small red bumps

hi. so i have been getting these small red bumps all over my chest and some on my neck and they dont seem to to be going away. the wheather has been very hot and i have been sweating a lot. not sure if it has anything to do with the spots. it's been almost a week and i'm not sure what's wrong. please help.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Without examination it is very difficult to confirm a diagnosis, but the symptoms are suggestive of prickly heat(malaria) or sweat dermatitis. Prickly heat (miliaria) is an itchy skin rash caused by trapped sweat. It tends to occur on areas of the body where skin touches skin, such as under the breasts, on the inner thighs, and under the arms. Tiny red spots with itching and pricking sensation are the characteristic appearance of this rash.

Avoid using any lotions and creams for the meantime. Use a mild cleanser with moisturizing properties like Cetaphil. Also use cotton clothes and change the clothes twice if there is any increased sweating. Try keeping the skin free of sweat as far as possible. If the symptoms still persist then you can apply mild steroid like dermacort. For the itching antihistaminics like Benadryl or Claritin can be taken.

Hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.