Itching - Health Tips

You can take some basic steps to reduce itching

Bathing

Bathe or shower with lukewarm or cool (not hot) water.

Lubrication

Within three minutes after drying after every bath or shower, apply a lubricant (moisturizer) to the entire body. It is important to apply this immediately after drying in order to trap any moisture remaining in your skin from bathing.

Greasy or oily lubricants such as Vaseline jelly, aquaphor, mineral oil, or “baby oil” are best, but many people do not like the greasy or oily feel. Good compromises that are more pleasant to use but still fairly effective are Eucerin cream or lotion and Nivea cream. There are a large number of other effective moisturizers. Examples include Nutraderm 30, LactiCare, Complex 15, Moisturel, Lac Hydrin Five, Purpose Dry Skin Cream, and many others. Find a moisturizer that you like to use and will use religiously.

If the skin is still dry, or itchy the rest of the day, apply moisturizing ointments, creams, or lotions as often as needed to maintain moist, supple skin. Keeping the skin well-lubricated is the most important part of your therapy. This will help reduce the itch sensation.

Many people find that Aveeno colloidal oatmeal (either oilated or non-oilated) (no prescription required) added to bath water reduces itching and also helps to moisturize skin. If the oilated form is used, a rubber bath mat must be used to avoid slipping. Even if the oilated form is used, a regular ointment or cream moisturizer should still be applied after the bath.

Clothing

Avoid wool or acrylic clothing in contact with the skin. Cotton is usually tolerated the best. Rinse clothes thoroughly after washing.

Climate

Excessively dry or humid conditions should be avoided to the extent possible. Some people, however, improve when they leave a damp climate with wide variations in temperature and move to a warm, dry climate. Overall, Park City is a difficult climate (especially in winter) for sufferers of Atopic Dermatitis.

Emotions

Anxiety, anger, and frustration can directly provoke itching. If these feelings are a problem for you, resolution of these feelings are often of value in controlling your skin disease.

Other

Avoid anything else that you find causes itching or irritation of your skin (such as specific creams, makeup, or perfumes).    Keep fingernails trimmed short to reduce skin damage from scratching.

Notalgia Paresthetica is a common, but often unrecognized condition that leads to a sense of severe itching.

The itching usually afflicts one side of the mid back and may be associated with pain and an altered sensation to touch.

There is no definitive treatment for this condition and options vary, including topical corticosteroids, topical anesthetics, antihistamines, and acupuncture.

Some doctors do not treat the condition as it may be considered “harmless”, but that leaves many patients without relief from the itching that they find uncomfortable and disruptive to their lives.

Belaray Dermatology has piloted a new  treatment option using Massage Track that allows patients to easily apply pressure to the affected area body.  This appears to relieve the intense itching, while avoiding the trauma of scratching and rubbing skin.  By manipulating the firmness of the  Massage ball and the location of the pressure, while applying moisturizers to the skin. patients can relieve themselves of the “scratching cycle”.

Using this tool has resulted in dramatic relief of the itch, and contributes to healing of the otherwise thickened and darkened skin.