Tag Archives: itchiness

12 Potential Causes of Skin Itching

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Do you experience recurrent skin itching? There are many potential causes of itchiness, some may be surprising! Let’s look at a few:

  1. Allergies trigger the release of histamines which can lead to urticaria (hives) and itching. This type of itching can be caused by virtually any type of irritant and can be remedied by OTC allergy creams or medications.
  2. Ringworm or hookworm may cause a scaly rash of round red dots that can be very itchy.
  3. Eczema leads to very dry, itchy and uncomfortable skin. There are various medicinal topical treatments available to treat eczema, talk to your doctor (or one of ours!) about eczema itching today.
  4. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition whereby excess skin cells lead to reddish plaque-like formations that can be itchy and uncomfortable. If you have psoriasis, you may benefit from UV therapy, or may require special prescription cream to help the itching.
  5. Dermatitis means inflammation and redness of the skin. It can have various underlying causes and usually results in itching.
  6. Chronic kidney disease may not have many early signs, but it can cause such symptoms as lower-limb edema, urination problems and generalized, pervasive itching (pruritus).
  7. Run-of-the-mill dry skin can cause terrible itching as well. If your skin is lacking moisture, itching may be one of the first signs it is too dry.
  8. Hepatitis can raise bilirubin levels which can lead to intense itching, especially during the nighttime.
  9. Bug bites (especially from bed bugs) can cause localized or widespread itching of the skin, often accompanied by a rash of little bumps. If you are noticing patches of tiny bug bites appearing on your body, see your doctor to get tested for bedbugs.
  10. Bacterial or fungal skin infections of almost any kind can cause itching along with other unpleasant symptoms such as rashes, pus, a fever or illness.
  11. Scabies is a contagious skin disease that causes small red bumps that are very itchy. It requires a doctor’s visit to identify and treat.
  12. Angioedema is swelling that occurs in the dermis (lower layer of skin). As it is a relative of allergies, it can cause similarly unpleasant symptoms such as patches of discolored, itchy skin.

Is your skin crawling yet? Hopefully not! These are only a few of the many causes of skin itching. If you have persistently itchy skin, our board certified DocChat physicians are standing by 24/7/365 to assist you. Feel free to check out our Amazing Facts About Your Skin next, thanks for visiting!

Why Allergies Should Not Be Neglected

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Young woman blowing her nose while being in the nature

Exposure to common allergens like pollen, animal dander, weed, and even some foods makes your immune system vulnerable, thereby causing allergic reactions. You are likely to be at more risk to develop allergy when your body is weak and healing after suffering through a fever or viral infection. Even though it is the allergens that trigger allergic reaction in your body, in reality it is when you neglect them that they worsen.

Although there is no cure for allergies, you can however treat them in order to control them and not let it worsen. Since allergy is a form of chronic illness, if you do not treat it in due time, it will aggravate.

Here are some problems that you could face if you neglect your allergies.

· You are likely to develop additional allergies

Common symptoms of allergy are cough, watery eyes, sore throat, runny nose, and itchiness. With time, people who already have some sort of an untreated allergy notice that their symptoms have become much more severe and unbearable. This might mean that you have developed additional allergies. For instance if people suffer from pollen allergy, they may also suffer allergy triggered by foods that contain similar elements.

· Your symptoms are likely to worsen

Allergies are chronic and they don’t go away on their own. If you don’t undergo a proper treatment plan in order to control the allergic reaction, it is likely to lead to much more severe symptoms like sinus infection, ear infection and advanced asthma.

· You may suffer from life threatening asthma

Basic symptoms of asthma are similar to most of the allergies, except that they are on a much more severe scale. Almost all sorts of allergies result in the allergic person suffering from cough. If you neglect it and leave it untreated, your allergy is likely to turn into a much more serious problem including asthma. Symptoms like severe coughing, shortness in breath and chest tightening are common in asthma. Delayed treatment of preexisting allergies like food allergy may cause chronic asthma.

Whether, you are an adolescent or an adult, neglecting allergies can cause severe problems and diseases in the future. One should avoid exposure to allergens, and in case it worsens, you ought to have a doctor’s advice and treat it with medicine such as nasal sprays and allergy shots.