Help on Tele2, tariffs, questions

Generalized itching is an irritating, painful, tickling sensation that affects the skin throughout the body or over many large areas. Today we will tell you about the causes and treatment of severe skin itching all over the body with and without a rash with colorful photos.

What is generalized itching

Generalized itching is an irritating, painful, tickling sensation that affects the skin throughout the body or in many areas of a large area, and provokes a physiological scratching reflex. The very concept of itching in medicine is not defined with sufficient accuracy, since the physiological and biochemical mechanism of this phenomenon is not clear.

However, it has been established that itching is a sensation close to pain, stimulating the nerve endings at the border of the epidermis and dermis and causing the need to scratch the skin in a certain area. Most often, itching all over the body is a symptom of a systemic (general) disease, which in any case requires mandatory detection of the cause, that is, an accurate diagnosis.

This form of itching is characterized by the absence of rashes and skin defects, which is characteristic of a localized form in skin pathologies, manifestation in the form of attacks (often unbearable), and an increase at a certain time - usually in the evening or at night. With paroxysmal obsessive itching, the patient can scratch the skin not only with nails, but with hard, piercing objects - combs, brushes - damaging the epidermis (the so-called biopsy itch).

In other cases, the patient may suffer from itching almost constantly.

This video will tell you what generalized itching is:

Its classification

Modern medicine classifies itching according to its origin. Generalized classification according to Twycross and Bernhard:

1. Pruritoceptive or dermatological. Occurs with inflammation, skin damage, for example, with an insect bite, tick-borne acariasis (),.
2. Systemic (neurogenic) itching, occurring without damage to the nervous system, as one of the symptoms of internal pathologies (diseases of the liver, digestive organs, kidneys, endocrine disorders).
3. Neuropathic itching, which develops when there is damage to one of the central or peripheral parts of the nervous system, and is often combined with impaired sensitivity. This may include postherpetic neuralgia, nerve damage, brain tumors, and brain abscesses.
4. Psychogenic itching- a special, severe form of itching that occurs in mental disorders without any symptoms of skin diseases. But severe, prolonged stress and anxiety can provoke a similar form of itching even in the absence of any mental disorders.

Very often, generalized itching is of mixed origin, so diagnosing the true cause of its development is difficult.

How to identify a symptom in yourself

It is easy to identify such a pronounced sensation as itching, even if the itching is not constant and is of moderate intensity.

External symptoms of itching:

• excoriations of a point or linear nature (scratching) on ​​various areas of the skin
• blood crusts;
• the appearance of a “polishing” symptom on the nail plates - the nails become shiny and very smooth, and their edges are ground off;
• , exhaustion of the nervous system.

We will talk about the reasons that cause generalized skin itching below.

Possible diseases and disorders

Diseases that provoke generalized skin itching are different in etiology (cause). These may be the following pathologies.

Kidneys and liver

• kidney diseases, including failure of function, glomerulonephritis, occurring in a chronic form (85% of patients or more) against the background of the slow development of uremia (poisoning of the body with toxic substances). Uremic itching can appear diffusely - throughout the skin - or in areas: neck, shoulder girdle, external genitalia, limbs, nose. The intensity of such itching usually increases at night, in the summer months, after a dialysis procedure.
• liver disease. Itching of the liver is one of the most intolerable and constant symptoms of liver pathologies that develop against the background of increasing cholestasis - bile retention due to a violation of its outflow. It is observed in giardiasis, in 25% of patients with jaundice, in every 5 patients with hepatitis, in 10% of cases, as well as in primary sclerosing cholangitis, cholelithiasis. In the case of biliary cirrhosis, itching occurs in almost 100% of patients. Often itching is an early sign of the disease, appearing 1 or 2 years earlier than other symptoms. It is usually more pronounced on the thighs, abdomen, between the fingers, on the skin of the palms and soles.

In addition to itchy skin, there are other important symptoms of liver dysfunction:

• nausea, belching with bitterness, vomiting;
• bloating, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation;
• light (yellow, gray) feces;
• darkening of urine;
• yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, sclera;
• general malaise, lethargy, .

Hematology

With blood diseases, itching often spreads throughout the skin, but a special sign is its intensity in certain areas: with iron deficiency anemia - in the intimate area, with Hodgkin's disease (every 3) - above the lymph nodes, especially in the neck and armpits.

