The more you scratch, the more itchy it gets! How to treat itchy skin? There are some tips in life and diet

Author: Chen Yong, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Yang Rongya, Chief Physician, Seventh Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

Itching is very common in life. It can be one of the manifestations of many diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis, and even diabetes, etc., which can cause itching.

In the field of dermatology, itching can also be regarded as an independent disease. It is caused by a neurological dysfunction. When the skin looks normal but it itches inexplicably, we call it pruritus.

1. What factors in life can cause or aggravate itching?

There are some external factors that may not cause itching, but may aggravate itching.

The most common ones are environmental factors, such as sudden rise or drop in temperature, which can irritate the skin and cause or aggravate itching.

There is also an overly dry and humid environment. Excessive dryness will aggravate itching, causing a large amount of moisture in the skin to evaporate, and the skin will itch when it is dehydrated. On the contrary, if it is too humid, like in the summer when it is humid and hot, the stratum corneum of the skin will deteriorate, that is, it will not be strong, and the resistance will decrease, which will also cause or aggravate itching.

Another thing is the clothing that is close to the skin. For example, a newly bought scarf is very beautiful, but the scarf is made of chemical fiber or wool, which has a certain degree of irritation to the skin and is likely to aggravate the itching.

From a dietary perspective, spicy and irritating foods, such as alcohol, as well as foods that are prone to allergies, such as seafood, beef, and mutton, may also aggravate itching.

Some people like to drink coffee, strong tea, or other caffeinated beverages. If the itching is caused by neurological dysfunction, the nerve function itself is already impaired, and drinking some drinks that excite the nerves will undoubtedly aggravate the itching.

There are also some rare factors, such as some side effects of certain drugs, which may cause rashes and itching.

So when unexplained itching occurs, think about whether it occurs after eating certain foods or taking medicines. Also think about whether you have been under a lot of stress recently. Lack of rest can lead to neurological disorders, which can also cause or aggravate itching.

Figure 1 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

2. How does Chinese medicine prevent and treat skin itching in summer through lifestyle and diet?

Summer skin itching is usually related to moisture and heat. It usually manifests as itching in places where sweat easily accumulates, such as armpits, thigh roots, and around the navel. For example, obese people are also prone to itching in the folds of their stomachs, and the area is prone to redness and inflammation.

Since it is related to humidity, heat, and inflammation, we must first solve this environmental problem in prevention and treatment. What should I do if I sweat easily? Apply more powder to keep my skin dry and it won't itch.

In addition, in terms of diet, try to eat less food that is easy to produce dampness and heat. For example, spicy food, sweets, mutton, fried food, etc., eat lighter. Especially in summer, eat more lotus seeds, coix seeds and other foods that can remove dampness and heat. If you like to drink tea, you can drink lotus leaf tea; if you like to drink porridge, make some lotus seed porridge, coix seed porridge, etc., which can remove dampness, clear away heat and heat, and regulate itching.

In addition, we cannot change the climate, but if the house is too humid in summer, you can use a dehumidifier, or some air conditioners also have a dehumidification function, which can also prevent or improve itching symptoms.

3. How does Chinese medicine prevent and treat skin itching in winter through lifestyle and diet?

Winter itching is usually related to dryness, such as the extensor surface of the arms, the front of the calves and thighs, which are the places with many tendons, bones and skin that people usually say are prone to itching. Why? Traditional Chinese medicine believes that these places have less Qi and blood, while the theory of Western medicine is that these places lack sebaceous glands, so they are prone to dryness.

If dryness in winter easily causes itching, don't wait until you feel itchy before trying to find a solution. Once winter comes, after each shower, apply more oil, lotion or moisturizing oil to the prone areas such as the extended side of the arms, the front of the calves and thighs mentioned above, so that they will not dry out easily and will not itch easily.

If your skin is prone to dryness and it is very cold in winter, do not take a bath with water that is too hot. We all have an experience when we cook at home. When cooking, we get oil on our hands, and it is easier to wash it off with hot water than with cold water. The same is true for taking a bath. If you take a bath with very hot water every day, the oil on the skin cannot be retained. The skin loses the protection of the oil film, and the moisture in the skin is easy to evaporate, and the skin will easily become dry and itchy.

Figure 2 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

In addition, eat more blood-nourishing and moisturizing foods in winter, such as donkey-hide gelatin for women and jujube for men; supplement more collagen, eat pig's trotters, pork skin jelly, and sea cucumbers if conditions permit, etc. By supplementing some collagen, the skin will not easily dry out.

If your home is too dry, you can use a humidifier to change the small environment in the house, which is also helpful in controlling itching.

Finally, there is one more point that needs to be emphasized to everyone. Regardless of whether it is summer itching or winter itching, you must actively treat the primary disease. When the itching is severe, you can use some antiallergic drugs, sedatives, topical antipruritic drugs, etc.

Try not to scratch to avoid breaking your skin. When it is particularly itchy, you can pat it with your hands. It will stop itching even if it hurts, and it will not damage the skin. The less you scratch the itchy skin and stimulate it, the lower the excitability of the nerves, and the less likely it is to itch. Let it enter a virtuous cycle, and it will get better slowly.