Louisiana’s Heat Is Causing a Painful Problem Many People Won’t Talk About
(99.9 KTDY) - With Louisiana constantly dealing with soaring temperatures and high humidity levels, we may not want to admit it, but chafing is a problem for many people.
Whether you are just dragging your kids around, out at the pool, or trying to get some exercise in, the rubbing and friction between our bodies and fabrics can lead to some pretty painful abrasions!
It may be a topic you shy away from, but when it happens, knowing what to do is imperative to heal the pain of skin or fabric rubbing. It's a painful situation.
You don't have to buy an expensive product to get help, but you do need to find the one that offers your skin the most relief.
Chafing Can Happen to Anyone in Louisiana
We decided, since so many people have this issue and don't want to talk about it, which we understand, the least we could do is give some information about it. Most importantly, we want to give you some tips to deal with it.
Chafing on your body parts can be annoying, then painful, or downright dangerous if you scratch the area and it gets infected. The excessive heat only exacerbates the problem, whether you are a woman or a man. It doesn't matter whether you are physically fit or inactive; in this blazing heat, it can be a real pain to deal with.
What Is Chafing?
According to Mount Sinai Hospital, it's easy to give you a definition. It happens when skin rubs against other skin. So, this can happen in any area of your body. It can lead to mild irritation or major pain.
Between your thighs is one place where chafing often happens, but you can have the same experience anywhere on your body where your skin rubs together. Adding a barrier, such as clothing, can help, according to experts.
In addition to skin-on-skin chafing, the Cleveland Clinic says chafing can occur between your skin and certain clothing. They point out that it can occur in warm, moist areas of your body. And in Louisiana, our entire body is typically warm and moist from May through November.
Chafing Can Happen Anywhere
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you can experience chafing in a variety of areas, including the following:
- Armpits
- Breasts
- Butt
- Groin
- Nipples
- Thighs
What Can We Do to Prevent Chafing and Treat It?
What Are Some Things That Can Help Prevent Chafing?
Compression Shorts
Womensrunning.com says one of the biggest pieces of advice they can give is to wear compression shorts. They say you can try snug clothing if you don't have compression clothing.
READ MORE: TIRED OF THE HEAT? THINK ABOUT THIS: THE LOUISIANA WINTER IS CALLING FOR A CALL AND A WET WINTER
In general, you need a barrier between your skin in order to prevent chafing. You want to be very careful with snug clothing, as that can be uncomfortable in the heat.
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Things You Can Rub on The Impacted Area
When you experience chafing, they suggest stopping whatever is causing it. That can be difficult if it happens in any area where you can't stop it, like between your thighs.
They suggest using a clean, dry area. The next step is to apply aloe vera, then petroleum jelly. If it gets worse, consult your doctor.
You can also apply petroleum jelly to any sensitive areas prone to chafing. It helps to maintain that barrier so that hopefully chafing won't happen again.
Moisture-Wicking Clothing
According to webmd.com, choosing moisture-wicking clothing can help in the battle against chafing. They even suggest that if you are a lady, you exercise in just your sports bra. For men, just exercise without a shirt.
Anti-Blister and Chafing Creams
You can look at your local store or go online to buy products that help prevent blisters and chafing. There are a ton of choices on Amazon for anti-chafing and relief after the chafing products that come in stick form.
Finally, if you are a runner, someone who exercises a lot, or someone who deals with this problem regularly, you can email us your remedies and the things that help you to bernie.lee@townsquaremedia.com.
What about Home Remedies for Chafing?
Here's one product we found to help with chafing:
Should You Change the Way You Run?
Here's a Quick Check List from Body Glide:
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