How Heat and Sweat Can Trigger Atopic Dermatitis Flare-Ups

How Heat and Sweat Can Trigger Atopic Dermatitis Flare-Ups

Summer heat does more than make you uncomfortable and sweaty. When you live with atopic dermatitis (eczema), high temperatures, humidity, and perspiration can make your skin miserable. Once your skin is itchy, red, and irritated, it’s hard to get it back to normal. Hiding in AC all day isn’t a practical solution.

Why does atopic dermatitis flare when you’re sweaty? Premium Allergy & Respiratory Center walks you through the biological pathways of eczema, when it could be more than a skin allergy, and what you can do to prevent flare-ups from affecting your daily routine.

Understanding the Impact Heat and Sweat Have on Your Skin

Before you can understand why your skin reacts when you’re hot and sweaty, you need to know the anatomy of atopic dermatitis. The skin allergy better known as eczema occurs when you have a weakened skin barrier and an overactive immune system. 

The Layers of Skin and Their Role in Hot Weather

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. While you technically have seven layers of skin, most people are familiar with only three.

• Epidermis

The top five upper layers of skin play an important role in keeping “invaders” from passing through the skin and into the deeper tissue layers. They include:

• Stratum Corneum: Made up of keratin and forms the first shield against foreign substances.
• Stratum Lucidum: A thin layer that’s only found in thicker skin on areas like the palm of your hand or the sole of your foot.
• Stratum Granulosum: Produces a chemical that bonds skin cells.
• Stratum Spinosum: A layer of defensive skin cells that aid the immune system.
• Stratum Basale: Made up of cells that produce keratin, lipids, and protein that create a protective barrier. This layer is also responsible for producing melanin, which determines your skin color.

• Dermis

A layer of connective tissue made mostly from collagen, giving skin its strength and elasticity. It also houses blood vessels, hair follicles, muscles, nerve endings, oil glands, and sweat glands. Its role is to help regulate your body temperature and bring nutrients to the rest of the skin.

• Hypodermis

A layer of fat that protects you from warm and cold temperatures, stores energy, and houses some blood vessels, hair follicles, and nerve endings. Oil glands release an oil that helps keep the skin moist and soft and forms a shield against certain foreign substances.

When Allergens, Irritants, and Pathogens Breach the Barrier

Your skin is the first line of defense against things the immune system views as intruders. When something comes into contact with your skin and the stratum spinosum sounds the alarm, your immune system responds by increasing blood flow to deliver inflammatory chemicals to fight the invader.

That inflammation triggers itching, and if you scratch it, the itching worsens. The skin barrier weakens, so moisture escapes and the skin’s upper layers become drier. Dry skin may form small blisters that ooze liquid and crust over.

You end up with patches of discoloration that may look scaly or have small scab-like crusts. If you scratch it to ease the itching, it worsens. Over time, that area of skin may thicken and become permanently discolored.

Your sweat contains oils and waste products such as potassium, sodium, and urea. Those waste chemicals trigger atopic dermatitis. Sweat can also trigger mast cells to produce histamine, which triggers the inflammation you experience.

Is It Really Heat and Sweat Triggering Atopic Dermatitis or Something Else?

Heat and humidity can trigger a number of skin problems. Knowing if it is eczema or something else helps you determine the best steps to take.

• Contact Dermatitis: A skin allergy that triggers a rash when it comes into contact with an allergen. It could be an allergic reaction to a detergent, fragrance, plant, or skin care ingredient. Avoiding those products or plants stops the rash.
• Fungal Infection: Fungi thrive in humidity, and sweat is the perfect environment. Most people experience this type of rash under their breasts, in the groin, or on the inside of their elbows. It looks a lot like eczema, but antifungal treatments are needed.
• Heat Rash: Occurs when sweat ducts are blocked. The rash looks like red bumps or sometimes tiny clear blisters that prickle or sting. When the skin is cooler and the sweat dries, the rash goes away.
• Hives: Heat hives occur when the skin temperature increases from heat, hot water, or sun exposure. It can also occur with exercise and stress. Large patches of skin become red and fade after a few hours.

Tips for Managing Flare-Ups Triggered by Heat and Oil Gland Activity

It’s definitely atopic dermatitis causing the red, itchy skin you’re dealing with. You can’t make Mother Nature turn down the thermostat; now what?

Get  Clearer Skin Through the Foods You Eat

You can help your body by making sure you’re eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods. Aim for foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fish, nuts, and seeds. Omega-3s help support skin barrier recovery and regulate systemic inflammation.

Antioxidants are also important. Try to incorporate fruits and vegetables of every color into your daily routine. Eat plenty of berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. They protect your cells from oxidative stress.

Reduce Excessive Sweat

When you’re exercising or spending time outside in the heat, have a hand-held misting fan or a neck fan to help keep your skin cooler. This can prevent excessive sweating.

Wear loose, natural fabrics like bamboo, cotton, or silk. They allow air to flow through your clothing to your skin.

Stay Hydrated

Your reaction to sweating may be to reduce how much water you drink. Don’t. Stay hydrated, as it helps keep your body cooler, which can reduce how much sweat your body feels it needs to produce.

Use the Three-Minute Rule

Follow the three-minute rule for skin care. When you shower in the morning, make sure you apply a fragrance-free ceramide-based skin cream all over your body. Do it within 3 minutes of your shower, before drying your skin. It helps capture moisture, which helps protect your skin’s barrier.

Allow your skin to air dry if possible. If you need to towel dry your body, pat your skin dry; don’t rub it.

Don’t take hot showers or baths. Make them lukewarm, as that keeps your skin from drying out.

When Heat-Related Eczema Needs More Than Home Treatments

Always see an allergist if your skin keeps you up all night or disrupts your daily routine. If you’re experiencing flare-ups that cover large areas of your body, make an appointment. 

If home treatments don’t work after a few weeks, schedule a consultation with Dr. Sabry at Premium Allergy & Respiratory Center. You don’t want to risk a secondary infection as pustules leak and scab over for weeks at a time.

Allergy tests determine exactly what you are allergic to. If it’s heat and sweat, she can recommend additional allergy treatments that can help ease your eczema flare-ups. If it’s something else, you’ll have answers and new, effective allergy treatments to try.