Itching in the body occurs when a reaction stimulates nerve endings of the skin, which can occur for several reasons, the main being some type of allergy or skin irritation, such as dryness, sweat or insect bites.
However, itching that doesn’t pass can be related to diseases, which can be dermatological, infectious, metabolic, or even psychological, such as dermatitis, ringworm, psoriasis, dengue, Zika, diabetes, or anxiety, for example.
- Depending on its cause.
- Itching may be alone or accompanied by other symptoms.
- Such as redness.
- Bumps.
- Spots.
- Blisters or sores.
- And these can be caused by illness or formed by the frequent act of scratching.
- To treat it is important to discover and resolve its cause.
- But the symptom can be relieved with an antiallergic or with a moisturizing or anti-inflammatory ointment.
- Prescribed by the family doctor or dermatologist.
Thus, some of the main causes of itching and what to do in each case include:
Any type of skin irritation can cause itching, which is common in an allergy. Some of the most common causes include:
Allergy can occur in an isolated situation or can often occur in people who tend to have allergies, and episodes may be mild or severe, and treatment by a dermatologist may be necessary.
What to do: It is necessary to move away and avoid contact with the substance that causes the allergy. In some cases, the use of antiallergic medications, such as dexclorpheniramine ointments, loratadine, hydroxyzine or corticosteroids, for example, may be necessary. Learn more about identifying and treating skin allergies.
Dry skin, a condition known as skin xerosis, is mainly caused by excessive use of soaps or very hot and prolonged baths, which causes a constant itching due to irritation and peeling of the skin.
Other causes of dry skin may include the use of certain medications, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, opioids, or diuretics, such as situations such as dehydration, living in cold, low-wet areas, and even certain diseases that can cause changes in skin kerination.
What to do: Treatment involves the use of moisturizers containing ceramides, glycolic acid, vitamin E or urea, for example. Anti-allergic medications, such as loratadine or dexclorfeniramine, may also be needed to relieve symptoms more immediately. Discover the recipe for an excellent homemade moisturizer for very dry skin.
Dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease, usually of genetic or autoimmune origin, in which there is a chronic allergic process, which causes a constant and intense itching, which can be accompanied by other skin changes.
Some of the most common forms of dermatitis include
Other rarer examples of itchy skin changes include light or bubble dermatitis, as well as other dermatological diseases such as bubble penfigoid, fungi and lichen plan, for example. Learn more about the main types of dermatitis.
What to do: the person with dermatitis should be accompanied by a dermatologist, who will assess the characteristics of the lesions and guide treatments on a case-by-case basis, which may include moisturizing creams based on urea, corticosteroids or antiallergics, for example.
Infectious diseases that affect the skin, caused by fungi, bacteria or parasites, often cause lesions and inflammatory reactions, which cause itching. Some of the most common infections are:
These infections can be transmitted from person to person and often occur in poor hygiene or in cases of reduced immunity.
What to do: treatment is guided by the doctor, based on medicines, usually ointment, to remove the microorganism responsible, with antifungals, such as nistatin or ketoconazole, antibiotics, such as solutions of neomycin or gentamicin, permethrin or ivermectin for scabies, and antivirals, such as aciclovir, for herpes. Itching can also be relieved with antiallergics.
There are several diseases that reach the bloodstream and can, as one of the symptoms, cause itchy skin. Diseases that can cause this situation include:
These diseases can cause itching with different frequency and intensity in each person.
What to do: In these cases, your doctor will tell you to treat the main condition, which can cause itching. In the meantime, to control symptoms, the use of antiallergic medications such as hydroxyzine may be recommended to relieve discomfort.
Psychological itching, also known as psychogenic itching, is suspected when the cause of itching cannot be found, even after detailed and prolonged medical research, with physical exams and evaluations.
This type of itching can occur in people with diseases such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse or personality disorders, for example. Sometimes the symptom is so severe that the person can live with skin lesions caused by itching.
What to do: After confirming that this is not a dermatological or systemic disease, psychiatric follow-up may be necessary, which may indicate psychotherapy or treat the basic disease, such as the use of anxiolytics or antidepressants.
During pregnancy, the pregnant woman undergoes changes in her body and, naturally, the skin becomes drier, which can cause itching.
In addition, some skin problems, such as gestational itching, caused by alteration of the bile ducts, or other dermatosis such as hives, papular dermatitis or gestational penfigoid, for example, may occur or worsen during this period.
For example, if the itching is persistent and is not relieved by hydration or the elimination of possible situations that may cause allergies, such as new cosmetics or cleaning products, it is recommended to consult the obstetrician or dermatologist to assess the possible causes and indicate the correct treatment.