day and only sweats on the weekends with us.
I wonder about the detox because I have almost ellimated sugar from our diet.  Almost.  I haven't pursued the yeast- can my kids take yeast assasin and can I take it while nursing?  I am already elliminating sugar, and white flour is not too frequently consumed (I make my hubby's breat with 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white). 
It is just little bumps.  Not the list you mentioned.  It doesn't even itch significantly or at all. 
So now what do you think?   

[healthybratt]

We sweat all the time...Can it be a detox?...I wonder about the detox because I have almost ellimated sugar from our diet. 

Yeast love wet warm places, so any place you sweat is a good breeding place for yeast.  If you've eliminated all sugars from your diet, you are inadvertantly killing yeast by starving them to death.  This will cause die-off reactions.  From my own personal experience I will tell you that when I experienced yeast die-off from sugar elimination, I basically had symptoms mimicing recurrances of yeast in just about every place I've ever had problems with fungus.  My guess is that even when I previously treated the symptoms (creams, lamisil diflucan, clotrimazole, etc), even though the symptoms disappeared (rashes, itching, etc) the yeast never completed abated in those areas, so when they began to die these were the areas that were most affected by the toxins created by the dead organisms.

[mishy]

Hm.  I guess I'll make sure I do the water cleanse routine every day, take some acidolphilus and see what happens.  I am just confused about my kids.  Why would they all have it and not my hubby?  What do you recommend I do for them?  I can sprinkle the acidolphilus on their food and they also eat yoghurt.  We have recently been eating a LOT of yoghurt.  Maybe they are already detoxing.....  ahh!  frustrating to not know exactly what is going on.  How long should I expect this to last?  Any ideas on how to get them to drink a ton of water??   

[healthybratt]

My hubby didn't have any visible detox symptoms from Yeast Assassin, Tummy Tune-Up or Supermom.  I don't know why, but I have a couple of theories.

He doesn't have Candidiasis would be the most obvious reason.  My husband abhors doctors, so he's only had antibiotics maybe 3 times in his whole life, so yeast may not be as huge a contribiting factor in his body as it is in mine and the kids.

Also men don't pay as much attention to their "aches and pains" as women do most generally, so if he had an itch or a spot, he might not notice it as quickly as she would.

Or maybe it's completely the opposite.  Maybe he has so much yeast that the die-off is not happening as quickly as it might be on you, so the detox isn't visible, because his body already has a higher tolerance for their toxins.

My other theory (this is only a guess) is that men have a higher tolerance for bad health than women do.  Maybe it's because of a woman's naturally higher body fat ratio.  Since toxins are sometimes stored in the fat cells, this might be a factor.

I will tell you that hubby is starting to feel better ever so slowly.  He's not been very healthy since the doctor took his gallbladder out (something we might not have done, had I found this forum sooner), but my new health regimine seems to be slowly bringing him back to normal.

[mishy]

Help!  We still have this rash.  It resolves in one area and moves on to a new patch.  I will be happy to continue with the lots of yoghurt if it is indeed yeast, but could it possibly be a reaction to one of the bacteria in the yoghurt?  But I guess I wouldn't expect all 4 of us to have an allergy to the same thing.  I am spreading coconut oil and tea tree oil on it at night and if feels better in the morning, but looks the same.  At night it feels like pins and needles when my hubby rubs the oil in.  My oldest tells me how itchy it is when we are out working in the garden (sweating).  My 2 year old just scratches and my 4 year actually has very few spots on him.  my infant has it the worst!!!!  All over his body. ((((( 

So, any new ideas or just encouragement that this is yeast and to keep on?  Any more ideas to help my poor kiddos get over it quickly?   None of them have ever been on antibiodics and I have been on them maybe 3-5 times my entire life.  Can you give me a time period I can have in mind for how long this takes?  We didn't eat bread very frequently at all (maybe once a week).  Sugar was moderate.   Now it is even less.   

[Dewbear]

Danna, this really sounds like an across-the-board allergic reaction to me.  Is there anything the five of you (excluding Abe) are exposed to outside on a regular basis & an extended period of time?  And secondly, is there something you've increased orally in your home that the five of you have concentrated exposure to?  I'm a firm believer in moderation, even GOOD things, & you could be just dosing up too much on something.  Even the yogurt -- I know fermented dairy has few to no allergens, but if you've gone up to a huge amount lately I would highly suspect the yogurt.  Is there anything else you've increased in exposure that you can think of?

~ just trying to brainstorm with you

[petrimama]

Is there anything in the garden that could be irritating the skin?  I ask because the baby would probably be worst if it's something that you guys are all kneeling in and the little one is crawling around in it.           ~L

[healthybratt]

Sounds like yeast to me.  I've had this happen to me especially when you sweat a lot.  About the only thing you could do is too cut your sugar and up your dose of yeast killers.  Keep the areas as dry as possible and treat the skin with antifungals as well.  I  found that a lavender infusion in my vinegar rinse helped to alleviate the symptoms in conjunction with my other treatments.  (I put chamomile and peppermint in there too).

