Itching of all the body can also be referred to as pruritus. It is the irritation and uncontrollable sensation that makes someone feel like scratching the whole body to get some relief. The possible causes for this kind of feeling are underlying conditions such as kidney disease or liver disease, to skin rashes, dermatitis and allergies.
Itching All Over Body – Overview
Itching all over the body can be accompanied by a rash or just a normal skin itching. Itching can be a symptom of a more serious condition that may need quick intervention. For you to get relief from itching on your body, it is very importance for to identify the underlying cause and treat it. In some cases, itching is not usually a sign of anything serious. You can treat the condition on your own and it goes away after a short time.
What are the symptoms associated with itching all over the body
Here are cases where your skin may itch without any noticeable change occurring on its appearance. The itchiness may occur all over your body of just concentrate on a specific area of the body. If the condition is severe, it may occur with the following other symptoms:
- Rashes all over the body
- Drying of the skin
- In cases of a rash the area may turn red
- Scaling or roughening of the body
- Change of the color of the itchy skin
- Formation of blisters
Unexplained Itching all over Body
For the whole body to start itching without any reason there must be a condition inside your body that has caused this to occur. There are a number of issues that can cause the whole skin to start itching and we will talk about them and look at ways you can get rid of these conditions. Unexplained itching all over the body can make you to panic or get worried since it is not normal to just feel irritated or uncomfortable without a reason. However, there are conditions that may cause body itchiness although they are not a cause for alarm.
Unexplained itching all over your body may occur for a short period of time and when the causing agent is removed it goes away. In some cases, this condition may take even more than several weeks if not attended to. The symptoms for this condition are not usually localized in specific areas but the whole body. It may occur with skin dryness or without. The irritation may cause you want to scratch the whole of your body each and every time. If you can’t identify the reason why you feel this, it is very important you talk to your doctor to find out could be the problem.
Itching all over Body Causes
Itching of the whole body is usually caused by very many conditions that cannot only be exhausted only in this discussion. Some of these causes are very normal and even some of them may not need medical attention. However, some cases may call for agent attention to bring relief. For you to get the best treatment for your condition, you must first know what is causing the itchiness. Therefore don’t treat what you are not sure of.
Itching all over body causes
- Skin conditions
There are very many skin conditions and some of them will occur with symptoms like itchiness of the skin. Some of the common skin conditions that cause itchiness of the skin may include:
- Dermatitis which is also referred to as inflammation of the skin
- Eczema- this is a chronic disorder of the skin that may occur with symptoms such as itchiness, scaling and rashes all over the body
- Psoriasis- this is an autoimmune disease that appear with redness and irritation of the skin and it may occur in the form of plagues
- Dermatographism – these are red rashes that rise on the skin due to increased pressure in a specific area of the skin.
- Skin infections
The skin covers the inner tissues and organs of the body and therefore acts as a protective barrier. Furthermore, the skin is exposed to different environment which makes it highly vulnerable to different kinds of infections. To add on that, there are some of the diseases causing organisms that exists naturally on our skins such as fungi in form of yeast and natural bacteria. These entire organisms can sometime cause infections to the skin including much more organisms found in the ecology. Some of the infections that may cause itching all over the body may include the following:
- Chicken pox
- Measles
- Rashes that arise from fungal infection such as those caused by HPV -1
- Parasites such as mites, lice, and bedbugs
- Pinworms
- Scabies
- Irritants
Irritation of the skin by some substances from our surrounding such as chemical, cosmetics and irritating plants may result in the itching of the body. Some of the lotions, soaps and perfumes we use may cause the skin to react with the chemicals used to manufacture them and in return cause itchiness of the body. There are numerous plants when allowed to come into contact with our body they cause irritation as well. Also, allergies may arise from foods and drinks we take.
Therefore, find out what is not friendly to your health or any chemical that develops a reaction with your body and avoid using the product. If plants such as poison ivy, oak or pollen cause you allergies, you should get out of their environment or remove them from your surroundings. Apart from itchiness of the whole skin, irritants ca results in more symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and even fever.
