Is itching on skin bothering you? Itching can be quite bothersome, , if it happens in the daytime, it can interfere with our daily activities, may be at home or at the work place, and night time will hinder a good night sleep, you will wake up groggy and miserable. The itching can appear on any part of the body, even so on the private parts too. The itching will interfere with quality of life. For better control and treatment, is essential to understand as to what are the causes of itching, this helps us to know the exact reason behind the itching and this helps us to get out of the vicious cycle of itch and scratching.
Causes of Itching on Skin
According to Dr Jastinder Gill, the skin specialist in Ludhiana, here are the various causes to itching one by one, for better understanding:
- Allergy – Allergies are the most common cause of itching on the skin, the common allergens are:
- soaps/body wash
- Detergents used to wash clothes
- Fabric softeners
- Clothes say woolen and synthetic
- Dust/smoke/pollen/pollution
- Sun, sun exposure can lead to increase in itching, especially so people with history of photosensitivity.
- Food – though food is rarely a cause of itching, but certain chemical additives, preservatives and colors, which are used in the food industry may be responsible for itching. Spicy and hot food (by hot i mean, hot as in temperature, hot tea/coffee, hot soup etc), can exacerbate itching.
- Deficiencies – certain deficiencies of vitamins and minerals in the body can lead to itching.
- Existing diseases – any existing liver, kidney or blood disorders, can be the cause of itching, your doctor may do few blood tests to rule out these.
- Diabetes mellitus – high blood sugars are often responsible for itching, many a times, diabetes is diagnosed for the first time from the history of itching.
- Infections – certain skin infections can cause severe to moderate itching.
- Skin disorders – there are many skin diseases which present as itching, your dermatologist will help you come to a diagnosis.
- Dry skin – dryness on the skin will often lead to itching, which can be quiet intense.
- Extreme weather conditions – extreme summer and winters, even high humidity can lead to itching.
- Water – you would be quite surprised to know exposure to water, can lead to itching, this is known as Aquagenic pruritis in the medical terminology.
- Sweating – even sweating and heat combined together can lead to itching.
11. Stress – stress by itself can cause itching, but not only that stress can exacerbate already existing itch of the skin.
How to Prevent Itching
Now that we understand the various causes of itching, we can not only manage the itching but also prevent the further aggravation of itching by these preventive measures.
Click here to learn what can be effective Preventive Measures for Itching.
Though these factors may not be responsible for the itching, but they will help you manage it better.
Follow a healthy stress free lifestyle for a better quality of life.
Possible Treatment of Itching
Your dermatologist will help you with a good control of your itching. He/she may order a few diagnostic tests to establish the cause of the itching. Depending upon the underlying cause of your skin itching, the treatment protocol will be recommended.
As stress plays a very important role in the manifestation of itching, its very essential to manage stress well. And the best way to manage is to do “Deep Breathing” and “Meditation”.