Prickly heat Health Dictionary

Prickly Heat: From 3 Different Sources


An irritating skin rash that is associated with profuse sweating. The medical name is miliaria rubra. Multiple tiny, red, itchy spots cover the affected areas of skin and are accompanied by prickling sensations. The irritation tends to affect areas where sweat collects, such as the armpits. The cause is not fully known, but unevaporated sweat is an important factor. Sweat ducts become blocked with debris and leak sweat into the skin. Frequent cool showers and sponging of the affected areas relieve the itching.
Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association
an itchy rash of small raised red spots. It occurs usually on the face, neck, back, chest, and thighs. Infants and obese people are susceptible to prickly heat, which is most common in hot moist weather. It is caused by blockage of the sweat ducts and the only treatment is removal of the patient to a cool (air-conditioned) place. Medical name: miliaria rubra.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Heat Exhaustion

Collapse of the circulation from exposure to excessive heat. Possible in the presence of diarrhoea, vomiting or excessive sweating (dehydration) or alcohol consumption.

Symptoms: heavy sweating, failure of surface circulation, low blood pressure, weakness, cramps, rapid heartbeat, face is pale, cool and moist. Collapse. Recovery after treatment is rapid.

Alternatives. Cayenne pepper, or Tincture Capsicum, to promote peripheral circulation and sustain the heart. Prickly Ash bark restores vascular tone and stimulates capillary circulation. Bayberry offers a diffusive stimulant to promote blood flow, and Cayenne to increase arterial force.

Decoction. Combine equal parts Prickly Ash and Bayberry. 1 teaspoon to each cup water gently simmered 20 minutes. Half a cup (to which 3 drops Tincture Capsicum, or few grains red pepper is added). Dose: every 2 hours.

Tablets/capsules. Prickly Ash. Bayberry. Motherwort. Cayenne.

Tinctures. Formula. Prickly Ash 2; Horseradish 1; Bayberry 1. 15-30 drops in water every 2 hours. Traditional. Horseradish juice or grated root, in honey.

Life Drops. ... heat exhaustion

Heatstroke

Sunstroke. Should not be confused with heat exhaustion.

Symptoms: skin hot, dry and flushed. High temperature and high humidity dispose. Sweating mechanism disorganised. Delirium, headache, shock, dizziness, possible coma, nausea, profuse sweating followed by absence of sweat causing skin to become hot and dry; rapid rise in body temperature, muscle twitching, tachycardia, dehydration.

Treatment. Hospital emergency. Reduce temperature by immersion of victim in bath of cold water. Wrap in a cold wet sheet. Lobelia, to equalise the circulation. Feverfew to regulate sweating mechanism. Yarrow to reduce temperature. Give singly or in combination as available.

Alternatives. Tea. Lobelia 1; Feverfew 2; Yarrow 2. Mix. 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes. Half-1 cup freely. Vomiting to be regarded as favourable.

Tinctures. Combine: Lobelia 1; Pleurisy root 2; Valerian 1. Dose: 1-2 teaspoons in water every 2 hours. Decoction. Irish Moss; drink freely.

Practitioner. Tincture Gelsemium BPC (1973). Dose: 0.3ml (5 drops).

Alternate hot and cold compress to back of neck and forehead. Hot Chamomile footbath.

Diet. Irish Moss products. High salt. Abundant drinks of spring water.

Supplements. Kelp tablets, 2 thrice daily. Vitamin C (1g after meals thrice daily). Vitamin E (one 500iu capsule morning and evening).

Vitamin C for skin protection. Increasing Vitamin C after exposure to the sun should help protect against the sun’s ultra violet rays, as skin Vitamin C levels were shown to be severely depleted after exposure. (British Journal of Dermatology 127, 247-253) ... heatstroke

Heat Cramps

Painful cramps in the muscles occurring in workers, such as stokers, who labour in hot conditions. The cramps are the result of loss of salt in the sweat, and can be cured by giving the sufferer salty water to drink. (See also HEAT STROKE.)... heat cramps

Heather

(English) Resembling the evergreen flowering plant Hether, Heatha, Heath, Heathe... heather

Prickly Ash

Xanthoxylum americanum. N.O. Rutaceae.

Synonym: Toothache Bush or Suterberry.

Habitat: Flourishes in moist places throughout the United States, from which country the medicinal berries and bark are imported.

