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Prickly heat (also called heat rash, sweat rash, or miliaria) is a rash of red or pink dots that
appears over an infant's head, neck, and shoulders. The dots look like tiny pimples. The rash
from prickly heat usually covers a small area and is considered a localized rash. Occasionally
the rash will cover a larger area (generalized rash).
Prickly heat is often caused when well-meaning parents dress their baby too warmly, but it
can happen to any baby in very hot weather. A baby should be dressed as lightly as an adult
who is resting. Your baby's hands and feet may feel cool to the touch. This is not uncommon
and is usually not a problem.
Current as of: October 12, 2013
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine & H. Michael O'Connor, MD
- Emergency Medicine
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HealthLinkBC Files
HealthLinkBC Files are easy-to-understand fact sheets on a range of public health and safety topics
including disease prevention and immunizations.
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Topic Contents
Topic Overview
Check Your Symptoms
Home Treatment
Prevention
Preparing For Your Appointment
Related Information
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1. Nervous System
2. Pedal Edema
Heat-Related Illnesses
British Columbia Specific Information
Too much heat can be harmful to your health. It can lead to
weakness, disorientation, exhaustion, and in severe cases, it can
lead to heat stroke. To learn more about heat-related illnesses,
see HealthLinkBC File #35 Heat-related Illness.
Topic Overview
A healthy body temperature is maintained by the nervous
system. As the body temperature increases, the body tries to
maintain its normal temperature by transferring heat. Sweating
and blood flow to the skin (thermoregulation) help us keep our
bodies cool. A heat-related illness occurs when our bodies can
no longer transfer enough heat to keep us cool.
A high body temperature (hyperthermia) can develop rapidly
in extremely hot environments, such as when a child is left in a
car in the summer heat. Hot temperatures can also build up in
small spaces where the ventilation is poor, such as attics or
boiler rooms. People working in these environments may
quickly develop hyperthermia.
High temperature caused by a fever is different from a high
body temperature caused by a heat-related illness. A fever is the
body's normal reaction to infection and other conditions, both
minor and serious. Heat-related illnesses produce a high body
temperature because the body cannot transfer heat effectively or
because external heat gain is excessive.
Heat-related illnesses include:
Heat rash (prickly heat), which occurs when the sweat ducts
These conditions change the way the body gets rid of heat.
Travel to wilderness areas or foreign countries with high