Itch : An underestimated skin symptom, suggested remedies

Definition of an itch

An itch is a sensation that provokes the desire to scratch.

It may be in a localized area, such as mosquito bites and eczema. However, It may be felt all over the body e.g psoriasis.

Itching is the main symptom of many skin diseases. Although there are several scientific theories behind the pathway, there is no definite reason why it happens.

Aside from its physical outcomes, it may also have some psychological impact on the affected individual.

Anyone who has had the urge to scratch their body may have experienced one or more of these:

• Distorted body image/ feeling of low self-esteem


• Embarrassment- especially in the midst of a crowd


• Marks and scars


• A feeling of delirium ('am I going mad?' feeling) in worse situations


• Lack of sleep


• Disturbance of routine

Main causes of itching

A wide array of primary skin conditions and some systemic diseases have itching as a main symptom.

Sometimes, there are obvious physical signs on the skin.

Here is a guideline on how to decipher the cause:

1. Does it happen immediately or over a long period of time?

   
   Bites, some forms of eczema and allergies lead to sudden itching, these may result in a bump at the site. Other symptoms such as fever, redness, pain, rashes, etc may manifest later.
   
   Whereas, conditions like other forms of eczema and scabies cause chronic itching.

2. Are other members of the family affected?

   Observe if other close contacts have the same problem. If positive, then it is probably a contagious disease, examples are scabies and chicken pox.
   
   Conditions such as insect bites are not spread, chances are only one person (or people affected) experience the symptoms.

3. Does an activity or a factor reduce or increase the itch?

One fact is this, people prefer feeling pain than that of an itch. This pain may come in the form of cooling or heating.

Some individuals find bathing with cold water causes itching. In this case, applying warmth or a very hot bath alleviates it.

However, some people find that using hot water to bath, rigorous exercises, sun exposure, etc induces itching. Cooling tends to reduce the itching in this instance.

Water is also a cause of itching. This is called aquagenic pruritus.

Remedies

• Menthol (mentholated), Cold ice packs, Hot baths, have the effect of providing relief in the form of pain.
  
  Bottles with mint oil, lime and fresh leaves on a table

• Piriton, Loratadine are over-the-counter medicines. They act against a substance that contributes to itching, called histamine.

They generally control allergy symptoms. Examples are runny nose (rhinitis), hay fever. Read the medicine's instruction manual before taking it.

• Corticosteroid ointments: They reduce inflammation. They are usually prescribed to be used for eczema, and some other skin problems.

• Phototherapy(PUVA), Opioid agonists:  These are applied by a  health care professional in certain situations.

Source: Davidson's textbook for Internal Medicine

Yours in the flawless skin journey, Nafisah NK