Diffuse itching also occurs with systemic mastocytosis, polycythemia (erythremia), in which it has a persistent, stabbing, burning character, often aquagenic, that is, noticeably expressed after contact with water.

As in cases of liver pathologies, skin itching in hematological diseases often appears before other symptoms occur. In polycythemia, itching worsens after a hot bath. You should also pay attention to other serious signs of Hodgkin's disease:

• the patient loses weight;
• there is profuse sweating at night (underwear wet with sweat);
• possible fever, followed by a temperature that drops below normal;
• severe pain and enlargement of the lymph nodes, especially after drinking ethanol;
• enlargement of the liver and spleen is determined.

Endocrine, hormonal and metabolic disorders

Causes of itching include endocrine, hormonal and metabolic disorders, which include diabetes mellitus, hyper- and hypothyroidism, menopause, gout, vitamin A and B deficiency).

• Diabetic generalized skin itching in some patients affects the skin of the entire body, but more often affects the genital area, anus, and ear canals.
• Moderate, intermittent itching with hyperthyroidism is observed throughout the body in 5–10% of patients against the background of the development of thyrotoxicosis.

Hypothyroid itching, which is provoked by drying out of the skin, is generalized, sometimes manifesting itself very clearly - even causing skin damage during scratching.

• the development of malignant tumors (neoplastic tumors in the stomach, pancreas, glucagonoma) in 3% of cases is manifested by itching throughout the body. Especially often observed with and.
• neurological diseases, psychoneuroses, psychoses, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, deep depression, phobias (fears), cause the development of so-called psychogenic itching.
• allergies and use of certain medications.

Often, itching of the whole body torments patients with asthma and obstructive pulmonary disease, provoked by an undetected allergy, this is especially noticeable during coughing attacks. At this moment, all the skin itches, but especially severely - on the front of the neck - at the pit, on the chest, on the back.

The causes of such itching are endocrine disorders, dehydration of the skin, xeroderma, and atherosclerosis.

Menopausal itching in women can also be diffuse, but more often affects the genital area and anus, axillary folds, chest, tongue, and palate.

Other types of generalized itching:

• seasonal itching that appears in spring or autumn;
• itching as a reflex reaction to a strong experience, for example, after an insect bite.

• altitude itching is not a very common phenomenon, developing at an altitude of 10 thousand meters due to changes in pressure.

This video will tell you what the 3 main causes of itching all over the body are:

How to deal with itching all over your body

The presence of itching, affecting the entire skin, multiple areas and especially symmetrical ones, more often indicates its internal nature, that is, that it is one of the signs of a developing disease, sometimes at a very early stage. Therefore, identifying the internal pathology that causes itching is the main diagnostic task and the basis for further development of treatment tactics and simultaneous elimination of itching.

Diagnostics

Diagnosing skin itching is a very important medical event, since an urgent need to scratch often precedes the onset of serious illnesses. First, a so-called physical examination of the patient is carried out with an analysis of the skin condition.

If the itching is not associated with dermatosis, the search for other diseases begins. The examination includes:

• mandatory blood test to determine the number of leukocytes, ESR;
• urine analysis with mandatory identification of the amount of protein, sugar, sediment, microorganisms;
• (liver tests, including indicators of sugar levels, ALT, bilirubin, alkaline and acid phosphatase, cholesterol, creatinine, urea, uric acid, as well as determination of the status of protein metabolism and protein fractions; the amount of iron in blood serum, in erythrocytes);
• (blood clotting indicators);
• analysis of stool for the content of blood, helminths and their eggs;
• X-ray of the lungs, ultrasound of the liver and thyroid, pancreas, spleen, gall bladder;
• analysis for thyroxine levels.

Patients with itching, the cause of which cannot be immediately determined, are periodically re-examined, since the disease causing the need for scratching often manifests itself later.

Treatment

With widespread itching, even if the disease that provokes its development is identified, it is quite difficult to eliminate it. Therefore, first of all, factors that contribute to increased itching are eliminated.

• Avoid overheating when in rooms with cool air, use cool showers and baths more often.
• Avoid touching the skin with fabrics made of synthetic and woolen fibers;
• avoid contact with irritating chemicals - soap, powders, gels, use detergents with a low pH factor, use moisturizers;
• Avoid taking medications and products that can cause allergic reactions;
• minimize the use of any substances that dilate subcutaneous blood vessels (caffeine, alcohol), which increases itching, as well as hot water for showering.

