Apart from pain, itching is one of the worst sensations that one can experience. It’s persistent, annoying, and if you give into the urge to scratch then you can do serious damage to your skin.
When itching becomes a chronic problem it is called pruritus, though this is more a term for the symptom than the cause. To find the cause, you’ll need to examine your lifestyle and potentially seek medical investigation. This is often more difficult than it sounds, To determine the true cause can be a process of elimination, but here are four areas you should consider as potential suspects.
#1 – Allergies
When it comes to health issues, allergies are often the source of the problem. The allergy only needs to be mild to cause aggravation. When it comes to chronic itching, allergies are the number one suspect — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to figure out what you’re allergic to. The best option is to ask your doctor for an allergy screening test, which can identify the most common allergies. If this comes back negative, you may still have an allergy that not identified on standard screen. Ask your doctor for antihistamines on a trial basis and see if they make a difference; sometimes, a diagnosis by treatment is the best option you have when it comes to itching.
#2 – Dehydration
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It’s a little-known fact that dehydration can cause itching. There is some debate over how much water we should drink every day, but if itching is a problem for you, then it’s worth upping your water intake and seeing if this makes a difference. Water helps to flush toxins from your body; toxins that may have been building up and causing your itching issues. It’s worth giving it a try just to see if it makes a difference.
#3 – Roundworm
Roundworms live happily in your gut, helping you to digest food and helping keep your gut flora in check. However, they can occasionally become problematic and spread into the rest of your system; itching is the main symptom of this. Take the time to peruse useful information about roundworms and the issues that they can cause. While it’s not pleasant to think about your body playing host to a parasite, it’s even worse to just leave said parasites to feast on you because you don’t like the thought of them! If you suspect you have ringworm, take action, and banish the beasties once and for all.
#4 – Medication
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A number of medications can cause itching as a side effect. If you have recently started taking a new medication, then this should be your first suspect. For the most part, side effects will usually pass after a month or so. If you’re still itching at that point, then it’s worth speaking to your doctor in an attempt to get a differential diagnosis on the problem.
When you have found the cause of your itching, you should be able to treat it successfully — making you happier, more comfortable, and feeling good inside your own skin.