If your feet itch, the cause is likely a fungal infection - athlete's foot .
To relieve itching for several hours, treat the affected areas with the following composition:
Do not wash your feet with alkaline soap, as it may cause increased itching. And after washing, treat the skin with slightly acidic solutions, for example, lemon juice or diluted boric acid.
A very good method for itching of this origin is blood cleansing. This method allows you to forget about itching for a while.
But none of the listed methods treat the disease itself, but only help get rid of its manifestations. Therefore, the most effective method is to control your blood sugar, as well as carefully control your menu. So, it is advisable to eat as many different berries as possible, chokeberries, gooseberries, cranberries, as well as celery and sorrel. These fresh foods will improve the general condition of the body and have a beneficial effect on the composition of the blood.
Usually, immediately after childbirth, the condition normalizes on its own and the legs stop itching. But in any case, you should not take any medications orally without consulting a doctor.
Allergies can cause itchy feet. But usually this disease does not occur with only one symptom. With allergies, the palms and ears also itch. Other signs are also added.
Erysipelas is treated with antibiotics, and the effect of treatment is observed within a day. The affected areas are treated with ointments, powders with antibiotics. Antihistamines are taken internally to alleviate the condition.
Irritation nullifies all efforts to bring the skin of the legs into proper shape. In addition, with this complication, hair often grows into the skin.
If the razor is dull, then it damages the skin itself, and not just the hair, and it is after using dull razors that the most unpleasant inflammations develop. In this sense, machines with a strip impregnated with aloe are good. This impregnation immediately cleanses the skin of germs. But the period of use of the strip is limited.
1. Mix in equal parts valerian root, burdock flowers, burdock root, elecampane, clasp leaf, violet flowers, licorice root. Combine all ingredients and grind in a coffee grinder. Pour 2 tablespoons of powder into 500 ml of boiling water and place in a water bath for 5 minutes. Remove and leave for 12 hours. Then drink a tablespoon in the morning and evening for 12 weeks.
2. If an elderly person has itchy feet, this remedy will help him: finely chop the leaves of the small periwinkle, 1 tbsp. Brew raw materials with 200 ml of boiling water. Keep on low heat for 10 minutes. Cool and pass through a sieve. During baths, add the product to the water. Can be used as a lotion on itchy areas.
3. Brew 1 tbsp. lemon balm 200 ml of boiling water and drink instead of tea twice a day for 4 weeks.
4. Juniper bath. You should use dry or liquid juniper extract. For liquid, three tablespoons per bath will be enough, and for dry you need to take two tablets.
5. This remedy is also good for itching caused by eczema or psoriasis. You need to take the berries and leaves of black nightshade, grind them into a puree and combine with vegetable oil. Apply this mixture to itchy areas. But you need to know that nightshade is very toxic. It is strictly forbidden to take drugs internally!
6. Take two teaspoons of fresh leaves and sprigs of marjoram, brew with a glass of boiling water. Infuse and treat itchy areas.
7. Take dill seeds and grind into flour. Take one gram of powder orally ( this amount fits on the tip of a knife ).
8. Boil burdock root in water for half an hour. Grind and make lotions from the pulp.
The causes of itchy feet can be allergies, various dermatitis, varicose veins or other serious diseases. Sometimes pregnant women have itchy feet.
When your feet itch, it's quite unpleasant. You have to experience discomfort and suffer from scratching the skin and minor wounds, which happens quite often. In addition, the appearance of itching can signal serious problems in the body that require immediate treatment. To understand why itching is dangerous, you need to find out what diseases it appears in.
Most often, the legs itch below the knees; itching above is much less common. The reasons are different: from mechanical irritation of the skin to endocrine disorders. Diseases that cause itchy feet include:
If the itching is caused by these or other serious reasons, you cannot do without going to the hospital. These diseases cannot be treated independently, as this will lead to undesirable consequences. Feet itch much more often with the following skin lesions:
Quite often and severely itchy feet occur in women during pregnancy. This happens because a lot of fluid accumulates in their body, which leads to swelling and itching of the limbs. In children, the most common causes are contact with an allergen.
To understand why this disease causes itchy feet, you need to know its pathogenesis. The thing is that the veins expand, and the valves that are located in them and prevent the reverse flow of blood cease to function adequately. As a result, the outflow of venous blood is disrupted. Stagnation leads to itching, swelling and severe discomfort.
In the later stages of varicose veins, the skin over the affected veins becomes thinner. This leads to the appearance of wounds and erosions. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to start treatment in a timely manner. In addition to using medicinal ointments prescribed by your doctor, you must follow a number of other recommendations.
Also, with varicose veins, you cannot do without special compression garments - bangs or tights. They are selected individually, so for this it is better to consult a doctor. For severe varicose veins, surgical treatment should be considered.