Principles of general therapy

General etiotropic therapy (treatment of symptoms) includes the use of:

• sedatives, especially necessary for neurogenic, psychogenic itching;
• antiallergic drugs, mast cell membrane stabilizers (Ketotifen), calcium preparations, sodium thiosulfate;
• corticosteroids for endocrine disorders, hormones and phytoestrogens for menopausal and senile itching;
• sequestrants (Cholestyramine, Colestipol), absorbing bile acids and removing them through the intestines, sorbents, salicylates.
• physiotherapy, which includes: UV irradiation, adrenal inductothermy, electrosleep, contrast shower, sulfur and radon baths, cool baths with sea salt;
• external therapy products - powders, emulsions, pastes, ointments - that help with itching that affects multiple areas, but the effect of topical medications is usually short-lived.

It is important that with liver itching, antihistamines that cope with allergic itching are practically useless. Liver itching is relieved by using the following medications:

• sorbents (Polysorb, Polypefan, white and black coal) that bind and remove poisons;
• intravenous infusion of agents that cleanse the blood of toxins;
• hepatoprotectors (Essentiale, Rezalut, Karsil), which restore liver cells, ursodeoxycholic acid (for biliary cirrhosis);
• antibiotics for suppuration, anti-inflammatory drugs;
• vitamins and probiotics (Bactistatin, Bififor, Bifiliz, Probiofor), which normalize the beneficial microflora of the digestive system;
• sedatives - Phenobarbital;
• choleretic agents that help the free flow of bile;
• agents that weaken the negative effect of bile on liver cells, improving its passage through the ducts - Rifampicin,. They actively absorb bile acids, reduce their amount in the blood, reducing skin itching.

Alternative folk methods

• “Ancient” antipruritic agents - menthol and camphor ointment, alcohol, phenol, soothe the skin, cool, have a small number of “side effects” and are often used for widespread itching along with oral medications.
• Baths with medicinal herbs and substances, such as oatmeal, oak bark, fenugreek, starch, chamomile, mulberry, lavender. It should be remembered that any herbal infusions can cause contact dermatitis and allergies.
• For general rubbing with diffuse itching, use a solution with table vinegar or lemon juice (3 large spoons per glass of water), an infusion of 20 chamomile flowers per 250 ml of water.

This video will tell you about some traditional methods of treating itching:

Dryness, prolonged sun exposure, bites, diseases of internal organs, infections, allergies - any of these factors can cause irritating itching of the skin, which you want to get rid of as quickly as possible. Special ointments, usually containing camphor, menthol and other soothing ingredients, help relieve itching. The most undesirable thing is itching associated with bacterial infection; try not to disturb the skin: scratches and cuts become a path for infections. Prolonged itching, especially in combination with skin trauma, should be a signal to seek medical help.

How it manifests itself

Itching occurs as an irritated skin condition that causes the desire to scratch the affected area. He can be local(in a limited area) or widespread all over the body. In some cases, the body itches at night, preventing you from sleeping peacefully.

Itching that covers the entire surface of the body is more difficult to cure than local itching. Sometimes skin damage is observed in the area of ​​its manifestation: bumps, blisters, redness and other abnormal conditions.

Changes in the skin may indicate a serious illness (for example, scabies, lichen, eczema, etc.), so you should show them to a dermatologist; urgent medical attention may be required.

Why does it occur

Itching is caused by many reasons. Very often it is a psychological problem, the result of anxiety or stress. In turn, itching that occurs for other reasons can cause anxiety or provoke stress, increasing the problem and discomfort. Pay attention to the main causes of itching:

Diabetes, shingles, irritation from fabrics or cosmetics, deteriorating living conditions, pregnancy and many other factors can also be the cause. However, most people do not have serious illnesses and can get rid of the itching with a little effort.

How to relieve itching

Trying to get rid of itching, some victims scratch the affected areas with their nails; at first this leads to noticeable relief. But then the itching intensifies due to scratches from scratching. Damage provides access to infections, and prolonged scratching may cause dark spots and lumps to appear on the skin. Therefore, you should try not to scratch the itchy skin at all, although, as practice shows, most people do not have enough endurance for this.