- Internal disorders
Your itchy skin could be telling something about your inner health. There are some underlying conditions that are known to appear with itchiness of the skin as one of their symptoms. Some of the common diseases in the body that are known to causes body itchiness with the skin appearing normal include the following:
- Liver disease
- Leukemia
- Anemia
- Kidney failure, lymphoma, and thyroid disease.
These conditions are rarely treated at home and therefore you have to seek medical advice from your doctor on the best way you can deal with their symptoms. If any home remedy is to be used, make sure your doctor is aware of it.
- Autoimmune diseases
These are conditions that mostly affect the nervous system. Some these conditions are genetic and they may run in families. They usually appear with numerous symptoms including the itchiness of the whole body. Some these disorders that affect the nerves are diabetes, shingles, multiple sclerosis, and neuropathy. Also, let your doctor identify the condition you are suffering from for you if you are not sure of the cause of itchiness. He/she will as well prescribe on the treatment effective for your condition.
- Medication
There are some medications that may cause itching all over the body of the person using them as a side effect. Some medications are known to have strong side effects and your medical provider will always advice you on them and in some cases the manufactures usually indicate the side effects on the medicine. If your itchiness is due to a certain medicine, talk to your doctor to see if you can change the medicine or stop using it. Some of these medications include the following:
- Antibiotics especially those with Sulphur contents
- Narcotic painkillers
- Antifungals
- Anti-convulsant medications
- Pregnancy
During pregnancy, there are a lot of changes that occur in a woman. Some of these changes are brought about by increased hormonal activities as the baby develops in the womb. These hormonal activities may have some symptoms such as itchiness of the skin. However, not all women may experience this symptom as people may vary in some cases. The itchiness in this case may be localized in areas such as breasts, arms, abdomen and thighs. Sometimes, pregnant mothers may experience this due to pre-existing conditions such as eczema, which may become worse when you get pregnant.
- Aging skin
Your skin can just itch because you are aging. This is very common in elderly people since the skin is undergoing a number of changes. How our skin age will depend on factors such as our lifestyle, diet, heredity, and other many personal habits such as smocking. Therefore, personal good care can make sure that our skin is not damaged.
- Dry skin
Your body may as well feel itchy due to dryness. Dry skin occurs when the skin loses a lot of water and protective oil that keeps lubricating it. Dry skin is common and it can affect anyone regardless of age and sex. Apart from itching of the skin, dry skin may develop other symptoms such as scaling, flaking or peeling of the skin, a rough skin, and cracks in the skin that may bleed. Your body can get dry including areas that are always covered with cloths. However, the condition is very common on legs and hands.
- Sunburn
Excessive exposure to the sun may cause the whole skin to start itching. This may be seen with reddening of the skin that occurs due to staying on ultraviolet rays for longer hours. Blisters may also develop on the skin that was exposed to the sun for long. Always make sure when on sunlight you have applied sunscreens. Moreover where huts while you go out to the sun to avoid scotching your body.
Itching all over Body at Night
Itching of the body at night can also be referred to as nocturnal pruritus. This can be a very difficult condition to deal with while you try to rest your body after a busy day. There are numerous specific issues that may cause itchiness of the body at night and they may not cause the same problem during the day. Most people have natural mechanisms that cause nighttime itching of the body.
- The body’s natural circadian rhythms, or daily cycles, influence skin functions such as temperature regulation, barrier protection as well as fluid balance. All these functions change at night. For example, the body temperature and the flow of blood in the skin usually both increase at night, so that your body is kept warm. This rise of the skin temperature at night may make you feel as if your whole body is itchy.
- Also, itchiness at night may indicate something is wrong with your beddings. Sometimes our bodies are usually very sensitive to dirt and in case you have taken long before cleaning them then that could be the reason why you feel itchy.
- Some of the parasites we talked about above usually like hiding in our beddings. Mites such as lice, bedbugs, and fleas are common insects that like hiding in the beddings. When they bite, they may cause the whole body to develop inflammation due to their venom which they inject in the skin
When itchiness hits you at day time, work and other activities that keep you busy may try to distract the feeling. However, at night, there are fewer or no distraction and this may make the sensation to be more intense and therefore cause more discomfort.