Allergens include any substance that can cause allergic reactions. A reliable sign of an allergy, in addition to itching, is swelling, redness or rashes on the skin. The causes of these symptoms are the contact of a sensitized (susceptible) organism with an allergen.
In order for the itching to disappear as quickly as possible, you should first stop contacting the allergen. To do this, you will need to eliminate certain foods from your diet, stop wearing your favorite jeans, or change your personal hygiene products. Only in this case can you expect relief. To make the symptoms disappear faster, you can take a tablet of Loratadine, Claritin or another antihistamine.
If you cannot identify the allergen yourself, you should consult a doctor. He will prescribe allergy tests that will help identify the causes. Next, it will be necessary to exclude the effect of the provoking factor or carry out specific hyposensitization.
Dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease with an acute or chronic course. It not only causes the skin to itch, but also causes a number of other symptoms. Which ones exactly depends on the form of the disease. There are three of them.
Etiological factors (that is, those that lead to the development of the disease) can be infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi) or allergens. Therefore, before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out what exactly caused the dermatitis.
It is very important to influence the cause. That is, if the disease was caused by a fungus, antifungals are prescribed, and antibiotics are prescribed by bacteria. In the case of viral dermatitis, antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs are needed. Pathogenetic therapy is also necessary. For this purpose, anti-inflammatory and hyposensitizing agents are used.
For allergic dermatitis, an elimination diet is necessary. Its essence is to identify and exclude foods that cause allergies from the diet. To do this, you need to avoid eating a product that causes suspicion for one or two weeks. And then use it for two to three days, observing the reaction. If dermatitis occurs, then this product should be abandoned once and for all.
A person’s feet can itch to varying degrees, both mildly and very severely. As a result of strong scratching, inflammation may appear. There are many reasons that cause this unpleasant feeling. In order to know how to cure it, you need to know the cause of the itching, that is, why your feet itch.
Often these sensations occur in winter. At this time, the human body experiences a lack of vitamins. Another reason could be skin dehydration. Excessive dryness of the legs may also occur when shaving and epilating the legs too often, when certain products are used for these procedures. Hard water, which contains a large amount of mineral salts, can make your skin dry. Itchy feet occur with the following diseases:
The feet itch, in most cases, due to athlete's foot (fungal infection). Very often, the reason why itchy feet are bites from mosquitoes and other bloodsuckers. And the most common reason is fatigue of the hind limbs after a hard day at work.
If this disease continues for a long time, then itching and eczema begin to develop, as the venous outflow of blood is disrupted. Feet can itch at any time of the day or night. The skin above the veins becomes thinner, itchy areas are scratched, and this can cause wounds. To improve your health, do the following:
Most often, itchy feet appear after the sixth month. However, this symptom is not very common. Itching in the legs usually worsens at night, and the surface of the skin in the itchy areas begins to acquire a yellow tint. Why do women's feet itch during pregnancy? The fact is that during this crucial period the level of estrogen rises, which inhibits the movement of bile in the liver. The accumulation of bile acids begins in the body, and this provokes itchy skin.
With this disease, itching can occur on almost the entire surface of the body, but often only one leg may itch. For diabetes, blood cleansing is an effective way to combat itching. After this procedure, you will completely forget about this unpleasant feeling for a while. But still, the most effective method is to control blood sugar and strictly adhere to the diet.
Complaints of itchy feet in children are quite common. Most often, feet itch due to allergies, mosquito bites, contact with medications, chemical or household allergens. Children under 5 years of age often develop hives. This is an allergic disease during which red spots appear on the legs. They are denser than the surrounding skin. In most cases, it is not possible to accurately identify the allergen. Therefore, parents who have a child with allergies should be protected in every possible way from contact with allergens. This applies primarily to synthetic clothing.
Unfortunately, various dermatological diseases are very common these days. They can be expressed not only by rashes, but also by severe itching sensations. Most often, scratching occurs in the extremities, for example, on the heels. There can be many reasons for such symptoms, and if you cannot determine them yourself, you should consult a doctor for advice. Itchy heels can be caused by:
In most known cases, it is the fungus that causes itchy heels. It usually occurs against a background of severely weakened immunity. At such moments, the body’s protective function is significantly reduced. A weakening of the immune system can occur for several reasons, including concomitant diseases, antibiotic use, and poor nutrition.
Fungus causes itching in the heels, which bothers you both at night and during the day. In addition, skin roughness and local thickening may be observed. If treatment is not started in time, small ulcers and wounds form on the affected areas. They can be very painful.
At the initial stage of the disease, doctors recommend using special creams and ointments. They have a local effect, which makes it possible to achieve positive results much faster. If the fungal disease is severely advanced, antibiotic therapy may be needed. To reduce the risk of infection with foot fungus, you should observe increased personal hygiene measures in public places, such as a sauna, swimming pool, bathhouse, gym.
