The cause of itching is not restricted to one particular condition – it could be a result of less severe skin conditions like insect bite or sunburn or serious disorders including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or kidney failure. Neither is itching restricted to the location of the body – it could be localized or generalized (over the complete body).
Itching
Usually a minor condition, itching a.k.a pruritus is an unpleasant sensation which creates the urge to scratch to gain relief. Repetitive scratching could make your skin worse or even damage it. Itching could spread to a larger area on your body with the development of infections such as scabies, ringworm, heat rash, dry skin (xerosis) hives, or skin diseases including psoriasis, eczema, etc. It could also be aggravated or caused due to anxiety, stress, or any other psychological condition.
Common Causes
- Allergic foods
- Insect bites or stings (flea, mosquito, bug)
- Certain organic substances (plants – oak, poison ivy) and non-organic substances (chemicals, soaps, deodorants, dyes, fabrics, cosmetics)
- Exposure to UV radiation
- Skin infestation and infection
Conditional Causes
- Hormone/metabolic diseases (hyperthyroidism, liver disorder)
- Shingles (herpes zoster)
- Anemia
- Pinched nerves
- Thyroid disease
- Cancers or tumors (lymphoma)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Leukemia
- Neurological conditions (brachioradial pruritus)
Pregnancy & Genital Itching
Most women complain about itching during pregnancy. Sometimes, pregnancy could increment itching by intensifying a preceding skin illness such as eczema. Pregnant women usually suffer from itching on body parts such as breasts, thighs, arms, and stomach.
Genital infestations incorporating STDs are one of the major causes of itching coupled with pain and burning sensation in private parts of both males and females such as penis, scrotum, vagina, vulva, anus, etc.
- Feminine (vaginal) itching due to vaginal yeast infection
- Jock itch due to crotch fungal infection
- Anal itching due to STDs
- Pubic lice or crabs (pubic area)
- Molluscum contagiosum (shaft of the penis)
- Genital herpes and genital warts (glans penis and foreskin)
- Trichomonas vaginitis and vulvodynia (vulva)
- Chlamydia vaginitis (vagina)
Medical Advice
It is important that you keep a check on your itching symptoms. If you start to develop other symptoms like weight loss, sleeplessness, jaundice, etc., you should immediately seek further medical advice from your dermatologist. See that your itching does not prolong more than a week.
Prevention is Possible
To be honest, itching in affiliation with serious diseases such as cancer cannot be normally prevented. However, with the prevention of its underlying causes & proper treatment of skin cancer, itching can certainly be prevented.
Home Remedies
- Take a clean cloth, soak in cold water, squeeze out, and place it on the affected area. Repeat as needed
- Use antiseptic soaps while bathing. 2-3 cups of vinegar as a natural antiseptic can be used in your bathwater. Oat flowers (1-2 cups) are also effective itch relief agents which can be used with baking soda (2-3 spoons) in your bathwater
- Apply the mixture of milk cream and turmeric powder with a pinch of honey on infected areas to heal the red patches
- Cut your fingernails and keep them clean to avoid further infections including scarring and thickening (lichenification), pigmentation, etc. Try not to scratch repeatedly
- For dry skin, use moisturizers and protect it from heat or dryness
- Keep away from humid and intensely warm environments to avoid sunburn. Use standard sunscreen products
- Limit your clothing to loose-fitting ones made from natural fibers. Distance your skin from wools
- Remember, stress exacerbates itching. Exercise some muscle relaxation techniques and try deep breathing 2-3 times a day
- Deficiency of Vitamin B could also cause itching. Have a good intake of Vitamin B rich foods including fortified cereals, leafy vegetables, potatoes, and whole grain products
- Take preventive actions to avoid lice infestations, tick bites, and STDs
- Abstain from touching the infected areas to prevent the risk of spreading the infection to other body parts
Drug Remedies
- For quelling minor itching, non-sedating or second generation antihistamine drugs like loratidine (Claritin) and fexofenadine (Allegra, etc.) could be used. First generation antihistamines like hydroxyzine (Atarax), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton, etc.) are very effective traditional drugs that help in treating itching due to insect bites and related problems such as lack of sleep during night
- Go for a hydrocortisone cream if your skin is allergic to metal jewelery, cleaning products, or other irritants. It helps to reduce redness of the skin and other allergic skin reactions
- Calamine lotion is known for its soothing and cooling effect. Apply as necessary on itchy areas