Itching between the fingers is a dermatological skin disease that develops as a result of exposure to a particular irritant on the epidermis. In most cases, this symptom is always accompanied by such manifestations as redness, dryness, and peeling. The surface of the skin between the fingers can itch at any time of the day, but patients experience the greatest discomfort at night.
The cause of the painful state of the epidermis may be an allergic reaction to an external irritant, the presence of a fungal infection that lives between the fingers, and the presence of a subcutaneous scabies mite. It is worth understanding in more detail all the factors that can provoke redness, rash, irritation, and what causes the skin to peel off in this part of the body.
The human skin is a natural defense against the penetration of harmful microorganisms and chemicals from the environment into the body. Despite this, with prolonged contact with potential allergens, epidermal tissues tend to accumulate pathogenic components and become covered with red spots. This indicates that the amount of chemicals in the skin has reached a critical level, and there is a real threat to human health. The surface of the skin every day encounters a large number of objects and liquids that are potentially dangerous to the body. The skin between the fingers is the most delicate and may be the first to react after contact with an aggressive environment.
Itching of allergic etiology may appear in the following cases:
The causes of allergies always lie in the environment. To exclude a local allergic reaction, you need to eliminate the irritant and use antihistamines until the symptoms disappear. In the fight against allergic redness of the skin of the hands, the following drugs have proven themselves to be effective:
Treatment should begin only after consultation with a dermatologist and allergist, and if a specialist in the latter profile is not available in a medical institution, then the medication should be prescribed by a general practitioner.
Self-treatment is not recommended, since the cause of the painful skin condition between the fingers can be caused by completely different factors.
Redness of the skin in this area may also indicate the presence of a fungus. If itching between the fingers occurs suddenly, without the presence of any external irritants, and does not go away within several days, then you need to seek help from a dermatologist. The doctor will conduct an initial examination of the affected area of skin using a dermatoscope, and will more closely examine the structure of the epidermal cells. If there is a suspicion of a fungal infection, he will take smears for further laboratory examination of biological material from the surface of the patient’s hands.
If the diagnosis is confirmed and the presence of a fungus between the fingers, the patient is prescribed local-spectrum antifungal drugs. These include:
All these drugs are available in the form of creams and are applied to reddened areas of the skin. It is important to start treating fungus on the hands as early as possible, since the health of the entire surface of the upper limbs depends on it. If the fungal infection spreads higher, it can affect the nail plates, and treating fungus on such tissues is an extremely difficult process. In addition, the fungus is a very contagious disease, and there is a real risk of infecting your loved ones. If the presence of a fungal infection between the fingers is not limited only to symptoms such as redness, peeling, dry skin, and there are also wound formations and swelling, then treatment should take place in a hospital setting. In such cases, the epidermal tissues will not only itch, but also hurt at the same time.
Everyone has heard at least once about such a disease as scabies. Its presence is impossible without the scabies mite, which by its nature is a parasite and lives in the subcutaneous layer. As its population increases, it begins to cause itching, redness, and the skin between the fingers may become covered with red spots. The more the patient scratches the affected area of the epidermis, the more it begins to itch. Despite the discomfort in sensations, it is not recommended to touch the diseased area, so as not to spread the parasite throughout the environment, and at the same time not to introduce infection into the skin damaged by the tick.
The scabies mite is in constant motion, making microscopic passages under the skin. It is this factor that is associated with the feeling of itching between the fingers. The peak of its activity occurs at night. Therefore, most people infected complain that the skin between their fingers begins to itch before going to bed or during sleep. The disease is treated by a dermatologist. An experienced specialist only needs to conduct an initial examination to determine the presence of scabies mites between the fingers. Getting rid of the parasite must be started immediately so that it does not spread to other parts of the body.
The tick always moves from the surface of the hands to the stomach and groin area.
The disease is treated with Sulfur ointment and Benzyl benzoate.
The problem with the skin between the fingers should undoubtedly be eliminated only by a therapeutic method using medications. If it is not possible to get quick medical help to eliminate redness, dryness, flaking of the skin, and so that it stops itching, you need to resort to the following methods to eliminate the cause of the itching:
After eliminating the causes of the disease, you must immediately go to a medical facility to receive qualified assistance. Rapid redness between the fingers, itching, rash and swelling in 95% of cases indicates an acute allergic reaction. If it is not eliminated in a timely manner, complications such as swelling of the larynx and the onset of anaphylactic shock are possible. The patient's final health condition almost always ends in death.