Itching can be relieved by exposure to cold. The same nerve endings are responsible for these sensations, so cold relieves itching. Use any available means for this.

• Apply a clean cloth dampened with cold water to the affected area;
• Take a cold shower;
• A cool bath with the addition of oat decoction is effective against itching;
• Apply ice packs or home-frozen ice cubes wrapped in plastic wrap.

Hot showers are not recommended; they only provide temporary relief. In the future, the itching will intensify due to dry skin and the feeling of tightness caused by hot water. Cooling creams and ointments can be used as an alternative to cold. with camphor and menthol. They act on the nerve endings and stop the itching, but for a short time. Therefore, the cream must be used frequently and reapplied as soon as the effect wears off.

Sometimes ointment is used against itching with hydrocortisone, there is a high probability of getting a backlash, since this component is intended for a specific effect, for example, for eczema and seborrhea. And even for these diseases, over-the-counter ointment is completely useless, since it has a low concentration of the active substance (1%). Hydrocortisone has no effect on insect bites at all; use the ointment only on the recommendation of a doctor.

Also used to relieve itching antihistamines medicines sold without a prescription. Such drugs cause drowsiness and should not be used when working with complex equipment or driving a car. It should be noted that new generation antihistamines have virtually no sedative effect, some of them are available without a doctor's prescription.

If you have tried all the remedies and the itching does not go away, lumps or dark spots have appeared, do not sleep at night - it is time to seek medical help. The doctor will diagnose and prescribe treatment for the underlying disease that caused the itching, along with soothing ointments and, if necessary, recommend antihistamines.

There are many reasons for itching. The appearance of skin problems may be associated with a banal lack of hygienic care, the influence of certain factors on the skin of the body, or a symptom of a disease.

Unpleasant sensations, dry skin, spots, redness, rash are a signal of disturbances in the functioning of the body. If the skin or part of it itches, which is caused by irritation of the nerve endings, this is an external manifestation of the disease. Harmless scratching can hide serious internal problems.

What is itching like?

Why do you want to scratch your skin? External and internal irritants act on nerve endings deep in the skin. Impulses arrive at certain centers of the brain. The body reacts and desires to scratch one or another part of the body. According to classification, there are two types of skin itching.

Physiological is characterized by a short-term reaction. Mild pain occurs. Diagnosis and treatment are not difficult. This type is an adequate reaction of the body after an insect bite, to climate change or the action of aggressive substances.

Pathological itching differs in intensity and duration. Covers the entire skin. Sometimes it can be so strong that scratching leads to wounds and scars that do not heal for a long time. These can be manifestations of somatic diseases, dermatoses, nervous system disorders, and special human conditions.

A local process is limited to a specific area. The corresponding symptoms may occur after a mosquito bite, due to dry skin, as a local allergic reaction to irritants.

If the whole body itches, this is a generalized or general process. Local skin manifestations in pregnant women are classified separately. The reason is hormonal changes in the body, increasing estrogen levels. The problem for the elderly lies in age-related physiological changes in the skin, dysfunction of the sweat and sebaceous glands.

Why is there a problem?

Unpleasant symptoms are sometimes impossible to ignore. The need to scratch the irritated areas is very great. Why do local itching sensations occur? Here are some causes of damage to certain areas of the body.

Finding out why the itching sensation occurs is very important. After all, you will have to fight the cause, not the effect. You cannot do without the help of medicine. The doctor will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment to eliminate the causes.

The causes of general itching are as follows.

1. If kidney function is impaired, the body removes toxins through the skin pores. This causes irritation and itchy skin.
2. Liver disease, bile stagnation, increased levels of bile acids in the blood - all this affects the condition of the skin.
3. Diabetes mellitus, an increase in blood sugar levels leads to a corresponding reaction throughout the body.
4. With manifestations of itching, the skin reacts to problems in the lymphatic system or thyroid gland.
5. The skin reacts with irritation to exacerbations of vegetative-vascular dystonia.
6. Disturbances in the gastrointestinal system and conditions after surgery.

How to help the body

To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, you need to find out the cause of the condition. Try not to scratch your skin. Scratches can become infected, leading to suppuration. Subsequently, spots, compactions, and scars appear.

Local reactions to cosmetics, washing powder, dryness and chapping of the skin can be treated at home.

