Women with serious illnesses feel itchy here

According to a reporter's investigation, more than 70% of women have experienced unexplained skin itching in their lives, among which the elderly have skin itching as high as 90%; 60% of people said that "they won't care if the itching is not severe", 30% of people will "find ways to relieve the itching themselves" (such as using drugs), and only 10% of people will "go to the hospital to find out the cause of the skin itching"; the occurrence of skin problems among young white-collar workers is clearly on the rise due to lifestyle habits, work pressure, etc.; because most children cannot express themselves correctly, it is difficult to find the cause of their skin itching.

A professor of neuroscience at the University of Minnesota said: "After decades of research on the topic of 'itch', we found that there are at least fifty reasons why people feel itchy, and the most important ones can be summarized as follows."

Simple skin problems. "There are two situations in which you feel itchy due to skin problems." One is that there is no primary skin damage, which is mostly caused by lack of moisture in the skin. Just like now in the dry winter, many people feel dry, itchy and peeling skin. The other is that the skin itself is "sick". Skin diseases such as dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis are mostly accompanied by itching.

Skin degeneration in middle-aged and elderly people. The skin of middle-aged and elderly people shrinks and becomes thinner, the water content decreases, and the secretion of sebaceous glands and sweat glands decreases, causing the skin to lose its lubricating and protective function and appear dry. In cold seasons, the dry climate makes the skin rough and even causes peeling of the epidermis, making the nerve endings in the skin more easily irritated and itchy. This is the reason why many elderly people suffer from itching.

allergy. Professor Liu, chief physician of the hospital's allergy department, said: "One-third of the patients who come to the allergy department clinically have symptoms of itchy skin." Allergies to food, pollen, dust mites, etc., and contact with certain chemicals may cause allergies, resulting in itchy skin. This type of itching usually gets better after you stop coming into contact with the allergen.

Gynecological inflammation. If women find that their vulva is itchy, they should check for gynecological inflammation such as Trichomonas or Candida albicans infection. Surveys show that 73% of women experience local skin itching during menstruation, which may be related to poor quality sanitary napkins or overly tight clothing.

Emotionally tense. Negative emotions such as depression, tension, and irritability may cause local or systemic skin itching. A lack of B vitamins can also easily cause skin itching.

Hepatobiliary diseases. Dr. Hu, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, said: "Many systemic diseases can also cause skin itching." Studies have shown that approximately 40%-60% of patients with hepatobiliary diseases will experience skin itching when they have liver discomfort, abnormal liver function, and jaundice.

diabetes. The incidence of skin itching in diabetic patients is as high as 15%-35%. About 10% of early patients will experience systemic or local skin itching, which is relatively stubborn, with the most severe symptoms in the vulva or anus.

Abnormal thyroid function. Whether it is hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, itchy skin may occur, but the itching caused by hyperthyroidism usually develops slowly, the skin is often dry, and it will worsen in winter.

Malignant tumor. Some tumors may be accompanied by itchy skin, such as cancer of the lymphatic system, stomach, intestine, liver, ovary and prostate. This kind of itching caused by tumors is mostly stubborn. If you have itching on your body for a long time without any reason, you need to pay attention to it.

What should you do if you find unexplained itching on your body? Professor Liu said that the first thing to do is to determine whether the allergic reaction is caused by contact with certain allergens. Secondly, you should go to a dermatologist to rule out problems with the skin itself and see if the skin itself is "sick". Finally, if skin itching occurs due to other diseases, treatment should be started promptly on the root cause.

"Before finding out the cause, you must not use alkaline soaps with strong cleaning properties too frequently, and use hormone drugs under the guidance of a doctor," Dr. Yang emphasized. In autumn and winter, people's itching is more caused by lack of moisture in the skin, especially in middle-aged and elderly people. If it's just a minor itch, try these tips:

You don't have to take a shower every day. In autumn and winter, you don't need to take a bath every day, especially for middle-aged and elderly people. The bath water temperature should be around 40 degrees Celsius and not too high. Just wash for 5-10 minutes each time. It is best to choose a neutral or weakly acidic shower gel, or even not use shower gel at all.

Apply lotion first and then dry your body. Applying lotion to your skin after bathing before it is completely dry can allow moisture and nutrients to be more fully absorbed.

Keep a tank of goldfish to replenish water in the room. If your body allows, turn down the heat a few degrees, use a humidifier or keep a tank of goldfish to hydrate the room, which can reduce skin itching caused by high temperature and dry air.

Choose pure cotton underwear. Soft, less irritating clothing can prevent the itching from spreading further, increase breathability, and will not cause allergies after contact with the skin.

Overnight tea is effective in relieving itching. Use warm overnight tea to wash your hair or wipe your body. The fluoride contained in the tea can quickly relieve itching and also help prevent and treat eczema.

Eat more foods that moisten the lungs and promote salivation. Drinking more water, eating more vegetables, fruits and soy products in winter can reduce water loss in the body. You can also eat foods that moisten the lungs and produce body fluids, such as pears, lilies, dates, lotus seeds, white fungus, etc., and avoid or eat less spicy food. You should also eat more foods rich in vitamins A and B.

In addition to the above reasons, there are also the following reasons that cause unexplained itching on women:

1. Accumulation of toxins in the body

If our body's immunity becomes low, the toxins in the blood will accumulate under the skin, making it impossible for the skin to breathe normally, and the condition will become more serious over time.

2. Seasonal change

When seasons change, the air becomes dry. The skin becomes very sensitive due to irritation and loses moisture and luster. The epidermis becomes fragile and easily produces a lot of tiny dandruff, which makes it impossible for the pores to breathe and causes itching symptoms.

3. Taking a bath too frequently

Summer has arrived unknowingly. Sweating every day requires us to take a shower every day. Some people even take a shower several times a day. The oil film on the skin surface and the lipids in the stratum corneum will be excessively removed, and the skin's barrier function will be weakened, making the skin drier and causing itching.

4. Eating spicy food

Eating spicy food to satisfy your momentary appetite, such as hot pot, seafood, drinking alcohol or strong tea, can cause skin itching.