Itching on the fingers and between the fingers affects areas of the skin and can be caused by infections, allergies, eczema or fungal infections.
Itching on the tips of the fingers and between the fingers can occur for many reasons. With severe itching, you involuntarily want to scratch the problem area, and it is often difficult to restrain your desire, because as long as they “throw wood on the fire, it will not go out.” That is, until the factor causing discomfort and, as a result, scratching is not treated, the itching will not go away, but will only increase. That is why it is necessary to identify the cause of the disease in order to begin an effective fight against it. Often this is a banal allergy.
In fact, there are a lot of reasons that can cause severe itching on the fingers and in the hollow between the fingers.
One of these reasons is genetic predisposition and allergies, which occurs in about 10% of patients who go to the hospital with similar complaints. For this category of patients, an experienced dermatologist can conduct a quick experiment to find out whether they fall into this conditional genetic percentage. The doctor runs any object over the problem skin, pressing it, and if a white stripe appears, followed by a red one, then we can assume a functional reactive feature. Such patients often suffer from this type of irritation, as they fall into a “vicious circle”, that is, scratching a certain area of the skin provokes itching, which in turn causes even more itching.
With some diseases or with a genetic predisposition, itching may occur due to a failure in the process of natural moisturizing of the skin on the wrists and palms of the hands, which leads to flaking and dryness. It also happens that allergies cause a reaction after taking certain medications, foods or cosmetics, and then a person experiences itching of the upper extremities, in particular the palms and fingers. Treatment of this disease is often not amenable to medication; it goes away on its own when the stimulus that caused the reaction is removed.
Also, the appearance of itching on the tips of the fingers and hands occurs due to frequent hand washing with the most common soap, which irritates and dries the skin. In this case, you just need to choose a moisturizing hygiene product and the problem will be solved. However, you need to know that soap is the most common irritant, and besides it there are other chemical household products that sometimes cause unpleasant reactions. These can be various gels, shampoos, creams, detergents, cleaning powders, as well as liquids containing ethyl alcohol.
If you experience itching between your fingers, you should be wary, because this condition may be a sign of a serious illness, for example:
In cases where itching appears on the tips of the fingers due to an allergic reaction to chemicals, it is enough just to wear rubber gloves (for example, medical ones), that is, treatment and prevention are aimed at eliminating the cause of the itching. But it happens that the allergy is too severe, so in this case it is necessary to use additional medical ointment, which can be hormonal or non-hormonal.
An ointment that is based on hormones can have varying degrees of action, but choosing the one you need on your own is sometimes very difficult, because they all provide a certain strength of influence - from the most gentle to the most intense. Only an experienced allergist or dermatologist can tell you exactly which hormonal drug to choose and the frequency of its use. Hormonal ointments can become addictive, so they must be used with caution.
Non-hormonal ointments, which are used when allergies appear, are indicated for sensitive skin. For example, it could be the delicate skin of a baby or sensitive areas of the nipples of a nursing woman, which are prone to the formation of cracks and inflammation. However, the skin on the fingers is also delicate and prone to the formation of small cracks due to various influences. This type of treatment is often welcomed, as it does not have side effects in the form of addiction.
Fungal infections that affect the skin between the fingers and toes are most often represented by mycosis. This disease affects mainly the male population, but sometimes women are also affected. Mycosis causes itching only during an exacerbation; at the moments when it disappears, the itching stops and the person forgets about this disease. It is difficult to determine this disease on your own, since fungal scales can easily be mistaken for dry skin on the fingertips and between them. This disease is diagnosed by a laboratory method, and treatment is carried out with the help of special antifungal drugs.
A disease such as eczema is particularly difficult to treat, because it can be caused by various factors that are important to determine. A dermatologist, after diagnosing eczema and identifying the cause, prescribes individual treatment to the patient, which is based on complex therapy, sedatives and diet correction.
To relieve swelling on the fingertips, the doctor will prescribe antiviral drugs and an antibiotic regimen. If eczema is severe and severely itchy, then antifungal agents will help eliminate these symptoms.
During treatment, corticosteroid hormonal therapy is prescribed, which helps eliminate itching, relieves inflammation and is an excellent desensitizing agent. The most popular drug prescribed for such a diagnosis as eczema is prednisolone, available in tablets. This treatment may cause an adverse reaction, so you can start therapy only by agreeing with your doctor on the dosage, as well as the duration of use of the drug.