1. Use a cold shower, but a hot one will bring temporary relief.
2. You can apply a wet, cold cloth or ice pack to the inflamed area of ​​the body.
3. A warm bath with the addition of oatmeal broth, infusions of string or oak bark will relieve itching of the skin.
4. Ointments and creams with the addition of camphor or menthol cool the skin well.
5. To dry wet areas, use baby powder or talc.
6. If your skin itches and the problem lies in food allergies, you need to reconsider your diet, eliminating spicy, salty foods, canned food, smoked meats, and coffee.
7. At night, take sedatives - motherwort tincture, valerian.

You should not engage in treatment on the advice of friends. Even an experienced doctor sometimes finds it difficult to determine why itching occurs. You should not use hydrocortisone ointments without your doctor's advice. If the culprit is, for example, insect bites, the ointment will not have any effect.

When to see a doctor

If your skin itches and you cannot find out the cause, you should consult a therapist. To make a diagnosis, a comprehensive examination will be required. Consultation with a doctor is essential:

• if the skin itching is generalized;
• does not stop for more than a week;
• symptoms create acute discomfort, especially at night;
• other alarming signals are added - weight loss, weakness, change in stool.

After a detailed examination, the doctor will help determine the cause and prescribe adequate treatment. The most commonly used are antihistamines, calcium-based medications, sedatives and sedatives, ointments and creams for external use. Additionally, consultation with specialists is required.

1. When the itching is localized, located in certain areas of the body, consultation with a dermatologist is necessary.
2. Unpleasant sensations in the genital area in women will require examination by a gynecologist.
3. If you suspect an allergy, you should visit an allergist.
4. If the cause is stress and nervous disorders, most likely these are manifestations of neurodermatitis.

To prevent illness, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, keep your body clean, take care of your nerves, learn to relax and receive positive emotions.

httpss://youtu.be/plBnFKywGLc?t=15s

Itching that occurs without a specific reason, spreading throughout the whole body, is an unpleasant and alarming ailment. Various factors, both internal and external, provoke intense scratching of the skin. Itching appears after exposure to irritants on nerve endings located in the shallow layers of the skin. For some people, the pathological condition goes away over time, for others it gradually turns into neurodermatitis.

Article outline:

What is itching like?

Why does the human body itch? The area of ​​the skin in which the pathology develops itches.

When a person combs the skin affected by the disease, he performs a specific massage.

After massage movements in the skin layers, blood circulation improves, lymphatic drainage and the removal of toxic substances are stimulated.

As a result, the itching subsides.

In rare cases, the skin may itch when certain metabolic waste products accumulate in the body. This itching does not last long and disappears without medication.

Medical experts distinguish two types of itchy skin:

• Localized – observed on a specific area of ​​the skin;
• Widespread - felt throughout the body, usually in diseases of the internal organs.

Both localized and widespread itching can torment a person constantly, or it can occur periodically. The intensity of the unpleasant ailment also varies: in some cases the body itches barely noticeably, in others it is simply unbearable. With intense and incessant itching, a person does not get enough sleep, eats poorly and without appetite, and scratches the inflamed areas of the skin until it bleeds.

It should be noted that skin itching often becomes more annoying in the evenings and at night. This phenomenon has a simple explanation: in the evening and at night, blood vessels dilate, body temperature rises slightly, especially if a person lies under a warm blanket, blood circulation in the skin layers is activated, and the body’s reaction to irritants intensifies.

Causes of itching

In case of prolonged itching that is not accompanied by external changes in the skin, the dermatologist makes a preliminary diagnosis to the patient - itching of unknown origin. A doctor can accurately determine the factor that causes the body to itch only after the sick person undergoes a medical examination. The occurrence of itchy skin is often provoked by the external factors listed below.

Internal causes related to the state of the body can also cause itching. Itching of the whole body can provoke dysfunction of internal organs. Often the body itches in people suffering from poor metabolism or poor functioning of the digestive system.

In this situation, a large amount of metabolic waste accumulates in the body. These toxic substances irritate the nerve endings located in the skin layers, causing intense itching.

Also, the body may itch due to deterioration in the functioning of the gallbladder. With this disease, a lot of bile flows into the bloodstream, which is also an irritating factor. Toxins that accumulate in the body when the absorption function and motility of the intestinal tract are disrupted can also cause itching.

