Identifying and treating common skin conditions in summer.

(Baonghean.vn) - Summer weather, with its hot and humid conditions and dusty environment, creates favorable conditions for skin diseases to develop. While common summer skin diseases are rarely life-threatening, the itching and sores on the skin significantly affect the physical and mental health of patients.

Hot summer weather causes the skin to sweat more, and dirt easily adheres to it, leading to skin infections and itching. The most common are skin infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci, such as folliculitis, impetigo, and boils.

Bacterial dermatitis and folliculitis.

The condition can occur in any hairy area of ​​the body. It manifests as papules, pustules, erosions, and crusts at the hair follicle opening. Infection can spread deeper into the hair follicle, such as folliculitis. When a hair follicle becomes abscessed, it can develop into a boil, or in more severe cases, a cluster of boils or subcutaneous tissue inflammation.

Hot weather, excessive sweating, and dirt clogging pores, along with overactive sweat glands, create ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive on the skin and cause dermatitis. (Image: Internet)

To prevent infection, it's important to bathe regularly, change clothes frequently, and ensure your skin stays dry and clean. Additionally, you can use antiseptic and antibacterial medications.

Treatment for mild cases usually only requires topical medications such as antiseptic solutions like Castellani, Milian, or antibiotic ointments like Fucidin, Bactroban, and Fusidic acid. Severe cases may require oral antibiotics such as first and second-generation cephalosporins, oxacillin, and cloxacillin.

Viral dermatitis

Hot and humid weather creates a favorable environment for viruses to thrive. The disease usually manifests acutely and requires examination and treatment at a hospital to identify the causative virus and prescribe the correct medication.

Some skin diseases are caused by viruses, such as chickenpox, shingles (caused by the Varicella zoster virus), herpes (Herpes virus), hand-foot-mouth disease, etc. Chickenpox manifests as solitary, centrally-concave blisters scattered throughout the body. Shingles usually presents as clusters of blisters on a reddened skin background, distributed along the path of peripheral nerves, accompanied by significant pain...

For the treatment of chickenpox and shingles, colored medicated solutions such as Castellani or Milian are often applied to the blisters. Antiviral creams like acyclovir can be used in the early stages. Systemic treatment for viral skin diseases may involve antiviral medications such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. Fever reducers and pain relievers may be used if the patient experiences fever and significant pain.

Pyoderma

This condition is common in summer because the skin is always moist and sweats a lot, making it easy to get infected. Depending on the cause, it can affect the superficial or deep layers of the skin. Based on the bacteria causing the disease, pyoderma is classified into two groups: streptococcal pyoderma and staphylococcal pyoderma.

The most common causative agent is group A hemolytic streptococcus, but most cases involve a mixture of both streptococci and staphylococci. Impetigo is common in people with poor hygiene and, if left untreated, can spread rapidly to other healthy areas of the skin.

This is an acute purulent infection causing tissue necrosis in the hair follicle due to Staphylococcus aureus. (Image: Internet)

Treatment for pyoderma primarily involves a combination of topical and oral medications. For localized vesicular dermatitis, patients will be prescribed antiseptic solutions in solvents such as betadine or iodine alcohol.

For the treatment of generalized pustular dermatitis, the main approach involves using macrolide antibiotics, antihistamines, B and C vitamins, and improving the body's overall health.

Antibiotic treatment for pyoderma is highly effective and leads to rapid recovery; however, prolonged use can easily cause side effects such as antibiotic resistance and allergic reactions. Therefore, patients should absolutely avoid self-medicating to treat pyoderma at home without a specific prescription from a specialist doctor.

Heat rash

Heat rash typically appears in clusters or large patches in areas of the skin that sweat a lot, such as the chest, back, and forehead. Sometimes it can also occur in large creases like the armpits and groin, or even all over the body.

Conditions that favor the appearance of heat rash include high temperatures, a hot and humid microclimate, poor ventilation, children wearing tight clothing, and infrequent bathing.

The condition manifests as reddish-pink papules with small blisters or white pustules interspersed. The skin is inflamed, causing the patient (usually children) to feel restless, uncomfortable, and itchy. Scratching only further irritates the skin, making it more susceptible to bacterial infection.

Inflamed skin causes patients (usually children) to feel restless, uncomfortable, and itchy. (Image: Internet)

The quickest way to get rid of heat rash is to cool the skin and stop sweating. If your skin is cooled, the heat rash will disappear quickly.