Itching all over Body no Rash
Itching is a symptoms that may be associated with other signs and symptoms depending on what caused them. However, there are several cases as we have shared above that you should not expect to feel itchiness with other symptoms. In most cases, itchiness of the skin usually occurs with a rash. There are many conditions that will cause itching without a rash.
Some of the conditions that may cause itchiness without a rash are various illnesses and even several normal conditions of the body as we have talked above. If you have a plain old dry skin, expect some itchiness that will not be associated with other symptoms such as a rash.
Uncontrollable Itching all over Body
Itching of the body is usually irritating and uncomfortable feeling. You may find yourself scratching your body uncontrollably due to this bad feeling. Find out what could be causing you itchiness and if possible carry out some remedies or treatments that will help you get rid of the feeling as fast as possible.
Home Remedy for Itching in Whole Body
Home remedies can be helpful when it comes to dealing with mild and medium cases of itching all over body. You just need to know the reason why you are suffering from this condition and you are good to go. Some of the best remedies that can be used when dealing with itchiness of the body include the following:
- Oatmeal
Oatmeal is made from oats that have ground into a fine powder. It is a natural product that is commonly used in the manufacture of some soaps and lotions. At home, it is a very great home remedy when it comes to treating itchiness that is accompanied by a rash. Many studies have been done to prove that oatmeal can treat itchiness of many kinds.
You can acquire oatmeal at a nearby drug store or make your own by grinding oats to a fine powder. Make a bath by adding a good amount to some warm water to come up with a solution. Then apply it in affected areas for better results.
- Leaf gels
Some plants such as aloe vera can produce a fine leaf gel that can be helpful to deal with itchy skin. Aloe is known to have cooling menthol that helps while dealing with minor itching all over body such as those caused by sunburns and mosquito bites.
- Cool compress
In this case you can use a clean cloth to hold some cool water on the top of your skin for some minutes and you will get some relief from the itchiness. This is because the skin feel hydrated and in case it was dry it will stop itching. Alternatively you can use high quality moisturizers such as eucerin and cetaphil which may moisturize your skin and prevent it from cracking in case you have a dry skin.
- Stop scratching the itching body
It is believed, scratching the itchy feeling will increase the itchiness. Scratching may tear up the skin and prevent it from healing and their result to secondary infections. Itchiness usually responds respectively with the increase in scratch. The more the scratching the more the irritation. Therefore, try as much as possible to avoid scratching and make sure your finger nails are very short during this time.
- Coconut oil
This is a common remedy that can be found in every homestead. Coconut oil is very efficient when dealing with skin itchiness caused by conditions such as eczema. It contains anti-inflammatory, antifungal and anti-bacterial properties which make it best when it comes to dealing with itching all over body, as it provide soothing to the inflamed skin. Just apply coconut oil generously to the affected areas.
- Chamomile oil
This is also used to relieve itchiness that results from hives because it soothes the skin. Chamomile oil usually inhibits the release of histamines. You may mix this oil with coconut oil for better results.
Treatment for Itching all over Body
You have to talk to your medical provider if you are not sure of something that is causing you an itchy skin. Moreover if the condition is severe or if you experience much more symptoms apart from just itching all over body, seek medical intervention. The doctor may carry out a diagnosis to find out the underlying condition and advice on the best treatment as fast as possible.
- Anti-histamines can be prescribed when it comes to dealing with itchiness that results from allergies. Many types of anti-histamine usually make someone dizzy and therefore are best if used before bedtime.
- Hydrocortisones are also helpful when it comes to medical treatment. Anti-itching creams may be used and the most common effective ones are those that contain at least 1% hydrocortisone.
- Anti-depressants- these may as well help to deal with itching skin. They cause the release of serotonin which can relax the receptors in your body which may be the one provoking the itchy feeling.
More references
- Why is my skin itchy: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/311473.php
- What is causing my skin to itch: https://www.healthline.com/health/itching
- Itching of the body causes: http://uoflphysiciansse3.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=117&pid=1&gid=003217
- Itchy skin at night: https://www.healthline.com/health/itchy-skin-at-night
- Itching all over the body: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/itching-all-over-the-body/