And skin itching is often provoked by diseases of the endocrine glands, especially the pancreas and thyroid, malignant tumors, obesity, pathologies of the blood and hematopoietic system.

What diseases most often cause itching of the whole body?

Intense itching of the body in different places does not occur without a reason, but is a symptom of various diseases. Only a medical specialist can determine exactly what kind of pathology it may be.

You should not try to diagnose the disease yourself, otherwise, due to incorrect treatment, you can only worsen the situation.

Most often the body itches with the following pathologies:

Neurodermatitis

A chronic disease provoked by irritation of the nervous system or allergens, accompanied by skin rashes. The pathology is diagnosed in children and adults after weakened immunity, nervous disorders, allergic reactions, and can be inherited. Currently, doctors prefer to call the disease atopic dermatitis.

Hives

An inflammatory reaction of the skin caused by allergens. This disease is accompanied by a rapidly spreading rash over the skin, which consists of very itchy blisters of light pink color.

Usually, hives appear immediately after an allergy exacerbation, but disappear without a trace after a few hours.

Xerosis

Excessive dryness of the skin, observed after sunbathing, contact of the human body with powders and other household chemicals, unsuitable hygiene and cosmetic products. Also, the skin “dries out” as the body ages. In old people, the sebaceous glands do not work well, so the skin is constantly irritated and itchy.

Diabetes

With this disease, the concentration of sugar in the blood is at a high level, as a result the skin is very itchy, but there is no rash, or any other symptoms.

Itching in diabetics occurs due to the fact that their body is constantly dehydrated, so the skin dries out and becomes irritated.

In severe forms of the disease, in addition to itching, microcracks are observed on the skin and pathogenic fungi multiply.

Scabies

How to treat if your whole body itches

Everyone knows that it is impossible to eliminate symptoms without finding out the source of the disease. If the itching is caused by non-serious external causes, then to eliminate it it is enough to follow the following recommendations:

If the itching is caused by an allergy, then you just need to get rid of the irritating factor - the allergen. It is important to correctly determine what exactly triggered the development of an allergic reaction. Allergens can be clothing items made of synthetics or wool that rub against the skin when worn, food, pollen of flowering plants, dust particles, animal hair, washing powders, cosmetics and perfumes.

1. A person suffering from allergies needs to carefully monitor their actions and be careful in contact with surrounding objects.
2. It is advisable to buy detergents and cleaning products made specifically for allergy sufferers. The rooms must be regularly cleaned and the furniture must be cleared of dust.
3. It's good if you can install an air purifier in the bedroom.
4. Allergy sufferers also need to eat properly and carefully. The diet should include easily digestible foods that do not have irritating properties. It is best to create a menu of dairy and plant-based dishes, unless, of course, the allergy is caused by milk.

Fermented milk products stimulate the digestive tract and help eliminate toxins and toxic metabolic waste from the body.

The diet of allergy sufferers should not contain any canned food, eggs, soups with meat or fish, marinades, smoked meats, coffee, chocolate, spices, or sweets. It is recommended to consume light vegetable soups without fat, boiled meat, low-fat fish, fermented milk dishes, vegetables and fruits.

To treat allergies, doctors prescribe antihistamines:

• Tavegil;
• Suprastin;
• Claritin.

In some cases, patients are prescribed external hormonal medications based on glucocorticoids:

• Fluorocort;
• Sinaflan;
• Symbicort.

Allergy sufferers can use ointments, creams, powders containing novocaine or anesthesin, which have a softening and anesthetic effect, to relieve itching.

If the source of skin itching is not external factors, but serious pathologies of internal organs, then the method of therapy is determined exclusively by a medical specialist. Self-medication in this case is strictly prohibited.

Traditional recipes for treating itching

Folk remedies can eliminate itching caused by external factors. Their effectiveness has been proven for more than a decade.

However, using traditional medicine recipes to treat itchy skin caused by internal causes is useless and dangerous.

Below are the best remedies to help cope with dryness and irritation of the skin:

• Taking baths with baby hygiene products;
• Lubricating damaged areas of skin with birch tar;
• Applying pork fat to the skin;
• Wiping with an aqueous solution of apple cider vinegar;
• Rub a liquid mixture of a glass of milk and two teaspoons of olive oil into the skin;
• Coating the itchy body with unsalted lard;
• Apply wet gauze to the damaged areas of the skin until completely dry.

