Prickly heat occurs in hot, humid environments where excessive sweating and poor evaporation lead to blocked or ruptured sweat ducts, causing sweat to seep into surrounding tissues. It is characterized by small papules and vesicles. Common in summer, it primarily affects children with poor sweat regulation and long-term bedridden patients. The condition is closely related to climate—lesions worsen with high temperatures and humidity and subside as the weather cools. Excessive scratching due to cutaneous pruritus can lead to secondary infections such as folliculitis, boils, or abscesses.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

Red miliaria

1. The primary lesion is a needle-sized, pointed papule or vesicle surrounded by erythema, densely arranged but not coalescing;
2. commonly occurs on the forehead, neck, chest, back, elbow creases, and popliteal fossa;
3. accompanied by itching and a burning sensation;
4. primarily affects infants or children.

White miliaria

1. The skin lesion is a non-inflammatory, needle-sized, translucent chickenpox-like vesicle with a thin wall that easily ruptures upon slight friction;
2. predominantly appears on the trunk, especially the chest;
3. no subjective symptoms;
4. commonly seen in individuals with high fever and profuse sweating, or long-term bedridden patients.

bubble_chart Diagnosis

Miliaria rubra

1. Occurs in hot and humid weather;
2. Skin lesions are inflammatory papules and vesicles the size of needles, dense but not merging;
3. Commonly affects the forehead, nose, neck, chest, back, etc.

1. Occurs in patients with high fever and profuse sweating or long-term bedridden patients;
2. Skin lesions are non-inflammatory, pinhead-sized, thin-walled, translucent chickenpox-like vesicles, asymptomatic;
3. Commonly affects the chest and abdomen.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

Treatment Principles:

1. Maintain indoor ventilation and coolness, bathe frequently; keep skin clean and dry;
2. avoid scratching and do not wash with soap;
3. may take heat-clearing, draining dampness, and summerheat-relieving Chinese medicinals or preparations;
4. may apply anti-inflammatory and antipruritic preparations externally;
5. antibiotics may be used for secondary infections.

1. For prickly heat, generally external anti-inflammatory and antipruritic preparations are sufficient;
2. may also take summerheat-clearing Chinese medicinals or Chinese medicinals preparations;
3. antibiotics may be used for secondary infections.

bubble_chart Cure Criteria

1. Cure: Rash subsides, symptoms disappear, no new rash appears;
2. Improvement: Most of the rash subsides, symptoms improve, no new rash appears;
3. No cure: New rashes continue to appear, symptoms show no improvement.