Prolonged heavy rain, HCMC has a sharp increase in people going to skin clinics: Which disease is the most common?

(Dan Tri) - In recent days, the final medical facility in Ho Chi Minh City has recorded a clear increase in the number of people coming to see a doctor for skin diseases.

Sharp increase in people going to see a dermatologist after long rainy days

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter on August 28, Dr. Doan Van Loi Em, Head of the Examination Department, Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital, said that over the past month, the weather in Ho Chi Minh City has been both hot and humid like summer, mixed with many long periods of heavy rain.

As a result, the final-level dermatology hospital in the South recorded a significant increase in the number of people coming for examination for skin diseases (20-30%) compared to previous months.

Accordingly, doctors often encounter cases of allergic contact dermatitis after being exposed to the rain. The second is a group of infectious dermatitis, which is favorable in hot and humid environments.

The third group is chronic skin diseases, caused by psychological and emotional factors, of which atopic dermatitis and urticaria are two common conditions.

Doctor Doan Van Loi Em examines people (Photo: LA).

Dr. Loi Em shared that urban rainwater often contains a lot of fine dust, chemicals, and heavy metals. Along with other pollutants, it can cause skin irritation, rashes, itching, or even blisters.

In addition, in the summer, people often travel , swim in swimming pools or go to the beach. At this time, the skin is easily exposed to sand, water sources containing chlorine or polluted chemicals, bacteria, along with the use of sunscreen... All of which can increase the risk of contact dermatitis.

In addition, the number of cases of contact dermatitis caused by insects has also increased significantly, especially due to ants.

Because in the rainy season, insects multiply and ants are easily attracted by lights to fly into the house. When the patient accidentally rubs, rubs, hits... causing the liquid containing the toxin pederin in the ant's abdomen to stick to the skin, the contact area will quickly become burned, red, blistered, pustular or eroded.

“The skin in the intertriginous areas (groin, toes…) along with clothes and shoes are often damp and stuffy when it rains, creating an ideal environment for fungi, bacteria and parasites to grow. Therefore, diseases such as fungal skin infections, tinea versicolor, scabies… also appear more often.

In addition, folliculitis is also quite common, especially in the armpits and buttocks - where pores are easily clogged by sweat and friction - causing red, inflamed spots and pustules. More serious infections such as boils, abscesses and cellulitis are also common.

Patients with skin that is already sensitive to the weather are more likely to have flare-ups when stressed, have insomnia or have an irregular lifestyle," the doctor analyzed.

How to protect skin at this time?

Dr. Loi Em added that in children, the habit of staying up late, playing games or using electronic devices too much during the summer vacation causes children to lack sleep, disrupt their biological rhythms and suffer from psychological stress. This disrupts the skin's nervous and immune systems and makes some skin diseases worse.

Similarly, from early June to mid-August, another general hospital in Ho Chi Minh City also recorded 300-500 children coming to see a doctor for skin diseases, an increase of about 30% compared to the previous period.

A case of impetigo in a child (Photo: Hospital).

The main reason is that children are on vacation, have more outdoor activities, are often exposed to nature and many areas have insects, parasites, and unsanitary water sources.

There were cases where children were found to have impetigo, a skin infection caused by staphylococcus or streptococcus bacteria. Because the child was itching and scratching a lot, the blisters on the skin broke, and by the time he was admitted to the hospital, the infection had spread severely.

In this situation, if not treated properly, the baby is at risk of transmitting the disease to relatives through actions such as playing, caring for, or sharing towels and clothes.

Doctors recommend that to prevent and limit skin diseases in hot, humid and rainy weather, people need to pay attention to keeping their skin clean and dry, bathing immediately after getting caught in the rain and changing out of damp clothes and shoes.

When swimming or traveling to the beach, you should shower with clean water after contact with lake water, sea water or sand to reduce the risk of irritation and dermatitis.

People should avoid insects by sleeping under mosquito nets, installing mosquito nets, limiting the use of bright lights at night, and absolutely not rubbing when ants fall on the skin.

In addition, people should not share towels, clothes, mosquito nets, mattresses, pillows with people who have symptoms of inflammation to avoid spreading fungus and scabies. People should also not use topical medications on their own, because some topical creams contain corticosteroids, which can easily aggravate skin fungus.

“A regular lifestyle, getting enough sleep, limiting staying up late and reducing stress will help better control chronic skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and urticaria.

In particular, when there are signs of dermatitis such as itching, red rash, blisters or swelling, pain, pus... people should go to a specialized dermatology facility for timely examination and treatment," said Dr. Loi Em.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/mua-lon-keo-dai-tphcm-tang-manh-nguoi-di-kham-da-benh-nao-nhieu-nhat-20250828110117038.htm