During the period of remission, it is very important to continue taking the tablets according to the regimen, since eczema that has not been fully treated may return. When treating a disease, the patient should not wash his hands with soap or use cream. It is advisable to ensure that the skin on your fingertips is always soft and to protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
The patient's diet must be carefully organized and it is undesirable to violate it. Remove foods containing carbohydrates as much as possible from your overall diet, and also limit fluid intake. A patient suffering from eczema on the fingertips is advised to consume dairy products and herbal products. In order to quickly overcome the disease, you need to avoid the consumption of alcohol, canned food, marinades, spicy and salty foods, as well as various carbonated drinks.
Quite often, many people experience itching between their toes, which is most often a sign of fungal skin infection. It all starts with a slight redness between the fourth finger and the little finger: at first you only feel discomfort and itching, and after a while local peeling of pieces of skin begins and cracks appear. Mycosis of the skin between the toes is considered one of the most common dermatological diseases.
According to statistics , every fifth person suffers from it in our country. The causative agent of mycosis of the skin of the feet in most cases is the fungus Tinea pedum, which grows and multiplies in a warm and humid environment. Therefore, most often the fungus affects the skin of those whose feet sweat a lot. Typically, athletes and men who wear poorly ventilated shoes and synthetic socks suffer from increased foot sweating. Fungal foot infections are rare in women and children. You can become infected with foot fungus through direct contact with a person with mycosis of the feet and by using his things, in particular towels, pedicure accessories and slippers, but you can also catch it when visiting a swimming pool, sauna, bathhouse and other places where people go barefoot. People with reduced immunity and metabolic disorders suffer more than others from fungus between the toes.
In general, the itching and discomfort associated with fungal infections of the toes are minor and therefore most people choose to ignore them. But if you do not start treating the fungus between the toes in a timely manner, then after a while it moves to the nails, which leads to the nail plate thickening, changing color and beginning to peel. This is especially common in patients with diabetes and long-term use of antibiotics. Getting rid of skin fungus between the fingers is, in principle, not difficult.
Every morning and evening you should wash your feet, thoroughly lathering the skin between your toes with laundry soap. Then dry the interdigital areas with a hairdryer or disposable towel, and at the end of the procedure, apply clotrimazole ointment to clean, dry skin. The drugs miconazole, exoderil, nizoral, lamisil and desenex also work well against fungus between the fingers. To prevent re-infection of foot fungus, you must wear open shoes, change socks every day and treat the inside of the shoes with vinegar, formalin solution or chlorhexine. But all these shoe treatment products have an unpleasant odor, which can only be removed by long-term airing.
Therefore, it is preferable to disinfect shoes with a special device that is placed in the shoes and emits ultraviolet rays that have an antifungal effect. Also, to treat shoes, you can buy Samarovka liquid at the pharmacy, wipe the inside of the shoes with it and keep it in a sealed bag for about 3 hours. The most important condition when treating fungus between the fingers is regularity. You should not give up daily foot care and use of ointments as soon as the itching stops and redness on the skin disappears. Treatment should be carried out for another week after the disappearance of visible symptoms of fungal infection.
There are many traditional methods for treating fungus between the toes, which also have a good effect when used regularly. The most popular folk methods for treating fungus, which are attractive due to their low cost and ease of preparation, are the following:
1. Brew 50 ml of strong tea and add two teaspoons of 9% vinegar to it. Soak cotton swabs in a tea-vinegar solution and wipe the fungus-affected skin areas with it. The more often you perform this procedure during the day, the faster the skin will heal.
2. Buy a bottle of glycerin at the pharmacy, pour it into a 0.5 liter jar, add the same amount of 70% vinegar, close the jar with a lid and shake several times. Rub the resulting medicine onto the skin between your fingers until the fungus is completely cured.
3. Make foot baths with sea salt every day, dry the skin between your toes and lubricate with celandine or aloe juice.
4. Prepare a warm foot bath by adding 1 teaspoon of soda and 1 kg of salt to 2 liters of water. Soak your feet in the bath and dry your feet thoroughly with a cloth. There is no need to rinse your feet with water; the fungus does not like salt. To get rid of it, it is recommended to even sleep in clean socks, sprinkling a little salt in them.
5. Foot baths with the addition of apple cider vinegar are good for itching between the toes. Soak your feet in the bath for 15-20 minutes, then wipe the affected areas with propolis tincture or tea tree oil.