Diseases that cause itchy skin Harms of itchy skin

Skin itching is a very common condition. Sometimes, we don’t take it seriously, but when this situation keeps recurring, you have to go to the hospital.

Diseases that cause itchy skin

1. What are the hazards of skin itching?

Affecting daily work and life, many people will experience skin itching in the dry winter and spring seasons. It is usually lighter during the day and heavier at night, especially when they undress and go to bed. The patient feels paroxysmal itching all over the body, as if insects are crawling, ants are walking, or there is a burning sensation. In severe cases, people will scratch uncontrollably during the day, seriously affecting their work and life.

Scratching of the skin due to itching causes skin damage. Because of the itching, long-term and repeated scratching can cause scratches, blood scabs, chapped skin, pigmentation, and even lichenification or eczema-like changes, leading to thickening and roughness of the skin, and even secondary skin infection after scratching.

2. What is the cause of skin itching?

1. Lack of Vitamin A

Lack of vitamin A in the body can easily cause skin itching, peeling, roughness, dryness, night blindness, etc. Therefore, elderly people suffering from skin itching should eat more foods rich in vitamin A, such as cod liver oil, animal oil, animal liver, egg yolk, and dates. Among them, chicken liver contains the highest amount of vitamin A.

2. Iron deficiency

Iron deficiency in the body can cause itchy and pale skin, which is more common in women aged 40-50. In your daily diet, you should eat more iron-rich staple and side dishes, such as millet, animal liver, fish, meat, kelp, dried shrimps, walnuts, etc.

3. Manganese deficiency

Data show that among patients with itchy skin, about half are deficient in manganese. Foods rich in manganese include whole grains, beans, sesame seeds, fungi, etc.

4. Zinc deficiency

More than 100 enzymes in human metabolism contain zinc. Zinc deficiency can easily lead to skin itching and difficulty in wound healing, so zinc supplementation is good for maintaining skin health. The elderly can eat more seafood, lean meat, beans and other foods rich in zinc.

3. What diseases can cause skin itching?

1. Central nervous system diseases

Diseases such as neurasthenia, cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebral edema and brain tumors can lower the itch threshold of central receptors and cause skin itching.

2. Digestive system diseases

Common hepatobiliary diseases, including obstructive jaundice and hemolytic jaundice, cause systemic skin itching due to increased bile salt concentrations in serum and skin, which stimulate nerve endings.

3. Endocrine system diseases

Approximately 19% of patients with hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism experience skin itching. Pregnant women may experience pruritus gravidarum due to endocrine disorders during pregnancy.

4. Urogenital system diseases

Patients with chronic nephritis, especially in the late stage (uremia stage), cannot excrete metabolites such as urea and toxins in the blood, but are retained in the body in large quantities and excreted from the body surface with sweat, causing systemic stubborn itching, which is unbearable. Middle-aged and elderly women often suffer from vulvar itching due to irregular menstruation, increased leucorrhea, unclean vulva, ovarian lesions, or vulvar inflammation caused by vaginal trichomoniasis and fungal infections.

5. Malignant tumors

Most tumors can cause systemic skin itching due to stimulation of nerve endings by cancer cells and metabolites. In the early stages of gastric cancer and liver cancer, the whole body often experiences mild itching, which becomes more severe as the cancer progresses. Cancers of the lymphatic system, such as mycosis fungoides and Hodgkin's disease, are accompanied by systemic skin itching. Rectal and colon cancer often presents with anal itching; various leukemias, lung cancer, and esophageal cancer are accompanied by generalized itching.

4. How to relieve skin itching

Taking a bath every day is a good healthy habit. It can also help us prevent skin itching problems. However, the water for bathing in autumn should not be too hot, otherwise it will irritate the skin and cause itching more easily. The bathing time should not be too long, otherwise it will cause skin dehydration. After taking a bath, you can apply some moisturizing products, baby oil is the best.

Winter melon peel has an anti-itching effect. After drying the winter melon peel, boil it in water and use it for bathing. You can also directly apply the boiled winter melon peel to the itchy area of ​​the skin. If the skin feels swollen and edematous after itching, you can directly wipe it with the winter melon peel. The effect is very obvious.

Bathing in water boiled with leeks is also effective. Soak fresh leeks and rice washing water for two hours and then boil them together. Use the boiled water to bathe instead of rinsing with clean water. This method of washing for three consecutive days will also have very good results.

5. What should you pay attention to when your skin is itchy?

1. Good living habits can relieve skin itching symptoms. Such as living a regular life, going to bed early and getting up early, and exercising appropriately. Add or remove clothes in time to avoid cold or hot stimulation.

2. The skin of patients with systemic pruritus is very delicate. To reduce irritation to the skin, especially when taking a bath, you should pay attention to reducing the number of baths, do not scrub the skin excessively when bathing, and do not use alkaline soap. You can't take cold showers either, and you should keep warm in winter.

3. Pay attention to hygiene and keep the indoor and outdoor environment clean. Underwear should be made of cotton, which should be loose and comfortable to avoid friction.

4. Skin itching has a certain relationship with people’s emotions or psychological stress. Maintain a healthy mentality, improve body resistance, relax mentally, avoid anger and worry, and build confidence. Actively look for the cause of the disease and remove the inducing factors.

5. Avoid triggers, such as fish, shrimp and seafood, which contain artificial colors and preservatives, which may induce skin itching symptoms. Quit smoking, drinking, strong tea, coffee and all spicy and irritating foods, and supplement fat in your diet moderately.

Summary: When some people lack the above four elements in their bodies, they will experience inexplicable skin itching. Usually, scratching causes skin damage. Because of the itching, long-term and repeated scratching can cause scratches, blood scabs, chapped skin, pigmentation, and even lichenification or eczema-like changes, causing the skin to become thicker and rough, and even cause secondary skin infections after scratching. Therefore, you must avoid this situation in your daily life. If you really can't stand it, you should go to the hospital for treatment. During the itching of the skin, you should avoid spicy and irritating foods, seafood, etc.