Diaper rash is an inflammation and skin lesion caused by a fungal or microbial infection, which occurs in adults, but more often in young children. About how to treat diaper rash with the help of pharmacy and folk remedies, is described in this article.
Causes of diaper rash
The most common cause of diaper rash is increased sweating with frequent rubbing of skin folds. As a result, this leads first to irritation and redness of the skin, then to infection. If you do not decide on time how to treat diaper rash, then cracks and the appearance of bleeding from them can be added to these unpleasant symptoms.
Groups of people who are most often affected by this disease:
- patients with impaired renal function, obese or with very delicate and sensitive skin;
- people who lead an inactive lifestyle, in clothes prefer synthetics;
- visitors to pools in which water is treated with bleach;
- older people and those who do not pay attention to personal hygiene;
- children under the age of 1 year and newborns (above is a photo of diaper rash in a child).
How to treat the disease and what preventive measures exist that prevent the development of complications? These issues are discussed in detail in the article.
The most common causes of diaper rash:
- high sweating due to heating or fever;
- active formation of skin secretion secreted from the sebaceous glands;
- friction between the folds of the epidermis;
- urinary incontinence (more common in elderly patients);
- after bathing the skin does not have time to dry;
- wearing underwear and using linen made of synthetics;
- hemorrhoids;
- skin diseases;
- allergic skin reactions to various hygiene products;
- poor immunity.
Symptoms and areas of diaper rash
Most often, this disease manifests itself in places where there are folds of skin: these are the armpits, buttocks, inguinal zone, under the breasts of women, folds on the stomach and neck, between the fingers of the limbs and inside the palm, behind the ears. Many of these areas are covered with clothing almost all day, and therefore there is no ventilation or air access in them. In addition, many sweating glands are located on them, which has an additional irritating effect on the epidermis.
Inflammation is formed due to the action on the skin of sweat and the secretion of the sebaceous glands containing irritating substances. Skin folds also contribute to the rapid multiplication of microorganisms, because inside them the temperature and humidity increase, the access of air and lighting is reduced, which contributes to the formation of an optimal nutrient medium for microbes and fungi. Therefore, most often patients come to the doctor asking how to treat diaper rash in adults between the legs, in the groin or buttocks.
Symptoms of the disease can develop in a few hours. They are as follows:
- redness of the skin or wrinkles;
- the appearance of cracks and spotting;
- peeling of the epidermis and the appearance of erosion;
- the affected areas acquire a gray coating, an unpleasant smell is felt due to multiplied microbes or fungus;
- in affected areas, the patient feels itching, burning and pain;
- when processing folds, the sensations are very unpleasant and painful.
Various forms of the disease
Diaper rash as a disease has 3 degrees characterizing the severity of its course:
- a mild form manifests itself in the presence of a small red rash, in which the skin remains intact;
- medium - ulcers and erosion form in the affected areas;
- severe - cracks, crusts appear on the dermis, a sharp lesion increases.
In the absence of treatment and a long chronic disease, eczema may occur with frequent relapses.
General principles of treatment and drugs
In order to figure out how to treat diaper rash, you should know that for this you can use both folk and medicinal products. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on how quickly problems are detected in the patient.
For successful treatment, the rules of care, herbal and medical products apply:
- washing with a soapy solution of skin folds and drying (soak, but not rub), air baths three times a day;
- anstiseptics, which are used to treat the affected areas 2-3 times a day for 5-7 days (tincture of calendula, salicylic and boric acid, furatsilin);
- drying agents (talc, Teymurov's paste, zinc ointment, baby powder);
- ointments and creams necessary for the regeneration of skin cells (Bepanten, Panthenol, Dexpanthenol, Solcoseryl); they are applied 2-3 times a day for at least 7 days;
- lotions from a napkin soaked in a solution of copper sulfate;
- the use of infusions from medicinal plants;
- sterilized sea buckthorn oil (or other essential oils) to soften the skin;
- antihistamines that help reduce itching and discomfort (Tavegil, Loratadine, etc.).
Treatment in men
The most problematic places in the male half of humanity are the areas of the armpits and groin. Their lesions are often found in obese men and those who do not adhere to the rules of personal hygiene. Patients with diabetes are also at risk. Unpleasant symptoms of redness, itching and pain can also occur with sexually transmitted diseases, so the first step in treatment should be a visit to the doctor to clarify the diagnosis and exclude concomitant diseases.
As a rule, the doctor explains how to treat diaper rash under the armpits or in the inguinal zone, prescribes medicines and herbal remedies that give an anti-inflammatory and wound healing effect.
In addition to maintaining personal hygiene and washing the affected areas with clean water twice a day, folk remedies are usually used: decoctions and infusions of chamomile, calendula, oak bark, and thyme. They are prepared simply: 1 tbsp. l dry grass for 1 tbsp. boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes. over low heat, then take a piece of cotton cloth, moisten with infusion and apply to affected skin.
Under the influence of medicinal herbs , the skin dries and the inflammation is removed. To mitigate it, steamed vegetable oils (olive, sea buckthorn, lavender, etc.) are used, which lubricate the affected areas 2-3 times a day.
If infection with a fungus or bacteria occurs, then treatment is best carried out under the supervision of a dermatologist using medications.
