Heat spots Health Dictionary

Heat Spots: From 1 Different Sources


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.
Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary

Prickly Heat

See MILIARIA.... prickly heat

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

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

Liver Spots

A misnomer applied to the brown MACULES often seen on the backs of the hands of those chronically exposed to sunlight (see LENTIGO). They have no connection with any liver disorder.... liver spots

Mongolian Blue Spots

Irregularly shaped areas of bluish-black pigmentation found occasionally on the buttocks, lower back or upper arms in newborn infants of African, Chinese and Japanese parentage, and sometimes in the babies of black-haired Europeans. They measure from one to several centimetres in diameter, and usually disappear in a few months. They are commonly mistaken for bruises.... mongolian blue spots

Age Spots

Liver spots. Pigment defects.

External: Aloe Vera juice or gel. Comfrey paste: Mix a little powder and water. ... age spots

Café Au Lait Spots

Patches of coffeecoloured skin that may occur anywhere on the body.

Café au lait spots are usually oval in shape and may measure several centimetres across.

Generally, a few spots are not significant; larger numbers may be a sign of neurofibromatosis.... café au lait spots

Koplik’s Spots

Tiny, grey-white spots that appear in the mouth during the incubation period of measles.... koplik’s spots

De Morgan’s Spots

De Morgan’s spots are a type of small HAEMANGIOMA occuring in the skin of middle-aged people. No more than 3 mm in diameter, they are rarely widespread and are not malignant.... de morgan’s spots

Heat

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

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

Koplik’s Spots

Bluish-white spots appearing on the mucous membrane of the mouth in cases of MEASLES about the third day, and forming the ?rst part of the rash in this disease.... koplik’s spots

Spots Before The Eyes

Also called FLOATERS, these can arise from a variety of causes including in?ammation and bleeding in the eye, or preceding a retina detachment. They may also occur for a variety of totally harmless reasons. (See EYE, DISORDERS OF.)... spots before the eyes

Heat Rash

See: PRICKLY HEAT. ... heat rash

De Morgan’s Spots

Harmless red or purple raised spots in the skin, consisting of a cluster of minute blood vessels. About 2 mm across, the spots usually affect middle-aged or older people. With increasing age, the spots become more numerous but do not increase in size. They may bleed if injured. Treatment is unnecessary.... de morgan’s spots

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

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

Bitot’s Spots

cheesy foamy greyish spots that form on the surface of dry patches of conjunctiva at the sides of the eyes. They consist of fragments of keratinized epithelium. A common cause is vitamin A deficiency. [P. A. Bitot (1822–88), French physician]... bitot’s spots

Brushfield Spots

greyish-brown spots seen in the iris of the eye. They can be found in normal individuals but are usually associated with *Down’s syndrome. [T. Brushfield (1858–1937), British physician]... brushfield spots

Campbell De Morgan Spots

see angioma. [C. G. de Morgan (1811–76), British physician]... campbell de morgan spots

Cotton-wool Spots

soft fluffy spots in the retina resulting from accumulations of *axoplasm in the nerve-fibre layer of the retina. These may indicate diseases causing hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) in the nerve-fibre layer (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, connective-tissue disease, or AIDS).... cotton-wool spots

Fordyce Spots

visible sebaceous glands present in most individuals. They are 1–3-mm painless papules that may be noticed on the scrotum, shaft of the penis, labia, and inner surface and border of the lips. They become more visible from puberty onwards and are easier to see when the skin is stretched. Completely harmless, they are not sexually transmitted or infectious and do not require any treatment. [J. A. Fordyce (1858–1925), US dermatologist]... fordyce spots

Fuchs’ Spots

pigmented lesions in the macular area of the retina that are seen in severely myopic (short-sighted) individuals. They are breaks in *Bruch’s membrane allowing choroidal *neovascularization and can result in reduced vision. [E. Fuchs]... fuchs’ spots



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