[mishy]

Thanks guys!
Danna, the only thing we are eating more of than we did before is yoghurt.  But "before" we were eating the flavored sweetened (high fructose corn syrup) kind about every day.  So the only new thing in our diet is the Nancy's yoghurt (whole sweetened with honey) and someone mentioned that it has diff bacteria than other brands.  So we are eating not a bunch more.  Just a bowl of it instead of the little cups.  Abe doesn't like yoghurt so he isn't eating this with us.
Petrimama, usually the baby is sleeping when we are in the garden.  If he isn't I will hold him since he eats whatever is on the ground right now.  So he isn't touching anything up there. Also the rash came before we started doing much in the garden.
Healthybratt, I have lavendar so I could try that- one question though.  If this is yeast, I read that vinegar is something that also should be avoided.  Does that mean externally as well?  I guess I could just add the lavender in my coconut, tea tree oil mix I am using on the rash.
Thanks!!!  Let me know if you have any more ideas. 
Danna

[healthybratt]

Healthybratt, I have lavendar so I could try that- one question though.  If this is yeast, I read that vinegar is something that also should be avoided.  Does that mean externally as well?  I guess I could just add the lavender in my coconut, tea tree oil mix I am using on the rash.

It's suggested that Apple Cider Vinegar has such curative abilities because it causes one's pH levels to become more alkaline or, in the case of too much alkalinity, more acidic. Urinalysis studies done in the 1950s by D.C. Jarvis (author of Folk Medicine) showed that pH levels in the body become highly alkaline before and during an allergy attack (yes, contrary to what you would normally read on the subject). If you are going to try apple cider vinegar for allergies, or even to prevent sickness, we suggest you do some investigation of your own by buying a pH test kit at a local pharmacy, garden nursery, or even pool supply store. You can use these kits or pH strips to test your urine to see if you are more alkaline or acid during an allergy attack, virus or bacterial infection. Once you ascertain your pH levels, you can adjust adjust your dosage of Apple Cider Vinegar accordingly....

Warning #2. Bitter Taste. Also, some apple cider vinegar brands are extremely acidic, causing heartburn. It can also quickly cause a yeast infection in women. (Note: certain brands of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar can stop a yeast infection, yet some brands are so acidic that they can actually cause a yeast infection. Thus start with a lower dose to see how your body responds to the vinegar.) 5% acidity level is what is posted on all ACV labels, however it seems that some brands are far more acidic than others! We once bought an expensive, organic, unpasteurized brand that had a fancy label and got a terrible heartburn that lasted for hours from just 2 teaspoons' worth!...more

From what I see, yeast like acid not alkaline.  Here is another excerpt from something called the Alkaline Diet.  It seems to correlate with anti-candida diets.

What are the guidelines of this diet?
An alkaline diet is composed of approximately 75-80% alkaline foods and 20-25% acid foods.

    * Alkaline Foods
      Higher alkaline are better

      Vegetables -- High alkaline: wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa spouts, broccoli sprouts, other types of sprouts, cucumber, kale, parsley, sea vegetables. Moderate alkaline: avocado, arugula, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, celery, collard, endive, garlic, ginger, green beans, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onion, spinach, tomato. Slightly alkaline: artichoke, asparagus, brussels sprouts, carrot, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, peas, rhubarb, rutabaga, turnip, watercress, zucchini

      Fruit -- Slightly alkaline: coconut, grapefruit, lemon, lime

      Beans and legumes -- Moderate alkaline: lima beans, soy beans, white beans. Slightly alkaline: Lentils, tofu.

      Nuts, seeds, oils -- High alkaline: pumkin seeds. Slightly alkaline: almond, borage oil, coconut oil, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, sesame seeds.

      Grains -- buckwheat, quinoa, spelt

      Condiments -- Moderate alkaline: cayenne, red chili pepper, sea salt, stevia. Most herbs and spices are somewhat alkaline.

      Dairy -- Slightly alkaline: goat milk

    * Acidifying Foods
      Lower acid are better. Most acidic are worst

      Dairy and Dairy Substitutes -- Slightly acid: cow's milk, rice milk, soymilk. Most acid: cheese (including cottage cheese, hard cheese, aged cheese, and goat cheese), ice cream, soy cheese, whey protein powder.

      Animal meat -- Moderate acid: wild fish. Most acid: beef, chicken, duck, eggs, farmed fish, gelatin, lobster, organ meat, pheasant, pork, poultry, seafood, squid, turkey, veal, venison.

      Grains -- Slightly acid: amaranth, millet. Moderate acid: oats, rice (brown rice, white rice), rye, wheat. Most acid: barley, corn, rye.

      Beans and legumes -- Slightly acid: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans.