Most skin diseases are accompanied by itching. At the same time, the body itches in different places, the reasons for this are often hidden and cannot be established with certainty. In some cases, the itching turns into neurodermatitis, in others it disappears without a trace. Why does the need to scratch arise?

Itching is a special sensation caused by various irritants from the body or the external environment that trigger the scratching reflex.

Many scientists consider itching to be a modified feeling of pain, because it, like the latter, appears as a result of irritation of nerve endings located in the thickness of the skin between the dermis and epidermis.

But why does a person itch? Thus, he performs a kind of massage of the affected areas. As a result of friction, blood flow and lymph movement accelerate, harmful substances are removed and irritation of nerve endings stops.

Often, itching of the skin is a physiological sensation of completely healthy tissue, resulting from the accumulation of metabolic products in one place. It has no visual manifestations and passes quickly enough.

In medicine, skin itching is divided into 2 types: universal (localized in a limited area) or widespread (whole body). The localized form can occur in various areas of the body, ranging from the head to the extremities. The most common sensations are in the anus and genital area.

Scientists have noted that the skin on the body itches more often at night and in the evening. The explanation is simple: in the evening the blood vessels dilate, which leads to increased blood circulation. Skin cells receive more heat, and this, in turn, increases the level of exposure to irritants. The degree of manifestation of itching is also influenced by a consistently high temperature that occurs when a person is in bed. It is believed that increased blood flow promotes rapid delivery of breakdown products to skin cells and tissues.

The psychological factor is of great importance when answering the question of why the body itches. During the day, a person is distracted by household or work matters, paying less attention to the manifestations of skin itching, while in the evening and at night the body switches to subjective sensations.

Factors causing the condition

If the patient complains for a long time that the body itches, but the skin and mucous membranes do not have visual changes, the doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis, which sounds like itching of unknown etiology, that is, the cause of the condition is not clear.

This condition can be explained by two influencing factors. One of them is related to:

1. Increased sensitivity of the nervous system, responding to minor internal irritations with a strong feeling of itching. This can occur with neurasthenia, hysteria, after suffering from infectious and colds, with mental pathologies and stress. Often the condition is accompanied by other symptoms of nervous disorders - increased reflexes, pain, etc.
2. Increased impressionability, in which the body begins to itch not under the influence of irritants, but at one glance at them. So, suspicious individuals begin to itch when they see a flea, bedbug, caterpillar, cockroach or skin lesion on another person. With the conditioned reflex nature of the condition (mnemoderma), a sensation of itching occurs with memories of previous skin pathologies.
3. Direct contact with external irritants. So, if the body itches, the reasons may be that a caterpillar gets on the skin, irritating the hairs on the body; some types of plants; household or industrial chemicals. External irritants can be low or high ambient temperatures, synthetic clothing and other factors.

The second factor is related to the influence of internal stimuli. If the whole body itches and itches, functional disorders of the internal organs may be the culprits. For example, with metabolic or gastrointestinal disorders, the amount of breakdown products increases. They affect the nerve endings in the skin, causing toxic itching.

This condition can occur due to pathologies of the liver or gallbladder, when bile accumulates in the blood. Or with slow bowel function and constipation, when the level of toxins in the body increases sharply.

Toxic itching is promoted by disorders in the body such as pathologies of the endocrine organs (especially the thyroid and pancreas), cancer, diseases of the blood and hematopoietic organs, hyperhidrosis, obesity, etc.

SYrCml15UaA

Pathologies accompanied by symptoms

A condition in which the whole body itches can be a symptom of various pathologies. The most common ones are:

1. Neurodermatitis is a chronic multifactorial disease, often caused by neurogenic-allergic causes and manifested by skin rashes. Pathology can develop as a result of disorders of the immune and nervous systems, hereditary predisposition or allergic reactions. If the condition is caused by allergies, neurodermatitis may be called atopic dermatitis.
2. Hives are skin inflammations caused by allergens. They are characterized by rapidly appearing rashes of intensely itchy, pale pink blisters. They differ from dermatitis in terms of manifestation: usually urticaria disappears after a few hours.
3. Increased dryness of the skin, or xerosis, which occurs under the influence of frequently used detergents, sunlight and natural aging. The secretions of the sebaceous glands are reduced, which contributes to irritation, causing the skin to constantly itch.
4. Diabetes mellitus, in which an increase in blood glucose levels leads to severe itching, but there is no rash or other defects. Typically, the body of people suffering from diabetes is in a dehydrated state, resulting in dry and itchy skin. In severe cases, the itching may be accompanied by cracks and fungal infections, which also cause discomfort.
5. Scabies is an infectious pathology caused by the scabies mite, or itch. Characterized by severe skin lesions and itching sensation. Parts of the body begin to itch especially severely at night.