Features ? A shrub varying between ten and fifteen feet in height with alternate branches covered with strong, sharp prickles, the leaves are pinnate, with lanceolate leaflets, the flowers green and white. Small, blue-black berries enclosed in a grey shell grow in clusters on the top of the branches. The bark is about one- twelfth of an inch thick, and has corky, conical spines nearly one inch in height. Fractures show green in the outer part and yellow in the inner. The taste is very pungent, causing salivation, and there is little odour.

Part used ? Berries and bark, the berries being considered the more effective.

Action: Stimulant, alterative, nervine and diaphoretic.

An infusion of the berries, or the crushed or powdered bark, is made in the proportion of 1/2 ounce to 1 pint of boiling water, the dose being one tablespoonful four times daily. The infusion should be allowed to stand in a covered vessel for two hours before use.

In the treatment of chronic rheumatic trouble this medicine is given a prominent place, and it is also widely used wherever a general stimulant is needed. The powdered bark is applied directly to indolent ulcers. As an external application for rheumatism. Coffin recommends 1 ounce of the pulverised bark to 4 ounces of Olive oil, heated, the part to be well rubbed with this liniment night and morning.... prickly ash

Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia species

Description: This cactus has flat, padlike stems that are green. Many round, furry dots that contain sharp-pointed hairs cover these stems.

Habitat and Distribution: This cactus is found in arid and semiarid regions and in dry, sandy areas of wetter regions throughout most of the United States and Central and South America. Some species are planted in arid and semiarid regions of other parts of the world.

Edible Parts: All parts of the plant are edible. Peel the fruits and eat them fresh or crush them to prepare a refreshing drink. Avoid the tiny, pointed hairs. Roast the seeds and grind them to a flour.

CAUTION

Avoid any prickly pear cactus like plant with milky sap.

Other Uses: The pad is a good source of water. Peel it carefully to remove all sharp hairs before putting it in your mouth. You can also use the pads to promote healing. Split them and apply the pulp to wounds.... prickly pear cactus

Discover Heather Tea

Heather tea has been used in Swedish herbal medicine for a very long time and has been recognized for its medicinal properties by the German Commission E. Heather (calluna vulgaris) is a woody and bushy plant with multiple branching stems, that grows mainly in Scotland, Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, Russia and North America. The parts of the heather plant have different usage. For example: the branches are used as straw for brooms and the leaves are used as flavoring agent for beer and teas. The constituents of heather plant are various types of quercetin, tannin and flavonoids. How To Make Heather Tea To make your own heather tea, you will need a handful of chopped heather, both flowers and leaves. Boil the water, add the heather and let the mix steep for about 10-15 minutes. After that, pour the tea into your cup using a strainer to catch the heather leaves and flowers. Depending on your preferences, you can sweeten it by adding sugar or honey. Heather Tea Benefits Heather tea has a lot of health benefits:
  • Helps in the treatment of kidney and bladder problems.
  • Prevents and treats rheumatism, arthritis and gout.
  • It is a remedy for cold and cough.
  • Helps disinfecting the urinary tract.
  • It is a strong allied in the treatment of cystitis.
  • Tears various gastrointestinal problems.
Heather Tea Side Effects The things that you should keep in mind when you consider drinking heather tea are:
  • You shouldn’t drink too much heather tea because it can cause liver damage.
  • Heather tea can alter the effects of some medications, especially the ones related to the urinary and gastro intestinal tract, so make sure you consult your doctor before drinking it.
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid drinking heather tea.
All in all, try not to drink more than 2 cups of heather tea. Enjoy all its benefits and make sure you won’t experience any of its side effects!... discover heather tea