Diaper rash between the fingers and toes
Very often, such diaper rash occurs due to mechanical injuries and high sweating of the legs, to which a fungal infection is often added.
Means and methods of treating diaper rash on the extremities:
- wash hands and feet regularly with soap and water;
- the affected areas should be dried with napkins or a hair dryer, then treated with disinfectants;
- wear socks only from natural fabrics (cotton, wool), shoes - from breathable materials;
- try to walk barefoot more often or in light slippers;
- to reduce sweating, use talcum powder and special ointments with a drying effect;
- make lotions with zinc;
- smear with healing and regenerating medications (tar paste, etc.);
- for fungal infections - use special treatment.
Inguinal treatment
Most often, diaper rash in adults and children occurs in the inguinal zone, which is associated with sweating in this area, the presence of folds, as well as discharge from the genitals, changes in the composition of urine and feces, which are irritating to the epidermis.
The rules for treating diaper rash in the groin are similar:
- hygiene procedures (washing) twice a day, especially on hot days;
- wearing linen made of cotton fabric, without synthetics, which would not rub the skin in folds;
- conducting therapeutic measures: treatment of folds with antiseptics, talcum powder, the use of herbal decoctions and baths;
- to reduce discomfort, make baths with a yarrow broth;
- with the appearance of ulcers or erosion, you must visit a dermatologist.
Treatment of diaper rash in women
Some women have dermatological problems under the mammary glands, which often occurs during the period of gestation, often due to concomitant vaginal candidiasis. Symptoms are small red vesicles, which can merge into large conglomerates and give complications in the form of erosion.
Most often, diaper rash occurs in women with excess weight after rubbing clothes with high sweating in the chest area, the disease can be aggravated by the appearance of cracks, ulcers on the skin.
Recommendations on how to treat diaper rash under the breast are as follows:
- mild forms are treated similarly to the above types of diaper rash;
- a neglected disease is treated with zinc ointment and copper sulfate powder;
- in severe forms, it is better to consult a specialist and get an appointment with more powerful medications after determining the cause of the pathology.
Diaper rash in the elderly and their treatment
The layer of the epidermis in the elderly is thinner and drier, less elastic, due to which, with the slightest mechanical damage, the skin becomes inflamed and can heal for a long time. Therefore, for the elderly it is very important to use the rules for treating diaper rash:
- clothes and bedding should be selected only from cotton;
- apply additional skin moisturizing with baby creams or ointments with a healing effect;
- treat the affected areas and folds with decoctions of herbs (oak bark, chamomile, etc.);
- use drying powders from zinc;
- with a more severe form of the disease - use medicinal antibacterial and antifungal agents.
Some rules on how to treat diaper rash in a bedridden patient, especially in the elderly:
- hygiene procedures that eliminate the causes of inflammation;
- antiseptics: resorcinol (1%), copper sulfate (0.4%), zinc;
- for drying it is better to use a hair dryer, since wiping can injure the epidermis;
- after the skin has dried, ointments are applied to regenerate the cells: “Methyluracil”, “Solcoseryl”, “Levomekol”, “Panthenol”, etc .;
- for softening: sea buckthorn oil.
Diaper rash in young children
Diaper rash (or diaper dermatitis) in babies under the age of one year is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria or fungi in areas with high humidity and heat, where delicate baby skin forms folds. Most often, irritations occur in the diaper area (perineum, anus, upper thighs), where there is also an optimal environment for the reproduction of microorganisms due to excretion of urine, feces and sweat, and there is no access to fresh air.
Symptoms of diaper rash in young children: redness, itching, with deep damage, ulcers and scabs appear.
Prevention measures and means of treating diaper rash in the groin of an infant are as follows:
- creating a microclimate in a room with cool and humid air, regular ventilation;
- when using cloth diapers, they must be boiled and dried in the sun every time;
- arrange baby baths in the summer, in the open air (several hours a day);
- daily make baths with the addition of infusions of medicinal herbs: succession, chamomile, oak bark, oats, etc.
- apply drugs only on clean, dry skin;
- use drying powders based on zinc oxide, magnesium hydrosilicate, which are the main components of the finished baby powder;
- for treatment, ointments and creams can be used: "Drapolen", "Bepanten", "Desitin", "Diaderm", pastes "Lassara" (salicylic-zinc) or "Zinc".
Alternative diaper rash treatment recipes
Home-made baby powder is one of the recommendations on how to treat diaper rash in infants. For its preparation, it is necessary to mix 50 g of talc, 20 g of corn starch, 7 g of zinc oxide and 2 g of allantoin. Add 3-5 drops of oil to the mixture, which will not cause allergies in the baby.
For successful treatment of diaper rash, ointments are also used, which are easy to prepare on their own, for which honey, propolis and sour cream are mixed, then the mass is heated in a water bath, put in a warm place for 2-3 days, then boil and cool. Home ointment is applied to the affected foci for 20-40 minutes, covered with a cloth, then it must be washed off, you can use chamomile broth for this. The course of treatment is 1 week, then a break, during which you can try other therapeutic agents.
The successful treatment of such an unpleasant phenomenon as diaper rash depends on how quickly the problem is detected and the degree of skin damage. The above methods and tools show how to treat diaper rash in adults and children using some simple rules of personal hygiene, as well as the use of herbal and medicinal products.