Itching
Alternative names:
pruritus
Home care:
For persistent or severe itching, have the dermatologist (a specialist in skin disorders) make the precise diagnosis and prescribe specific treatment.
In the meantime, there are some steps you can take to help deal with the itch: - Avoid scratching or rubbing the itchy areas. Keep fingernails short to avoid skin damage from any unconscious scratching. Family members or friends may help call attention to subconscious scratching.
- Wear cool, light, loose bedclothes. Avoid wearing rough clothing, particularly wool, over an itchy area.
- Take lukewarm baths using little soap and rinsing thoroughly. Try a skin-soothing oatmeal or cornstarch bath.
- Apply a soothing lotion after bathing to soften and cool the skin.
- Apply cold compresses to an itchy area.
- Use ointments on the skin (except for children under 2 years of age) and take prescribed medications as directed.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to excessive heat and humidity.
- Take up an enjoyable hobby that distracts from the itching during the day and makes you tired enough to sleep at night.
- Try over-the-counter antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl). If there is a sore, such as with chicken pox, consult your health care provider before using diphenhydramine on the skin (such as diphenhydramine in Caladryl).
Call your health care provider if:
- itching is associated with other unexplained symptoms.
- itching is severe, prolonged, or cannot be easily explained.
Notes:
Most itching does not require medical evaluation. Attempts should be made to rule out the obvious causes of itching. It is sometimes easy for a parent to discern the cause of a child's itching. Usually a simple visual examination will demonstrate the presence of bites, stings, rashes, dry skin or irritation. Often the cause of itching is fairly obvious such as a mosquito bite.
Recurrent itching without obvious cause, total body itching, and recurrent hives are all indications that the itching should be evaluated as soon as possible. It may be a symptom of an underlying disease or condition.
What to expect at your health care provider's office:
The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.
Medical history questions documenting itching in detail may include: - time pattern
- How long have you had this itch?
- Does it itch all the time?
- Does it seem to get worse?
- Has it spread?
- aggravating or triggering factors
- What do you think caused this itch?
- Have you ever had this kind of itch before? What caused it then?
- Do you recall any irritant that you recently came in contact with?
- Do you have any allergies or sensitivities?
- What medications are you taking?
- Have you started using any new products recently? What was it? Have you used any new soaps, fabric softeners, perfumes, deodorants, fabrics (wool), chemicals?
- Have you been around animals?
- Have you eaten shellfish or nuts recently?
- Have you had insect bites recently?
- Do you use lotions on your skin?
- Have you been in the sun recently?
- location
- What part of your body itches?
- Is it all over your body (generalized itch)?
- Is the itch limited to a specific area? What area?
- quality
- What does the skin that itches look like?
- Is there a rash?
- Are there blisters?
- Are there scales?
- other
- Are you being treated for other medical conditions?
- What other symptoms do you have?
If there is no localized infection or skin lesion, then diagnostic studies will focus on finding a systemic (whole body) cause.
Diagnostic tests that may be performed include: Intervention:
Prescribed medications may include topical corticosteroids, antihistamines, or tranquilizers.
After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a diagnosis related to itching to your personal medical record.
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