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What causes severe itchy skin on legs? Why do you get extremely itchy skin at night? The itch on skin is with no rash should I be worried?
The skin is quite sensitive when it is exposed to harsh chemicals from lotions, fragrances, detergents and soaps. Normally, the skin will notify you of an irritant with an itch. However, the irritant can be not only on the outside, but also on the inside. If you have extremely itchy skin that will not go away in four weeks you should have yourself tested for skin cancer. I don’t mean to scare you, but itching is the first possible sign of cancer in not only on your skin, but also in other organs in your body such as the brain and the liver. Therefore, you should not just dismiss it.
On the other hand, there could be a host of other reasons behind your itching. This article will explore those reasons that cause you have extremely dry itchy skin on various parts of the body including all over the body. Why the itch only intensifies at night and why you may not have a rash as a reminder of the itching ordeal.
Extremely Dry Itchy Skin
Dry skin is the main reason why you may experience itching on localized parts of your body or all over. There are various reasons at to why your skin may dry and cause you to itch all the time. For starters, if you make a habit of using hot water instead of warm water in your baths, you remove the natural oils from the skin. Hence, you leave it completely dry and prone to irritation.
The weather also contributes greatly to the dryness of your skin. You will find that in summer or winter, the air is dry. Without moisture in the air, your skin will automatically dry up and make you itch. In fact, you make the situation worse during these two seasons by either having the air conditioner or heater on high settings. You can ease your woes by investing in a humidifier to avoid having extremely dry itchy skin. Find out how to care for dry itchy skin in winter.
It is also possible to forget to moisturize all your body parts or simply ignore. When you do this whenever your skin is exposed to water, you fail to seal in any moisture on your skin. The lotion does not give your skin moisture. It traps the already present moisture on it from the air or the water. If a present lotion is not serving you in this way, you may have to use a heavier cream or ointment to keep your skin moisturized and avoid extremely dry itchy skin.
Extremely Itchy Skin on Legs and Hands
The common areas that are prone to extremely itchy skin are the legs and hands and for obvious reasons. The legs are left in the open when you wear shorts and the sun may burn them. Similarly, any insects go for the legs first, be it mosquitoes, fleas or ticks, they will probably hit your legs first.
Extremely itchy skin on legs especially in women could be a sign of cancer. Therefore, you should not ignore any burning sensation; instead, you should have it checked to rule out skin cancer. On the other hand, it could be an autoimmune disorder from the Sjogren’s syndrome. Only a doctor can rule this out for sure.
Severe itchy hands can be from allergens. You should try to identify the allergens that could be causing it. These could be from the metal in the jewelry you wear on your arms, the lotions and creams you use, the soaps and probably the detergents you use in your laundry. You do not have to be using a new soap to get an allergy. A soap you have used for ages could react on your skin over a period. It is also important to wear gloves while working in the garden or in your kitchen sink to protect your hands from poisonous plants such as poison ivy, sumac and oak among others and harmful chemicals respectively.
Extremely Itchy Skin at Night
Although a severe itchy skin will go on through out the day, some kinds of itches may only occur in the night. If your skin itches at night only, there could be your answer. On the other hand, a daylong itch may intensify at night only when you are trying to catch some sleep.
You could avoid taking hot showers before bed and ensure that they do not last more than 10 minutes. Similarly, you should check to find any bugs in your beddings. If you cannot find any, you may have to change your bedding and clean them with a mild detergent.
If you are going through menopause, extremely itchy skin at night will be common. However, you can keep it under control by eating taking vitamin supplements, fish and flaxseed oil and drinking plenty of water. Sometimes these activities may not stop the itching at all.
When extremely itchy skin at night persists, have your doctor check you for the following conditions:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Kidney failure
- Liver disease
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- Shingles
- Hemorrhoids
- Fungal infections
- Cancer
- Shingles
You could also prevent itching by avoiding stress and anxiety about your work and what took place during the day. Watch if the itching is accompanied by other symptoms such as lack of breath and yellowing of the retina in the eyes among others so that you can report these signs to your doctor.
Extremely Itchy Skin No Rash vs Itching Rash
Severe itchy skin may present itself without or with a rash. If you have extremely itchy skin with a rash, then you could find out the possible causes of the rash in that article. On the other hand, if the extremely itchy skin no rash symptom is what you are dealing with, then you need to watch your daily intake of foods and see when the itching intensifies, when you eat which foods.
Most people with food allergies itch severely without getting any rashes. A good example of such people is those who have the Celiac disease, which causes mal absorption of wheat. You could eliminate wheat in your diet by seeking an alternative. Additionally, you could eliminate too much iodine in your diet.
You should also try to identify fabric allergies, soaps and fragrances. Change from harsh chemically laden brands to mild ones. Soaking in ground oatmeal also would help ease the extremely itchy skin no rash symptom. You can grind the oatmeal yourself or buy the Aneeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath.
Embarrassing Very Itchy Skin All over
Severe itchy skin is embarrassing especially if it occurs all over the body. It can be difficult going to work in that condition because it would mean serving customers or colleagues as you itch all over. They would imagine you are unhygienic or have a dreaded skin disease. To avoid such embarrassments, check for any other symptoms that you may have such as difficulty in breathing.
This is because a condition known as anaphylaxis maybe behind the very itchy skin all over. However, it is not always the case, you could be allergic to some foods, but it is always wise to start with a consultation with a doctor.
Other conditions such as viral infections from molluscum contagiasum or morgellons, which is the accumulation of filaments on skin could behind the very itchy skin all over. If you are pregnant, you could also be a having a liver problem known as intrahepatic cholestasis. Therefore, do not just dismiss this severe itch if it does not go away even after taking baths in Epsom salts or other sea salts.
