# prickly heat? sort of poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 18, 2014, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138 "2014-01-18T08:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/1 "2014-01-18T08:49:07Z")
We have been having a bit of warm weather over here in Oz and as a result (and because my life sucks) I have been suffering from prickly heat (if you don’t know what it is: “Prickly heat, or heat rash, is a harmless but very itchy skin rash with small red spots all over the affected areas” [Heat rash or prickly heat - MyDr.com.au](http://www.mydr.com.au/skin-hair/heat-rash-or-prickly-heat)). I can assure you that when this covers your entire fucking body it does not feel harmless. Anyway that is the end of my whinge. Now to the question - are there any folks out there who suffer every summer like me, What about all year round :eek:? Where are you from? Does it have a different name where you are? what are your preferred methods of coping with it eg. Because it covers so much of my body I give up clothes, most movement and occasionally cover myself in cortisone cream (prescribed by my doctor), when it is not so bad I find loose clothing and lots of cold showers help. The other thing is to try and distract myself or to try find someone worse off than me - aaand here I am 🙂 So tell me your prickly heat stories folks. And remember - _I’m typing naked_ ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/2 "2014-01-18T09:02:18Z")
Oh come on, where’s that pioneering Amazon spirit? What’s a bit of 45C heat and sub 10% humidity between friends? We deplore the absence of pics. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/3 "2014-01-18T09:48:55Z")
Oh no we had 55+% humidity…yay And 😛 I now have clothes on. And really you want to look and my manky spotty rashy body:confused:😕😕 😛 I still want to scratch gah! ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/4 "2014-01-18T13:47:40Z")
South Florida - I get it on my wrists sometimes. But not all that often. It’s annoying when it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/5 "2014-01-20T23:02:52Z")
My first summer living in Phoenix, AZ I got a heat rash under my breasts. We get temps in the summer like the recent heat wave in Melbourne, but unlike your heat wave, it lasts a couple months instead of a few days and over night lows hover around 100. I couldn’t wear a bra for almost a week and I’m not one that can go without easily. 😃 It was painful for sure. I feel for you! ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/6 "2014-01-20T23:19:03Z")
I am happy to report I haven’t had it in years. Very very happy. It’s a miserable business. You have my sympathies. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/7 "2014-01-21T00:51:25Z")
We call it a “rash”, or “idiopathic dermatitis”. I end my showers will cold water and use Gold Bond or Amiens. I never type naked, I wear very loose and soft cotton. By a fan. Under the influence of benadryl. Or vodka and soda. > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > We deplore the absence of pics. I don’t! I know what it looks like. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/8 "2014-01-21T01:14:11Z")
For prickly heat rash, I use a wonderful ointment called Calmoseptic. It is a miracle for this sort of thing, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/9 "2014-01-21T01:36:41Z")
I use stick deodorant. On the rash, I mean. I have no idea how it works, or why it works, I just know it provides immediate pain/itch relief, and then makes the rash go away. I’m supposing it makes the rash go away because it dries the area out and yeast need a moist place to grow, but I’m completely lost as to why it kills the pain/itch before the rash is even gone. (Actually, it burns for about 10 seconds, in a blissful, “it’s not itching!” kind of burn.) I’m mostly prone to it in the summer, in the groin and tween and underboobage areas, but last week when I was done shoveling snow, I felt that familiar tingle and reached for the deodorant. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-heat-sort-of-poll/679138/10 "2014-01-21T01:42:25Z")
The only time I had it, the nurse practitioner didn’t recognize it _and_ yelled at me for not knowing I have asthma. So that’s how I found out the rash and difficulty breathing were unrelated…