      Vegetables -- Most acidic: mushrooms, potatoes. Fruit -- Slightly acid: cantaloupe, dates (not dried), nectarines. Moderate acid: apple, apricot, banana, all berries, figs (fresh), grape, honeydew, mango, orange, papaya, peach, persimmon, pineapple, tangerine, watermelon. Most acid: dried fruit.

      Nuts, Seeds, and Oils -- Slightly acid: brazil nuts, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil. Moderate acid: butter, ghee, corn oil, margarine, walnuts. Most acid: cashews, peanuts, pistachios.

      Condiments -- Moderate acid: ketchup, mayonnaise, table salt. Most acid: jam, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, aspartame, molasses, sugar cane, barley malt syrup, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, yeast...more

[debbiez]

  Okay ,I know this thread is old but did not want to start a new one. While the idea of loading a Rubbermaid full of water for DH to take to work with him is hilarious but not practical. I need ideas for grown-ups. He gets it in the middle of his chest and where his shirt meets his pants(where I think their is some chapping involved). Any suggestions?
 He is a profuse sweater.And tries to stay as cool as possible but it is almost impossible in the south and because he is very hot natured.
  I don't think it is yeast related because it goes away very quickly.
 Any help would be greatly appreciated.
                       Thanks,
                            Debbiez

[healthybratt]

  Okay ,I know this thread is old but did not want to start a new one. While the idea of loading a Rubbermaid full of water for DH to take to work with him is hilarious but not practical. I need ideas for grown-ups. He gets it in the middle of his chest and where his shirt meets his pants(where I think their is some chapping involved). Any suggestions?
 He is a profuse sweater.And tries to stay as cool as possible but it is almost impossible in the south and because he is very hot natured.
  I don't think it is yeast related because it goes away very quickly.
 Any help would be greatly appreciated.
                       Thanks,
                            Debbiez

Could it be a reaction to the detergents you wash his clothes in?  The rubbing on the spot where the pants hit and the extra sweat might be causing the detergents in the clothing to come out and spread around on his skin, causing a reaction?  Just a thought?

[debbiez]

 I'm pretty sure it is not the detergent.I have been using the same one for a year or so,(All free & clear). Got a chance to ask our Herbalist about it  and she said to open a Slippery Elm capsule and sprinkle the powder on it.Worked like a charm,cleared it up over night. He hasn't had it as much since the weather has been a bit cooler. I'm guessing the main culprit is the polyester shirt he has to wear to work.Even with a cotton tank-top under it still doesn't breath.
                                       Debbiez

[PrayeryGirls]

I would looove it if one of you helpful ladies could share some knowledge and experience. We are missionaries living in a border town with Mexico. We are originally New Englanders, and appreciative of the changing seasons and cold weather. Having moved here about 4 months ago, we figured it would be a challenge, but do-able with the Lord's help, to adjust our bodies to this dry (not always so dry!) and hot desert climate. Unfortunately, we cannot seem to stop battling heat rash! It is painfully uncomfortable, especially for the little ones (three get it, three do not), and for myself. I kept thinking that our bodies should be able to adjust and overcome it, naturally, but that angle is not working. Research seems to show that the body physically changes to such a climate change over the course of about 2 weeks. We did notice that at the 2 week mark, we felt less like we were boiling in our skin at higher temperatures, and we were handling dehydration issues (from sweating, not from drinking too little) better, but we have not had any improvement in handling the heat rash. It can pop out in just a few minutes time, and then it can be absent at other times (maybe for a day or so). I had thought that when we came here, we could ask the locals for hints on adapting, but everyone here uses the air conditioning and they look faint when they go outside for a few minutes! One mother said that keeping the AC on high was the only way to keep her kiddos from getting heat rash. In articles I have read, the usual advice is to stay in air conditioned rooms, with fans blowing, and take an oatmeal bath and 4 showers a day to wash the pour-clogging sweat off- all this until you can get to a cooler climate!! Come on! That's just not reasonable. I cant keep that up with all the little ones and other things to do. I also tried using apple cider vinegar wipes, and dusting frequently with arrowroot powder, and I upp'ed us to a morning and evening quick-shower. These things helped the symptoms, but the rash keeps popping up the next time I turn around. For example, on a day of intense treatment, it will fade away, then come out by the next morning. Since our bodies did seem to adapt some to this environment, after 6 weeks, my husband suggested that maybe if we could just wipe it out really well for a week or so, we may not have it come back. So we reluctantly got air conditioning, and it seemed to cut it by about half, but recently, we are feeling hotter again (de-climatized?) and the rash is occurring in full force. Now we are about to move further south in Mexico, and air conditioning will not be an option for relief. So, what I am asking, is if anyone has experience with helping the body to get rid of this heat reaction, rather than just treating the syptoms. My chiropractor friend suggested ashwagandha as an adaptogen, but I dont know if that will take a long time or be too subtle for this kind of adapting? I'm going to start that today, but does anyone have any other thoughts? Thanks so much for your time!