Fitness Blurbs » Skin

Exercise Induced Hives, Exercise Hives, Physical Urticaria

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:53:27 +0000

Exercise induced hives, or urticaria for formal, is a physical cause of hives and other allergic reaction symptoms. Not completely understood why, but exercise seems to cause the release of histamines in some individuals.

For many, exercises hives occur after exercise on particularly hot, humid or cold days. And it can lead to exercise-induced anaphylaxis, albeit rarely.

Exercise hives are a form of physical urticaria. Physical urticaria may be caused by sunlight, heat, cold, water, pressure and vibration as well.

Other allergy symptoms that may accompany your exercise hives include:

You should always stop exercising immediately if you experience hives.

Eating certain foods before you exercise may contribute to fitness induced urticaria outbreak. So, you may want to avoid exercising for several hours after you eat.

Certain antihistamines can prevent symptoms sometimes. And avoiding certain exercises may prove to be helpful.

Skin Gland Sweating and Causes for Excessive (Hyperhidrosis) Sweats or No (Anhidrosis) Sweat

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:04:09 +0000

Sweat is a salty liquid that your skin glands produce for the sole purpose of cooling your body. Under normal gland sweating conditions, you will generally experience sweats under your arms, on your feet and in the palms of your hands.

Sweating a lot is normal when:

it’s hot
during menopause
when you exercise
when you are anxious
when you have a fever

However, sweating too much is a condition called hyperhidrosis. This condition might be caused by:

Sweating too little, anhidrosis, can cause your body to overheat creating a life-threatening situation. Causes of anhidrosis are:

When your sweat mixes with bacteria, which is naturally present on your skin, it has the potential to cause a stinky smell. Bathing regularly helps control the production of this offensive odor.

Do yourself, and others, a favor by jumping in the shower after every fitness workout for a sweaty bacteria odor wash off.

Cause for Bruising and Bruise Treatment to Minimize the Black and Blue

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:02:33 +0000

Bruises are a common sports injury. They occur when a blow breaks small blood vessels, which leak out into tissue under your skin, leaving a black and blue mark.

Bruises can be painful and the area may swell. Also, muscles and bones can be bruised.

Typically, bruises look reddish at the start, turn bluish-purple and then, in their final stage, turn greenish-yellow. Most bruising lasts a couple of weeks, but in some cases it can take months for a bruised skin area to return to normal.

The best treatment to minimize bruising and aid in healing is to ice and elevate the area above your heart immediately after receiving a blow.

If you are bruising for no apparent reason or your bruise appears infected, then bring it to the attention of your physician.

Exercise Activity Heat Muscle Cramps and Sweat Cause of Rash

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:05:02 +0000

Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms, usually cramping the abdomen, arms, or legs muscles. If you sweat profusely during strenuous exercise or activity, then you are more liable to experience heat muscle cramps.

Your exercise or activity sweating depletes your body of salt and moisture. A low salt level in the muscles causes those “pull you right out of bed” painful cramps. When any of your muscles go into a heat cramp:

Drink clear juice or a sports beverage
Stop all activity and relax in a cool place
Your cramps don’t subside within 1 hour, seek medical assistance
Lay off your strenuous activity for a bit, continuing may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke

If you have heart problems or on a low-sodium diet, discuss your heat muscle cramping with your doctor.

Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by your sweating during hot, humid weather. It appears as a red cluster of pimples or small blisters. Your neck, upper chest, groin, under the breasts and elbow creases are the areas these sweaty heat rashes most often appear.

The best treatment is by keeping your “rashy” area dry, powdered for comfort and take steps to provide the skin rash surface a cooler, less humid environment.

Heat rashes can occur at any age, but most common often seen in young children.

Life Threatening Signs of Heat Stroke and Symptoms for Medical Emergency

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:08:44 +0000

The most serious and life-threatening heat illness is heat stroke. Exercising in hot and humid conditions can cause you body to become overheated resulting in its inability to control its own temperature. This lost control occurs when your body temperature rapidly increases and sweating mechanism fails, giving rise to its inability to cool itself down.

If your body (or any body) temperature rises to 106°F, or more, in the short span of about 10 to 15 minutes, this stroke of heat can cause death or permanent disability without emergency medical treatment.

Warning signs for a heat stroke do vary, but some of the following are more common:

nausea
dizziness
confusion
unconsciousness
rapid, strong pulse
throbbing headache
red, hot, dry skin (no sweating)
extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)

If you experience these signs, or witness them in somebody else, you are dealing with a life-threatening medical emergency situation. Get medical assistance as soon as possible, and in the meantime, begin cooling the overheated body down by any means possible.

Some examples of body cooling actions that are often possible in various situations:

remove clothing
no alcohol to drink
fan or blow air across the skin
getheat stroked body into the shade
continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102°F
use whatever means available to cool body ~ shower, tub of cool water, cool water spray, cool water sponging

Needs repeating, any body who is confused with red hot dry skin, a rapid pulse and positioned in a hot environment, may be experiencing a heat stroke. And this body is in desperate need of immediate medical attention.

Whenever it is hot and humid take it a bit easier during your fitness regime.

Heavy Sweating, Paleness and Feeling Faint Signs of Heat Exhaustion and Its Cool, Moist Skin

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:30:25 +0000

Heat exhaustion is a heat illness, usually developing after exposure to high temperatures coupled with an inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids.

Higher incidences of heat exhaustion are found in the elderly, high blood pressure sufferers, and those individuals working or exercising in hot, humid environments.

Heat exhaustion’s warning signs are:

When experiencing heat exhaustion, your skin may be cool and moist, pulse rate fast and weak, and breathing rate fast and shallow.

If you do not take the necessary steps to overcome your heat exhaustion, it can progress into heat stroke. Some steps you can take to assist your body in cooling:

drink cool fluids
take a cool shower/ bath
pat your body down with a damp clothe
move into an air-conditioned environment
take off your clothes, replace with lighter weight ones

Seek medical attention should your heat exhaustion symptoms get worse or drag on for more than one hour.

Overview of Extreme Heat Illness Heatstroke, Exhaustion, Cramps and Rash

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:49:38 +0000

Sweating is your body’s way for cooling itself. During extremely hot weather coupled with high humidity, sweating may not be enough to cool your body. In this condition, its temperature could rapidly rise to dangerously high levels that results in you experiencing a heat illness, aka hyperthermia.

When the air is humid (air with high water content), your body’s natural sweat evaporation cooling system markedly decreases. This decrease causes a corresponding reduction in your ability to release your body systems natural production of heat. And a very high body temperature can damage your brain or other vital organs.

Most heat illnesses occur from exercising or staying in a hot, humid environment for too long. Heat-related illnesses include:

Heat exhaustion is an illness that precedes heatstroke
Heat rash is a result of skin irritation from excessive sweating
Heat cramps are your muscles pains or spasms that occur during heavy exercise
Heat stroke is a life-threatening illness in which body temperature may rise above 106° F in minutes

Some common sense approaches to help prevent heat illness’ rapid rise in body temperature are:

pace yourself
drink plenty fluids
replenish salt and minerals via your diet
limit time in the sun’s heat or hot environments
wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing
wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade and keep your head cool

Other conditions that can limit your body’s ability to regulate temperature include:

The risk for heat-related illness may increase with the use of the following drugs:

psychotropics ~ haloperidol, chlorpromazine
diuretics (water pills) ~ affect fluid balance in the body
Parkinson’s disease medications ~ can inhibit perspiration
tranquilizers such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thiozanthenes

And promote a fit cool body by wearing temperature appropriate clothing.