11 things your itchy skin can reveal about your health
<h2>Kidney disease</h2>
<p>Intense itchy skin all over the body often occurs in people with late-stage kidney disease or those who suffer from chronic renal failure. In fact, 42 per cent of dialysis patients suffered from moderate to extreme itchiness, according to a study published in Renal Failure. “Some people describe it as a nuisance,” says dermatologist, Dr Anthony M. Rossi. “[The itch] is so intense that people wake up in the middle of the night scratching.” Science has yet to uncover why kidney disease causes itchiness, but doctors suspect it has to do with the build-up of toxins in your body when your kidneys are unable to remove the waste from your bloodstream.</p>
<h2>Liver disease</h2>
<p>Itchy skin all over could also be a silent sign of liver disease. Where incessant itchiness shows up late-stage in kidney disease, it can be an early symptom of liver disease. “If your liver is not functioning properly to detoxify the body, byproducts like bile acids back up,” says Dr Kathleen Cook Suozzi, assistant professor in the department of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “The primary goal is to treat the underlying liver disease and prescribe medications that can eliminate bile acids.” Doctors will typically prescribe medications that can inhibit your body’s uptake of bile acids or help reduce the amount of bile acid returning to the liver.</p>
<h2>Dermatographia</h2>
<p>If after lightly scratching your skin, your fingernails leave thin, raised red welts on your skin that take 15 to 30 minutes to disappear, you may suspect dermatographia or dermatographism, a form of chronic hives. “It’s an extreme skin condition, where your skin is sensitive to touch and releases too much histamine,” says dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, Dr Cameron Rokhsar. Although the cause of this condition is unclear, it may be triggered by stress, infections, allergens, or medications, he says, adding that areas commonly touched by other skin or clothing are the most susceptible to dermatographic flare-ups. It’s easy to diagnose but often goes undiagnosed because it’s not severe or bothersome enough for people to make an appointment with their dermatologist. If the itch becomes severe, your doctor can prescribe an antihistamine to relieve the inflammation, he says. For patients with severe hives who don’t get better with antihistamines, omalizumab injections in a doctor’s office may provide relief.</p>
<h2>Spinal disease</h2>
<p>Chronic itchy skin on the upper middle section of the back (without a rash) can be a hallmark of neuropathic itch, a symptom of nerve malfunction. Before providing treatment, doctors will first rule out spinal cord disease as a cause. Research has shown that spinal disease, whether due to age or injury, can apply pressure on the nerve and pinch it, which results in an itchy sensation on the skin. Neuropathic itches can occur on one side of the body or both, but it’s a big red flag if scratching brings no relief. “People with eczema get a good sensation from scratching,” says Dr Rossi. “But [nerve itch] doesn’t improve with scratching. The itch intensifies most of the time.” Some people say it feels like insects are crawling on them. Once spinal cord disease or other health conditions have been ruled out, neuropathic itches can be treated with capsaicin cream, which is derived from capsicums, to burn out the nerves that are firing irregularly on the skin.</p>
<h2>Coeliac disease</h2>
<p>Extremely itchy bumps or blisters on knees, elbows, buttocks, and/or hairline may be signs of dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), a skin manifestation of coeliac disease, says dermatologist, Dr John Zone. Basically, when a person with coeliac disease eats food containing gluten, their immune system responds by producing antibodies called immunoglobulin A (IgA). These IgA antibodies travel to and bind with the skin cells to trigger an itchy response. The prescription Dapsone can provide short-term itch relief for the skin, but if the intestinal damage is serious patients have to adopt a strict gluten-free diet for life. If they continue to eat gluten, coeliac patients can develop malnutrition, anaemia, bone loss, ulcerative colitis, and even cancer.</p>
<h2>Lymphoma</h2>
<p>“The other thing that you want to rule out are blood disorders,” says Dr Suozzi. “Anywhere from five to 30 per cent of lymphomas such as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s can present with itch.” Itchiness with or without a rash can be the first symptom of Hodgkin’s disease – likely caused by cytokines, cell signal molecules that trigger inflammation in response to infection. If your doctor suspects lymphoma, she may order a chest X-ray. If you’re diagnosed with the disease, the itching will cease soon after starting chemotherapy or radiation therapy.</p>
<h2>Thyroid disease</h2>
<p>“Thyroid disease, whether it’s overactive or underactive, can cause weird sensations in the skin,” says Dr Rohskar. “No one knows the association but it may be that the changes in the sweat glands can cause skin dryness.” Itchy, dry skin is more common in people who have hypothyroid because skin tissue contains thyroid hormone receptors that are seeing diminished cellular activity in the absence of thyroid hormone.</p>
<h2>Allergies</h2>
<p>Allergies are one of the most common chronic health conditions in the world. In fact, many skin allergies are classified under the umbrella term contact dermatitis, the itchy rash on your skin that you get when you come into contact with an allergen. Plants, nickel, or compounds found in personal care items like baby wipes and makeup are just a few of the allergens that can cause contact dermatitis. If the itchiness is localised to your eyes, if could be a sign of eyelid dermatitis. Your dermatologist or allergist can use a patch test to figure out what your triggers are. “It’s like a treasure hunt when we’re trying to look into all the products that people use,” says Dr Suozzi. A strong topical steroid is prescribed for relief.</p>
<h2>Menopause</h2>
<p>If you’ve finally hit menopause, you may have noticed a sudden change in your appearance – including dry, itchy skin. The loss of oestrogen, an essential building block for collagen production, leads to thinner, itchier skin due to a diminished supply of natural oils that keep your skin’s moisture intact, says OB/GYN, Dr Sherry Ross. Maintain your fountain of youth with aloe vera gel or calamine lotion, which help hold water in your skin’s outermost layer to alleviate drying and itching.</p>
<h2>Breast cancer</h2>
<p>Paget’s disease of the nipple is an incredibly rare form of breast cancer where cancer cells collect in or around the nipple. According to Rare Cancers Australia, Paget’s disease of the nipple is more common in women and is often found in people over 50 years old. The first sign is scaly, red, itchy patches around the nipple and areola. “Sometimes it’s misdiagnosed as eczema of the nipple,” says Dr Suozzi. “But when it’s breast cancer-associated, it’s unilateral.”</p>
<h2>Pregnancy</h2>
<p>The Royal Australia College of General Practitioners states that 1 in 200 women will develop pruritic urticarial papules and plaques (PUPP), an outbreak of itchy red rashes commonly seen on the abdomen, though they can also appear on your legs and arms. Most women can’t do much about the itch because the rash typically doesn’t develop until late into the third trimester when most medications are off-limits. “It’s not proven but some people say [PUPP] can happen with multiple gestations like twins,” says Dr Rossi. “And some people think it’s because the skin gets stretched out.” Fortunately, it’s harmless and goes away after pregnancy.</p>
<p><strong>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/beauty/skin/11-things-your-itchy-skin-can-reveal-about-your-health?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</strong></p>
<p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>
