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Prognosis
Most cases of itching go away when the underlying cause is treated successfully.
Prevention
There are certain things people can do to avoid itchy skin. Patients who tend toward itchy skin should:
- avoid a daily bath
- use only lukewarm water when bathing
- use only gentle soap
- pat dry, not rub dry, after bathing, leaving a bit of water on the skin
- apply a moisture-holding ointment or cream after the bath
- use a humidifier in the home
Patients who are allergic to certain substances, medications, and so on can avoid the resulting itch if they avoid contact with the allergen. Avoiding insect bites, bee stings, poison ivy and so on can prevent the resulting itch. Treating sensitive skin carefully, avoiding overdrying of the skin, and protecting against diseases that cause itchy rashes are all good ways to avoid itching.
BOOKS
Donahue, Peggy Jo. Relief from Chronic Skin Problems. New York: Dell Publishing, 1992.
Manual of Clinical Problems in Dermatology. Ed. Susan M. Olbricht, et al. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.,1992.
Turkington, Carol A., and Jeffrey S. Dover. Skin Deep: An A to Z of Skin Disorders, Treatments and Health. New York: Facts on File, 1998.
PERIODICALS
Bogin, Rob. "Don't Scratch That Itch." Rocky Mountain News, 5 Oct. 1997, 6F.
Carol A. Turkington
KEY TERMS
Atopic dermatitis—An intensely itchy inflammation often found on the face of people prone to allergies. In infants and early childhood, it's called infantile eczema.
Creeping eruption—Itchy irregular, wandering red lines on the foot made by burrowing larvae of the hookworm family and some roundworms.
Dermatitis herpetiformis—A chronic very itchy skin disease with groups of red lesions that leave spots behind when they heal. It is sometimes associated with cancer of an internal organ.
Eczema—A superficial type of inflammation of the skin that may be very itchy and weeping in the early stages; later, the affected skin becomes crusted, scaly, and thick. There is no known cause.
Hodgkin's disease—A type of cancer characterized by slowly-enlarging lymph tissue; symptoms include generalized itching.
Lichen planus—A noncancerous, chronic itchy skin disease that causes small, flat purple plaques on wrists, forearm, ankles.
Neurodermatitis —An itchy skin disease (also called lichen simplex chronicus) found in nervous, anxious people.
Psoriasis—A common chronic skin disorder that causes red patches anywhere on the body. Occasionally, the lesions may itch.
Scabies—A contagious parasitic skin disease characterized by intense itching.
Swimmer's itch—An allergic skin inflammation caused by a sensitivity to flatworms that die under the skin, causing an itchy rash.
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Author Info: Carol A. Turkington, The Gale Group Inc., Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 2002 |
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