9 Causes of Itching
Itching can drive anyone bonkers when severe or persistent enough. And unfortunately, because it can stem from many organs and medical conditions, it can be challenging to determine the cause of itching. Learn about 9 more common causes of itching that drive patients to the doctor’s office.
Sanaz Majd, MD
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9 Causes of Itching
Itching is definitely one of the most annoying symptoms. It can interfere with sleep, which is a vital component of our health. It can interfere with your occupation, especially if your job requires frequent contact with other people. It can interfere with your mental state. It can impair your quality of life and become debilitating.
At the same time, it’s also one of those symptoms where the cause may be a challenge to pinpoint. This is largely because numerous medical conditions, spanning various organs, can cause itching.
9 Causes of Itching
The fancy medical term to describe itching within the medical field is called “pruritis.” You will certainly impress your nurse and doctor if you walk into your doctor’s office and state that you are suffering from “pruritis.” Here are nine common causes of itching:
1. Allergic Reactions: Allergic reactions often cause “urticaria,” a distinct rash consisting of hives. These are typically pink/red spots that appear and disappear within the same day on various parts of the body. They can be caused by certain hygiene products, such as detergent, shampoo, soap, moisturizer, etc. And they can also be induced by consumed foods, such as nuts, seafood, and exotic fruits (some of the more common allergy-causing foods).
2. Medication Side Effects: Medications can also induce a rash that itches. The rash can be anything from mild to severe. A feared medication rash within the medical community is a condition called “Stevens Johnson’s Syndrome,” which is a rare reaction that causes a painful rash with scaling, peeling, along with blisters in the mouth, nose, and genitals. It’s severe enough to typically land patients in the hospital. Certain medications are more prone to cause allergic reactions, such as sulfa drugs (and other antibiotics) and penicillins, anti-seizure drugs, and blood pressure medications. However, any medication can cause an allergic reaction, even one that you’ve been taking on a chronic basis.
3. Dry Skin: Dry skin is one of the most common causes of skin itching. It seems so simple, but it is very real. It is especially prevalent in dry, low-humidity regions like Southern California. And it tends to be worse in the wintertime. The answer to it is fortunately an easy one – moisturize. Finding a good oil based moisturizer and applying it several times a day is often sufficient enough to keep your itching at bay. Minimize hot water contact as much as possible, limit your showers to 5 minutes or less, and use a mild moisturizing soap like Dove or Cetaphil.
4. Eczema: Eczema is a step or two up in acuity from dry skin. It’s severe dry skin, enough to cause a visible rash. It is more common in those with asthma and allergies—the genes tend to be inherited together. Eczema is common on the face in infants, but rare in adults. In adults, it most often affects the flexor elbows, the inner aspects along the folds and the back of the knees. Eczema is a red, pink, thick, scaling rash, and may contain scratch marks from the itching. It is often easily treated, and you can check out my previous episode on treatment recommendations.
5. Contact Dermatitis: The word “derm” refers to the skin, and “-itis” means inflammation. Therefore “dermatitis” simply means the inflammation of the skin. Also, the word “contact” denotes direct skin contact to an allergen that causes a reaction. And “contact dermatitis” is the inflammation of the skin caused by anything that comes into contact with the skin. A classic example is Poison Ivy. We all know that contact with this nasty plant can cause a rash, and hence, a rather severe itch. Treatment requires a steroid cream prescribed by your doctor. Other common culprits: nickel and metals, especially on pant belts, cleaning solutions and chemicals, cosmetics, and various topicals.
6. Fungal Infections: Ringworm, Candida Intertrigo, Athlete’s Foot, and yeast vaginitis are all various forms of fungal infections. Ringworm, called “tinea,” can occur anywhere on the body and consists of round coin-like spots with raised red edges and some clearing of color in the center. They tend to be itchy, but only mildly. Candida is a type of fungal species and “intertrigo” refers to the fungal overgrowth that occurs in between the folds—in the groin, underneath the breasts in women, and underneath the abdominal fold. It tends to be very itchy and diffusely red within those folds. And Athlete’s Foot appears as scaling and itching on the bottom of the feet and in between and over the toes. Over-the-counter antifungal creams, prescription antifungal powders, and oral antifungals are several ways to treat these conditions. Fungus is stubborn, and often requires daily treatment for weeks to resolve.
7. Infection: Insect bites and scabies are two common infectious causes of itching. Insect bites, like fleas, mosquitos, and spider bites, are often red and small, few, and in close proximity in a localized region. They can itch, and the itching is often moderate in severity. Scabies, on the other hand, causes severe itching. And it is often in numerous parts of the body. Scabies tends to also attack the folds—groin, neck, breasts, armpits, and in between the fingers and toes. It is contagious, and family members are often eventually affected. To learn more about scabies, check out my prior episode on this nasty mite infection. Viruses can also cause an itchy rash; one classic example is chicken pox.
8. Psoriasis: Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder; this refers to the group of inherited disorders that causes the immune system to produce proteins that it attacks itself thinking that the parts are foreign. Psoriasis attacks the skin and sometimes joints. The rashes have a distinct appearance, are red thickened areas of the skin with an overlying silver or white scale. Learn more about psoriasis here.
Less commonly, itching everywhere can signify a more systemic, or generalized, medical condition.
9. Systemic Reasons: Less commonly, itching everywhere can signify a more systemic, or generalized, medical condition. This often means the cause has entered the blood stream. These include liver disease, kidney disease, HIV, and cancer. A simply blood test can rule out many, but not all, of these causes. Just make certain you have completed all of your preventative screening tests.
Vital Components of Your Symptoms
Here are some vital points to help you and your doctor delineate the cause of your itching:
1. Severity: How severe is it? Causes of mild rashes, like dry skin and ringworm, present quite differently than severe ones, like scabies and allergic reactions.
2. Rashes: Is there a visible rash? Dry skin and early scabies may not present with much to see – they are simply an itch without much of a rash. Whereas, psoriasis and intertrigo have distinct appearances that cannot be missed.
3. Accompanying Symptoms: It’s important to note the presence of other symptoms present. Here are a few:
a. Lip, tongue, and throat swelling often indicate allergic reactions. They can also be emergent symptoms that require immediate treatment.
b. Initiation of new medications, products, or foods also can produce allergic reactions. If you have started any new medications, even over-the-counter, please tell your doctor. And if you’ve consumed any recent seafood, nuts, exotic fruits (such as mango, kiwi, strawberries, etc), in addition to any new foods in your diet, also please let your doctor know, even if you’ve consumed the same product without any previous reactions.
c. If there are other family members or close contacts who develop similar symptoms, that is an important piece of info for your doc. Infectious causes of itching can do this, such as scabies and viral syndromes.
Red Flags of Itching
Itching, especially when mild and fleeting, is more often benign and nothing serious. However, there are certain instances that should prompt you to seek attention right away:
Itching, especially when mild and fleeting, is more often benign and nothing serious.
Lip, tongue, and throat swelling
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or white part of the eyes)
Unintentional weight loss
Severe fatigue
Rapidly progressive rash
Blisters or ulcerations
Fevers
Affected close contacts
And in general, of course, anything that is more than just mild in severity, persistent, or recurrent should also be evaluated. Always air on the side of caution: it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.
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