Suddenly itchy, sometimes not cured for ten years, what to do?

Doctors at Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital examine a patient with symptoms of itching all over the body - Photo: XUAN MAI

It is worth mentioning that they have itching without knowing the exact cause even though they have done many tests and taken medicine regularly every day for a long time...

Why do I suddenly feel itchy all the time? How to cure it?

Itching for almost half my life, cause unknown

At the age of 44, Mr. TD (living in Ho Chi Minh City) has been suffering from itching for the past 21 years. In the early years of itching, Mr. D. went to many hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City for examination, was assigned to do many tests and all of them concluded that it was idiopathic allergic urticaria. Currently, Mr. D. has to take medicine regularly, one pill a day, to prevent the itching from recurring.

"The first few years of itching, I was also very confused. As the itching lasted, I found that even without contact with pollen or eating seafood, I still felt itchy. The itching was terrible, many parts of my body were red, even my scalp was itchy, I couldn't sleep, it greatly affected my quality of life. There were times when I suppressed the itching, didn't dare to scratch, but my skin was still red and the itching spread to many places," Mr. D. shared.

Also having the same itch as Mr. D., but Ms. BN (30 years old) was luckier as the itch only lasted for one day. However, during the time of itching, Ms. N. could not bear it, staying up almost all night to scratch. The scratched areas then swelled up in large and small patches, and some areas even peeled off because she scratched so hard.

"Because it was so itchy, I had to scratch really hard to "deal with" the itch in front of me. But the more I scratched, the itchier it got. Taking a shower didn't stop the itch. I didn't know exactly what was causing the itch, and the next day the itch disappeared without even seeing a doctor," said Ms. N.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, Dr. Nguyen Vu Hoang - Head of the Personnel Department of Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital - said that many skin diseases can cause prolonged and recurring itching such as atopic dermatitis, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.

However, when a person has a sudden, recurring itch and these itches usually disappear after a few minutes to a few hours (usually less than 24 hours), and there are no unusual signs on the skin after the itch disappears, then this person has chronic urticaria.

Chronic urticaria is divided into two major groups: chronic urticaria with triggering factors and chronic idiopathic urticaria (meaning the cause of the urticaria is unknown despite many tests to find the cause). Of these two groups, chronic idiopathic urticaria is more common.

Need to rule out related diseases

Doctor Nguyen Tien Thanh examines a patient - Photo: BVCC

Dr. Nguyen Tien Thanh - member of the Vietnam Dermatology Association - said that itching is defined as an uncomfortable feeling of the skin that makes you want to scratch it. Itching symptoms can be caused by diseases, especially dermatological diseases such as chronic urticaria, atopic dermatitis; allergic contact dermatitis; parasitic infections, scabies; psoriasis; skin fungus; idiopathic itching, drug allergies...

Itching symptoms can also be caused by some systemic diseases such as cholestasis; kidney failure, endocrine and metabolic diseases (diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism); parasitic infections; anemia, iron deficiency, vitamin deficiency; diseases of the central nervous system, pregnancy...

"In addition, there are some people who have itching of unknown cause, also known as idiopathic itching. The rate of idiopathic itching of some dermatological diseases with no known cause has not been specifically recorded, but according to some reports, it is about 0.5 - 1% of the population. Itching symptoms belong to the group of allergic skin diseases, allergic constitution, so there is a genetic factor (heredity) affecting the disease," Dr. Thanh informed.

As for chronic urticaria, Dr. Hoang said it can appear at any age, but is most common in people aged 25-55 and is more common in women than men. The incidence of the disease varies greatly depending on the region, ranging from 1-24% of the population having had chronic urticaria at some point in their lives.

This disease often requires long-term treatment, the longer the continuous treatment time, the higher the chance of recovery.

According to many studies, it is found that 50% of patients with chronic urticaria have had the disease for less than 2 years. However, there are also studies showing that up to 20% of patients have the disease for more than 10 years.

Studies have shown that spontaneous chronic urticaria accounts for up to 80% of patients with chronic urticaria. Although quite common and requiring long-term treatment, spontaneous chronic urticaria responds very well to treatment with antihistamines.

How to reduce itching, is it harmful to take medicine continuously?

To reduce itching, Dr. Thanh recommends that patients can use topical medications, moisturizers, oral medications or other treatment options (laser, light, etc.). Depending on each specific situation, the dermatologist will choose the most appropriate option.

If common itching does not improve with cold compresses or other common over-the-counter creams, it is best to consult a specialist for advice.

"Many people mistakenly believe that bathing in hot water can relieve itching, especially itching all over the body. However, this is a harmful misconception. When the temperature increases (warm), it will increase the itching phenomenon, and conversely, coolness can reduce these initial effects," Dr. Thanh noted.

For patients with chronic urticaria, Dr. Hoang recommends that patients need to take medication (usually antihistamines) continuously even if the body is no longer itchy until the disease is completely cured.

Many studies have shown that second-generation antihistamines are relatively safe.

Scratch to relieve the itch

Dr. Nguyen Tien Thanh said that itching is a natural protective reflex of the body along with other sensations (such as pain, touch, vibration, cold and heat) to help the skin and body fight against agents identified as harmful.

The body's response to itching is usually to scratch to relieve the itch. However, actions such as scratching and squeezing irritate the skin, damage the surface, and increase the risk of infection and other accompanying infections (infections, fungi, viruses, etc.).

There are some common skin diseases such as psoriasis, prurigo, some lichen, warts... that have the phenomenon of forming new lesions right at the site of skin injury and making the condition worse.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bong-dung-bi-ngua-co-khi-chuc-nam-khong-khoi-lam-sao-20241021230042695.htm