Feeling itchyIJ Don’t avoid the symptoms, says Dr Tarun Narang of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research at the first public lecture on itching disorders on Friday. Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin's surface or confined to just one area.
The Dermatologist adds that an itch is for every season, but the factors impacting the onset of this prickly feeling might vary with the season accordingly. In winters it is likely to be triggered by dryness of the skin whereas in summers it is mostly fungal disorders which aggravate the condition.
The medical term for itching is pruritus. Itching leads most people instinctively to scratch the affected area. Different people can tolerate different amounts of itching, and anyone's threshold of tolerance can be changed due to stress, emotions, and other factors. In general, itching is more severe if the skin is warm, and if there are few distractions.
This is why people tend to notice itching more at night. Severe and persistent itching can lead to difficulty sleeping, anxiety and depression. Although itching is the most noticeable symptom of many skin diseases, however, it doesn't necessarily mean that a person who feels itchy has a disease.
The recent discovery of itch-specific neurons (nerve cells) has given doctors a better understanding of the causes of the sensation of itching. Itching can be related to irritants or allergens, skin rashes, systemic diseases as well as abnormal processing of the itching impulse in the brain.
Specific itchy areas may occur if a person comes in contact with soaps, detergents, and wool or other rough-textured, scratchy material. Adults who have hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or persistent diarrhea may notice pruritus ani (itching around the anus). In children, itching in this area is most likely due to worms.
Itching that occurs all over the body may indicate a medical condition such as diabetes mellitus, liver disease, kidney failure, jaundice, thyroid disorders, and cancer. Blood disorders such as leukemia, and lymphatic conditions such as Hodgkin's disease may sometimes cause itching as well. Itching all over the body can be caused by something as simple as bathing too often, which removes the skin's natural oils and may make the skin too dry and scaly.
Some people may develop an itch without a rash when they take certain drugs (such as aspirin, codeine, and cocaine). Others may develop an itchy, red "drug rash" or hives because of an allergy to a specific drug.
Although itching is frequently accompanied by a rash or dry skin, itching can occur in the absence of any visible rash. Dr Narang said “Internal conditions and infections can also cause itching. Widespread itching may be a manifestation of an underlying, internal disorder. Kidney failure, for example, often causes severe, widespread, intractable itching and is known as uremic pruritus.”
Stress and emotional upset can make itching worse, no matter what the underlying cause. If emotional problems are the primary reason for feeling itchy, the condition is known as psychogenic itching. Some people become convinced that their itch is caused by a parasite or some medical disorder. This conviction is often linked to burning sensations in the tongue, and may be caused by a major psychiatric disorder.
Often the dermatologist are able to diagnose the cause of itching with a careful history and physical examination; however, to determine a specific cause of the itch, a panel of blood tests, skin scraping, or biopsy may be needed to help make the diagnosis says Dr Narang.