Severe rash on legs

[Gibbs]

Hi not sure where to put this question....but here goes. Everytime I visit the world I get a terrible itchy, burning, red rash on my legs. I don't know what it is but I've also seen others in the park with the same condition. If anyone knows what it is I would like to be proactive and maybe take something to help me battle this condition while I'm in the world.
Thanks

[allentownguy]

ummm this sounds like "prickly heat"
this is what i found, it's a little long but i hope it helps

prickly heat is an itchy and red skin rash which often causes a stinging, or prickling, sensation. It often occurs when you sweat more than usual, which is usually due to a hot or humid climate.

Excessive sweating can cause your sweat glands to become blocked, which can trap sweat underneath your skin. This causes irritation and results in a red rash developing

Prickly heat causes a rash to form on your skin. The rash is normally made up of tiny spots, or bumps, surrounded by a patch of red skin. Sometimes, the spots look like tiny blisters. This rash may cause:

* mild swelling,
* itching, and
* a stinging or intense prickling sensation.

The rash can affect any part of your body, but most commonly appears on your:

* back,
* abdomen,
* neck,
* upper chest,
* groin,
* armpits,
* hands, or
* feet.

If you have prickly heat, your symptoms will usually be worse on the areas of your body which are covered by clothing. This is because your clothing can cause friction, and will make you sweat more frequently.



Prickly heat is not a serious condition, and rarely requires any specific treatment. Most rashes will disappear naturally after a few days.

However, if you have prickly heat, there are a number of steps, such as those that are listed below, which may help to ease your symptoms.

* Avoid excessive heat and humidity where possible. Try to spend some time in the shade, or try taking a small fan out with you. Being exposed to heat will only make you sweat more, and could make your rash worse.
* Wear loose cotton clothing. Avoid wearing synthetic fibres, such as nylon and polyester, because they trap heat more easily than natural fibres.
* Keep your skin cool. Taking a cool bath, or shower, will help prevent sweating and will also soothe your skin.
* Calamine lotion can be used if your skin feels sore and irritated. It will help cool and soothe your skin. You can buy it at most pharmacies.
* Hydrocortisone cream can be used if your rash feels particularly itchy and irritated. You can buy low-strength hydrocortisone cream from your local pharmacy. However, avoid using this cream on your face, and always follow the instructions on the packet.

[Sunshine1010]

I've never had this rash, but I've read about it on Intercot before. From what I've read, it's from little pieces of glass that's in the asphalt/concrete and the sun reflects off of it.

I have no idea of the validity of this, but I've read it more than once on this board.

To try to avoid this:....hhhmmmm, wear pants, put sunscreen on your legs, take some benadryl.....

[MsMin]

ha! I have this rash right now. I get it whenever I visit WDW in the heat. I went to the first AID station in about 1991 and they said it was an allergy to the pavement. However it only happens in the heat and not in cooler weather. So as mentioned above it is some sort of heat rash however it only occurs w/ the exposed area and not under the fabric like a typical heat rash. Their sidewalks do produce a lot of heat and there is a lot of pavement. It also starts more as red blotches for me. I was just wondering if any other conditions contribute to it? Both my sister and I get it and both of us started about the same time, in the early 90's??

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I have had something like this before, its a heat/friction rash....cornstarch or powder helps...wear ventilated clothes to allow air onto your skin because it seems worse when you are sweaty.

[Disney Lynn]

Click here: Leg Rash from Heat

I don't know if this (above) will work as a link. If not, google "Golfer's Vasculitis" and "Wendy Bumgardner" (she's the writer of a good article).

I,too, get this rash at WDW (when it's hot). Very annoying!

[MNNHFLTX]

I have had this same problem a couple of times, although not as severe as yours, it sounds like. It faded after a couple of days, but I mentioned it to my doctor who said that he sees this kind of thing a lot in the summertime. It's either one of two things, either a heat rash (inflammation of the hair follicles) intensified on the ankles because of the heat rising from the pavement or an inflammation of the blood vessels in the legs because of the heat. In any case, there's really no treatment he knew of that was very effective, except just taking frequent breaks from walking on hot pavement (kind of hard to do at WDW, I know!) He also said to avoid putting lotions and ointments on your legs before doing a lot of walking in hot weather, as this would potentially would make it worse. I can't imagine it would hurt to apply some benadryl or calamine lotion after you get back to the hotel in the evenings, as long as it is washed off before you go out again the next day.

[kbean]

I live here in Fl, I know exactly what your talking about. Everytime I work outside, I breek out in a heat rash only in the summer. The docs has told me there is a mediacted lotion for it. But he also said I can use Selsuin Blue shampoo. Leave it on for 10 mins before you shower. Shampoo does takes a few days longer to work....about a week. I'd buy a bottle a start using it a few days before you leave on the spots that you know you break out.
Hope this helps

[Gibbs]

Wow! Thanks for all the info....I had no idea. I too live in FL and have for all my life but I only get this rash when I go to WDW. Does anyone have any more info regarding the reaction to the ashphalt??

[motherof4]

I too have had the same rash every time I visit the world. I am the only one that had it in my family.My children didn't have it nor did my husband I thought it might be a heat rash I come from Massachusetts and and it gets quite hot and humid here in the summer months but I never got that rash at home.as soon as
I get home it goes away very strange.

[Mousemates]

My wife got a similar rash our last trip in June and when she talked about with the pharmycist at the walgreens near DD, he suggested an over the counter product that was primarily designed to treat razor burn for women....it worked well and her rash went right away.

[MNNHFLTX]

I too have had the same rash every time I visit the world. I am the only one that had it in my family.My children didn't have it nor did my husband I thought it might be a heat rash I come from Massachusetts and and it gets quite hot and humid here in the summer months but I never got that rash at home.as soon as
I get home it goes away very strange.

I think it might be that at WDW you spend all day walking on sidewalks and pavement, while at home probably not so much. And I'm sure some people are just more prone to it then others. I know neither my son nor husband have ever had a problem either, I seem to be the only one that gets this kind of rash.

[mouseketeer mom]

What an interesting thread! This is my first summertime trip to WDW (next week), I usually visit in cooler months. For those of you who get the rash...are you prone to other skin conditions? Rosacea? Eczema? Just wondering if there is a correlation. I hope I don't get it!! I tend to get "red" easily..I have a mild rosacea..wondering if there is a connection.

[Gibbs]

I don't have any skin conditions other than I seem to have deveolped sensitive skin in my "old age"( I'm 36)

[IamBelle]

I sometimes get this rash when I'm at WDW. The only other time I get it is when I'm in salt water at the beach. I don't understand how the pavement contributes to the rash, can someone please help me understand this?
Thanks,
IamBelle