Enjoy Prickly Ash Tea

If you feel like drinking an herbal tea with plenty of health benefits, you should try prickly ash tea. Even if the taste is bitter, the tea is bound to help you stay healthy. Find out more about it in this article! About Prickly Ash Tea Prickly ash tea is made from the bark of the prickly ash. The plant is also known as Devil’s Walkingstick, Hercules’s Club or Prickly Elder. The plant grows in the eastern parts of North America. Prickly ash is a tall shrub, usually reaching 6m in height. It has a stem with large leaves, 70-120cm long. The flowers bloom in late summer; they’re small and creamy-white. Also, the fruits are a small, purple-black berry. How to make Prickly Ash Tea It’s easy to make prickly ash tea. Boil the necessary amount of water and add a teaspoon of chopped bark for each cup of tea. Let it steep for 5-7 minutes; then, strain in order to remove the herbs. If it tastes too bitter for you, you can sweeten the tea with milk, honey or fruit juices. Prickly Ash Tea Benefits Prickly ash tea gets important active constituents from the bark of its plant. These include chelerythin alkaloids, tannins, lignans, resins, and volatile oils. You can drink prickly ash tea if you’ve got toothaches, abdominal pains (or any other chronic pains) or diarrhea. It is also used in killing intestinal parasites, and treating arthritis and rheumatism. It is also useful in treating circulation problems and lowering blood pressure. You can drink it if you’ve got a cold or a sore throat. Prickly ash tea can also be combined with other ingredients, for different health benefits. Combined with ginger, it alleviates chronic abdominal pains, and treats nausea and vomiting caused by long-term illnesses. It can also be combined with coptis or Oregon grape root in order to treat symptoms caused by roundworms. Prickly Ash Tea side Effects It is best not to drink prickly ash tea if you’re pregnant or breast feeding. It’s not quite sure how it can affect the baby, but it might, so it’s better to stop drinking it during these periods. Be careful with the amount of tea you drink if you’ve got low blood pressure. Prickly ash tea helps lower the blood pressure, so it might end up causing some harm (hypotension). Also, if you drink this tea while taking medication (aspirin, warfarin, heparin, tinzaparin), the combination might lead to bleeding and bruising. Also, don’t drink prickly ash tea if you’ve got stomach or intestinal problems: ulcerative colitis, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, infections, and other digestive tract conditions. It’s bound to make your stomach and intestinal problems worse. Also, dopn’t drink this tea if you’ve got a fever with profuse sweating. Despite its bitter taste, you should give prickly ash tea a chance, especially thanks to its health benefits. As an herbal tea, it’s bound to keep you healthy!... enjoy prickly ash tea

Heat

An effective analgesic for some deeply-injected envenomations including stonefish, stingray and other venomous-spined fish.... heat

Heat Spots

A vague term applied to small in?amed and congested areas which appear especially upon the skin of the face, neck and chest or other parts of the body in warm weather.... heat spots

Heat Rash

See: PRICKLY HEAT. ... heat rash

Heather Flowers

Ling. Calluna vulgaris L. French: Brande. German: Heidekraut. Spanish: Breyo. Italian: Brendolo. Russian: Weresk. Swedish: Liung. Part used: flowers. Keynote: urine.

Action: urinary antiseptic, diuretic, anti-rheumatic.

Uses: Cystitis, urethritis, gravel in the bladder, gout, muscular rheumatism.

Preparations: Average dose: 1-2 grams. Thrice daily.

Tea: half-1 teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes.

Liquid Extract BHP (1983) 1:1 in 25 per cent alcohol. Dose: 15-30 drops (1-2ml). ... heather flowers

Heat Stroke

A condition resulting from environmental temperatures which are too high for compensation by the body’s thermo-regulatory mechanism(s). It is characterised by hyperpyrexia, nausea, headache, thirst, confusion, and dry skin. If untreated, COMA and death ensue. The occurrence of heat stroke is sporadic: whereas a single individual may be affected (occasionally with fatal consequences), his or her colleagues may remain unaffected. Predisposing factors include unsatisfactory living or working conditions, inadequate acclimatisation to tropical conditions, unsuitable clothing, underlying poor health, and possibly dietetic or alcoholic indiscretions. The condition can be a major problem during pilgrimages – for example, the Muslim Hadj. Four clinical syndromes are recognised:

Heat collapse is characterised by fatigue, giddiness, and temporary loss of consciousness. It is accompanied by HYPOTENSION and BRADYCARDIA; there may also be vomiting and muscular cramps. Urinary volume is diminished. Recovery is usual.

Heat exhaustion is characterised by increasing weakness, dizziness and insomnia. In the majority of sufferers, sweating is defective; there are few, if any, signs of dehydration. Pulse rate is normal, and urinary output good. Body temperature is usually 37·8–38·3 °C.

Heat cramps (usually in the legs, arms or back, and occasionally involving the abdominal muscles) are associated with hard physical work at a high temperature. Sweating, pallor, headache, giddiness and intense anxiety are present. Body temperature is only mildly raised.