Therapeutic measures

If itching is not associated with any systemic diseases, measures should be as follows:

1. Daily observance of personal hygiene rules.
2. Elimination of dry skin, as well as all products that can lead to irritation.
3. Limiting or completely avoiding foods that can cause vasodilation: coffee, alcohol, hot food, strong tea, spices, etc.
4. Control the room temperature: it should not be too high. A person should not feel hot.
5. Elimination of stressful situations from everyday life. Fighting bad mood, depression, nervous tension, anxiety.

What to do if your body itches for no apparent reason? A few recommendations will help:

1. To eliminate excessive dry skin, which leads to body itching, baths are prescribed daily or every other day. The water temperature should not be hot. The duration of the procedure is from 10 to 20 minutes. To prevent your skin from itching, you can use only hypoallergenic soap, preferably unscented (the ideal option is “Children’s”). After the procedure, the skin is not wiped, but gently blotted with a linen or cotton towel. Then lubricate with moisturizers - ointment, cream, oil. Unsalted melted pork fat – lard – has a good effect.
2. If your skin itches, you can try Cleopatra's bath. Add 1 tbsp to warm water. milk and 2 tsp. olive oils. After the procedure, the skin is gently blotted and left until completely dry. The use of moisturizing cosmetic products is not required.
3. When various parts of the body itch, the cause may be excessive dry air in the room. You can avoid this by placing containers of water in the room, indoor plants and hanging wet towels on heating devices.
4. If itching appears in certain areas of the body, it may be an allergy to wool or synthetic fabrics. It is necessary to completely remove them from the wardrobe of people prone to allergies. Some physiological characteristics of a person indicate a tendency to atopic dermatitis: emphasized folds of skin on the lower eyelids, a large number of lines on the palms, peeling and dry skin in the deltoid muscles and on the outer surface of the thighs.
5. Allergy sufferers are advised to completely eliminate from their daily routine everything that could become an allergen: antistatic and washing powders, tight clothing, sudden temperature changes, irritating foods and drinks. Flowers, pets, etc. should be removed from the premises.
6. If the body itches in different places, wet-dry or cooling bandages and bandaging the affected areas will help.
7. To avoid injury, if you want to scratch the skin, you need to cut your nails short; in severe cases, you can wear soft gloves.
8. Regular and thorough wet cleaning of the entire house is required. You need to give up down and feather pillows, blankets, etc. Upholstered furniture must be vacuumed daily, like carpets, but it is better to get rid of them, thereby eliminating dust mites, which are the strongest allergen.

If your whole body itches, but there are no symptoms of skin pathologies, you should normalize your diet.

Products should be easily digestible, nutritious, with a small content of extractive and irritating components. The most suitable diet for patients with itchy skin is a diet based on products of dairy and plant origin. In addition, milk in this diet also plays the role of a mild diuretic, removing waste and toxins.

What should you not eat? The list is quite wide: eggs, canned food, broths for meat and fish, smoked meats, marinades, cocoa, coffee, chocolate, sweets and spices.

Nq7o_KrMFiM

What food is needed? Vegetable and cereal soups, low-fat boiled fish and meats, low-fat cottage cheese, curdled milk and kefir, fruits, vegetables and herbs are recommended. In case of a sharp exacerbation of discomfort, you should reduce your intake of table salt, consuming no more than 3 g daily.

Antihistamines will help get rid of itching: Suprastin, Tavegil, Claritin, Trexil, etc. The use of ointments with glucocorticosteroids is indicated: Symbicort, Triderm, Diprogent, Sinaflan, Fluorocort, etc. Ointments, creams, gels and powders with menthol are used, novocaine, anesthesin and other substances that have an analgesic and sedative effect. Itchy skin can be lubricated with tar and unsalted lard. You can use hot salt water rubdowns with the addition of a small amount of apple or table vinegar.