More severe forms of heat rash require topical medications to reduce discomfort and prevent complications. Commonly used topical medications include calamine lotion to soothe itching, and anhydrous lanolin to prevent blockage of sweat glands and stop new rashes from forming.

Useful traditional Vietnamese remedies for prickly heat include: consuming and bathing with cooling vegetables and fruits such as bitter melon, dandelion, Sài đất (a type of herb), and lemon. Note that these leaves must be thoroughly washed before grinding, filtering, or boiling for bathing. Cooling drinks such as kudzu powder, orange juice, and lemon juice are also very effective in treating prickly heat.

Sweat gland disease

Excessive sweating can also lead to sweat gland inflammation, especially in young children, manifesting as blisters, tiny papules, and redness in areas with many sweat glands such as the back, chest, forehead, and neck. Patients often experience intense itching, especially in hot weather when sweating.

Treatment for hidradenitis involves applying a cream containing antibacterial agents and a mild corticosteroid such as fucidin H, once or twice daily.

For children, you can bathe them with baby bath solutions such as lactacid, cetaphil, etc., and dress them in cool, breathable, sweat-absorbent cotton clothing to keep their skin dry and airy.

Fungal skin infections

This is a very common skin disease in our country. The disease manifests in many different ways. Symptoms can appear on the skin, mucous membranes, hair, and nails. There are three most common types of fungal skin infections: athlete's foot, jock itch, and tinea corporis.

Athlete's foot is more common in men than in women. In severe cases, it can lead to bacterial superinfection with pustules, blisters, swelling of the foot, and fever.

Jock itch commonly appears in hot weather, especially in the summer, when sweating frequently or wearing damp clothing. The lesions are usually found in the creases of the thighs. They are round spots with blistered edges and fewer blisters in the center.

Fungal infections of the body vary in size, severity, and depth depending on the individual's constitution and the specific fungal strain. (Image: Internet)

When infected with fungi, patients should avoid using antifungal medications combined with corticosteroids, as this can cause side effects such as skin atrophy, stretch marks, and create opportunities for the fungus to proliferate. For small areas of fungal infections of the hands and feet, body, nails, and tinea versicolor, patients can use topical creams containing ketoconazole, miconazole, terbinafine, etc., for treatment.

In addition, the following guidelines should be followed to effectively treat and prevent fungal skin infections: Cleanse the skin thoroughly after exercise and when sweating profusely in hot weather; Wash clothes and bedding regularly to eliminate disease-causing fungi; Do not share personal items with others to avoid spreading the infection.

Atopic dermatitis

The disease flares up most frequently during prolonged hot weather, as high humidity and temperature easily disrupt the body's thermoregulation and circulation, creating a favorable environment for atopic dermatitis. One of the characteristics of this disease is itching; the hotter it gets, the more it itches. Intense and uncontrolled scratching can easily cause sores and infections, making the condition worse.

The symptoms of atopic dermatitis are very diverse, ranging from simple patches of dry, depigmented skin to severe manifestations such as generalized redness of the skin.

Typical symptoms of the disease vary depending on the stage. Acute stage: characterized by circular red patches with skin peeling, blisters and scales on the surface, and surrounding edema. Chronic stage: manifested by red papules, thickened skin, scaling, and skin pigmentation disorders. Image: Internet

Common triggers for atopic dermatitis include soaps, detergents, perfumes and cosmetics; chemicals such as oils or solvents; dirt, cigarette smoke, dry weather, low humidity; after hot baths; skin infections, especially those caused by Staphylococcus aureus; sudden temperature changes, etc.

Treatment for atopic dermatitis includes: skin care; identifying and eliminating the cause or factors that worsen the condition; and using anti-inflammatory medications.

Skincare: Use moisturizing creams to soften and hydrate the skin. Avoid contact with skin irritants such as soap, disinfectants, chemicals, cigarette smoke, and alcohol.

Foods that worsen the condition should be eliminated. If house dust is the cause, clean the bed, change the sheets and mattress cover weekly, and use a fan to reduce humidity in the house. New clothes should be washed thoroughly before wearing to remove formaldehyde and other chemicals that may irritate the skin and remain from the manufacturing and packaging process.

Ngoc Anh

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