Heat hyperpyrexia is heralded by energy loss and irritability; this is followed by mental confusion and diminution of sweating. The individual rapidly becomes restless, then comatose; body temperature rises to 41–42 °C or even higher. The condition is fatal unless expertly treated as a matter of urgency.

Treatment With the ?rst two syndromes, the affected individual must be removed immediately to a cool place, and isotonic saline administered – intravenously in a severe case. The fourth syndrome is a medical emergency. The patient should be placed in the shade, stripped, and drenched with water; fanning should be instigated. He or she should be wrapped in a sheet soaked in cool water and fanning continued. When rectal temperature has fallen to 39 °C, the patient is wrapped in a dry blanket. Immediately after consciousness returns, normal saline should be given orally; this usually provokes sweating. The risk of circulatory collapse exists. Convalescence may be protracted and the patient should be repatriated to a cool climate. Prophylactically, personnel intended for work in a tropical climate must be very carefully selected. Adequate acclimatisation is also essential; severe physical exertion must be avoided for several weeks, and light clothes should be worn. The diet should be light but nourishing, and ?uid intake adequate. Those performing hard physical work at a very high ambient temperature should receive sodium chloride supplements. Attention to ventilation and air-conditioning is essential; fans are also of value.... heat stroke

Heatherclean

(Heath and Heather) Senna leaves 75 per cent, Fennel 15 per cent, Frangula 5 per cent, Mate 2.5 per cent, Elder leaves 2.5 per cent. Non-persistent constipation. ... heatherclean

Heat Treatment

The use of heat to treat disease, aid recovery from injury, or to relieve pain. Heat treatment is useful for certain conditions, such as ligament sprains, as it stimulates blood flow and promotes healing of tissues.

Moist heat may be administered by soaking the affected area in a warm bath, or applying a hot compress or poultice. Dry heat may be administered by a heating pad, hot-water bottle, or by a heat lamp that produces infra-red rays. More precise methods of administering heat to tissues deeper in the body include ultrasound treatment and short-wave diathermy.... heat treatment

Heater-probe

n. a device that can be passed through an endoscope to apply controlled heat in order to coagulate a bleeding peptic ulcer.... heater-probe

Heath And Heather, Ltd.

From small beginnings this unique herbal enterprise grew into a national concern. Founded: 1920 by James Ryder, St Albans, Herts. On his death in 1937 the company passed to Mrs Joan Ryder. Vendors of fine herbal preparations and publishers of a number of booklets including: Gateway to Health and Famous Book of Herbs. Following the company’s ‘take-over’ from Booker Health Foods in 1987, it passed to The London Herb and Spice Co. Ltd., who maintain it as a brand leader in the health food trade.

Herbal combinations include: Rheumatic Pain tablets No 100: formula:– Guaiacum resin BPC ’49 50.0mg; Capsicum oleoresin BPC 0.6mg; the solid extracts of: Rhubarb (alc 60 per cent 1-4) BPC ’54 15mg; Uva Ursi (Aq 4:10) BPC ’34 12.0mg; Bogbean (Aq 1:4) 30.0mg; Celery seed (Aq l:4) BPC ’49 30.0mg.

Indigestion and Flatulence tablets No 80: formula:– Capsicin BPC ’23 0.25mgm; dried aqueous extract of Skullcap (3-10) BPC ’34 3mgm; Valerian BPC 14mgm; Fennel seed BPC 14mgm; Myrrh BPC 19mgm; Papain BPC ’54 1mgm; Peppermint oil BP 0.0006ml. ... heath and heather, ltd.

Heat Disorders

The body functions most efficiently around 37°C, and any major temperature deviation disrupts body processes. The malfunctioning or overloading of the body’s mechanisms for keeping internal temperature constant may cause a heat disorder.

The mechanisms by which the body loses unwanted heat are controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. When blood temperature rises, the hypothalamus sends out nerve impulses to stimulate the sweat glands and dilate blood vessels in the skin, which cools the body down. However, excessive sweating may result in an imbalance of salts and fluids in the body, which may lead to heat cramps or heat exhaustion. When the hypothalamus is disrupted (for example, by a fever), the body may overheat, leading to heatstroke. Excessive external heat may cause prickly heat.

Most heat disorders can be prevented by gradual acclimatization to hot conditions and taking salt tablets or solution.

A light diet and frequent cool baths or showers may also help.

Alcohol and strenuous exercise should be avoided.... heat disorders




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