Triggers include infections, stress, dry weather conditions, certain medications, cuts, scratches and sunburns. Treatments include topical creams, light therapy (also known as phototherapy), and oral and injectable medications, including biologics.
Dabbing undiluted apple cider vinegar directly onto a bug bite works wonders. The acids help neutralize the itch while the pH balancing affects speed up healing.
Dry, itchy skin is often a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. As vitamin D is created through skin exposure to the sun and cholesterol in the skin, in the winter months, when sunlight exposure is less, people often experience dry, itchy skin attributing it to the cold weather.
Having a specific vitamin deficiency can cause dry skin. For example, if you are deficient in zinc, iron, niacin, vitamin D, or vitamin A, your skin may get dry.
For mild itching, use calamine lotion. For a more intense itch, use hydrocortisone cream. Oral antihistamines can also help.
See your health care provider or a skin disease specialist (dermatologist) if the itching: Lasts more than two weeks and doesn't improve with self-care measures. Is severe and distracts you from your daily routines or prevents you from sleeping. Comes on suddenly and can't be easily explained.
Itching with kidney disease can be generalized, or it can occur in specific parts of the body. Common areas for this type of itching include the head, arms, back, and abdomen. It also tends to be worse at night, which can disturb your sleep.
This is commonly due to the buildup of dead skin cells throughout the face or in specific patches. To give your skin the best care, exfoliate it with a scrub or chemical exfoliant that can get rid of this buildup – just make sure to moisturize after that exfoliation too!
Lack of vitamin B 12 can lead to dry and flaky skin. It can also make you prone to early signs of ageing and fine lines.
There are a variety of vitamins that can help to improve dry skin, including vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. These nutrients are thought to help increase the moisture content in your skin, as well as repair damaged skin cells and promote new cell growth.
It's important to note that it isn't strictly true that magnesium does help itchy skin or that a magnesium deficiency causes dry skin. However, one of the many skincare benefits of magnesium is that it can help reduce the inflammation caused by conditions which lead to dry and itchy skin, such as eczema.
When it comes to food allergies, peanuts, wheat, eggs, cow's milk, soy and shellfish are among the most common culprits. The itchiness caused by these foods and subsequent scratching can then lead to flare-ups or worsening of dermatitis symptoms.
People with iron deficiency anemia may experience itchy skin (pruritis) that can become red, bumpy and sore when scratched. Rashes associated with aplastic anemia usually appear as tiny red or purple dots under your skin (petechiae). The dots can form large patches but aren't usually itchy or painful.
In the evening, the body releases more heat, and blood flow to the skin increases, which may contribute to nighttime itching. In addition, skin loses water at night, resulting in dryness that can make you itchy.
Sometimes an illness can trigger the nervous system to make the skin itch even when there's nothing there to cause a rash. This can cause skin irritation when a person has been scratching a lot. Causes of this type of itching include stroke, multiple sclerosis, nerve damage, and shingles.
Itchy skin at night, also known as nocturnal pruritus, happens when you have the urge to itch and scratch your skin in the middle of the night. This can disturb your sleep. Itchy skin at night can happen because of changes to your body temperature, dry skin or as a symptom of an underlying condition.
What does diabetes itching feel like? If you have diabetes, itching can be intense. It's an irritating feeling that makes it hard not to scratch, but scratching can make the itch worse. You can itch anywhere, but if you have nerve damage (neuropathy) associated with diabetes, your lower legs may itch.