Sometimes it is very difficult to determine why your heels itch, because tests may be normal, but the itching only gets worse. In such cases, the likelihood of vitamin deficiency is high. By its nature, it is a nutritional deficiency in the body. Most often, vitamin deficiency occurs as a consequence of poor nutrition.
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to independently determine which component is missing in the diet. Only an experienced doctor will be able to identify the true cause of vitamin deficiency. With a deficiency of nutrients in the body, in addition to heel itching, the formation of deep cracks in the skin, its uncharacteristic roughening, hair loss and brittle nails are also observed.
Vitamin deficiency can only be treated from the inside. No ointments or creams can compensate for the lack of microelements and nutrients. The most effective methods of combating vitamin deficiency are adjusting the diet and taking special medications. The diet must contain fresh, high-quality products. Most often, itchy heels are caused by a lack of vitamins such as A, B, C, D. The nutrient content of different foods can be found in the table.
Very often, heels itch, both on the right foot and on the left, when wearing low-quality shoes. Manufacturers, unfortunately, do not always use good, natural raw materials to make their products. As a result of this, in contact with the skin, insoles or entire shoes in general cause severe itching. Scratching is the result of irritation of the receptors by harmful substances.
Often in this case no treatment is required. It will be enough to treat the skin of your feet with an antiseptic, make a bath of warm boiled water and, for example, change your insoles. To avoid such a situation, you should purchase shoes carefully and with caution. When choosing, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
In some cases, a neurologist can help you understand why your heel itches, because sometimes the itching is psychosomatic in nature. The human body reacts sharply to various emotional shocks. One of its strangest manifestations can be itching.
Instability of the nervous system is caused by stress, overwork, prolonged anxiety, and fear. In the case when only one leg itches and at the same time dermatitis appears on the body, you should definitely consult a doctor. If the neurologist confirmed that the itching is caused by a malfunction in the nervous system, then treatment, in this case, will be aimed at normalizing its functioning. The safest are herbal sedatives, for example, valerian, motherwort, hawthorn.
Itchy heels are a very unpleasant sensation that brings a lot of inconvenience. If it itches for a long time, you should definitely consult a doctor. A specialist will be able to prescribe adequate treatment and tell you what to do to alleviate the condition.
If your hands and feet itch, despite regular cleansing of the body from sweat and dirt and the use of hypoallergenic cosmetics, you should make an appointment with a doctor: after examining the limbs, the specialist will write a referral for tests and hardware tests, based on the results of which he will prescribe treatment appropriate to the case.
Unbearable itching in the arms or legs may result from:
1 allergic reaction;
2 pathologies of internal organs;
3 diseases of a dermatological nature;
4 stressful experiences;
5 vascular disorders (in particular, varicose veins).
An allergic reaction is always accompanied by severe itching in the arms and legs, less often in the groin and umbilical area, armpits, back of the head, and ears. Substances that cause the body’s immune response penetrate into the blood in several ways: through the gastrointestinal tract (food, medicines), respiratory tract (pollen, dust, mold spores), skin (saliva or animal hair, cosmetics, skin care products). cleaning the house, clothes made of low-quality synthetic material).
Contact with aggressive substances leads to the appearance of an itchy rash and rapid swelling of the extremities, difficulty breathing, watery eyes, and sneezing. The most dangerous consequence of an allergy is considered to be Quincke's edema, which poses a direct threat to a person's life: if a victim who experiences a similar reaction is not taken to the hospital in time, after a couple of hours there will be no one to save him - the person will die.
In addition to allergies, diseases of the liver, kidneys, biliary tract, gastrointestinal tract, hormone imbalance, and diabetes mellitus can cause itching in the arms and legs. In the latter case, along with itching, the patient experiences dry skin and persistent thirst. If your feet itch, it wouldn’t hurt to be examined for infectious skin diseases - mycosis of the feet or nails, scabies, lichen. Indirect signs indicating a skin infection are:
1 change in the color and structure of nails;
2 the appearance of a rash consisting of many tiny blisters with liquid contents;
3 burning sensation in the feet;
4 the presence of painful cracks on the legs, covered with wet crusts.
If these symptoms occur, it is recommended to urgently undergo tests and undergo treatment prescribed by a dermatologist. Skin infections not only spoil a person’s appearance, but also destroy his body from the inside, so the sooner the disease is identified and treated, the better.
Legs and hands itch not only due to infectious diseases, but also due to inflammatory diseases - in particular, eczema. The disease is characterized by the appearance of itchy watery blisters on the feet, elbows and wrists, which, when bursting, turn into wet crusts that the hand is tempted to scratch. The itching caused by the disease intensifies at night, and since a person does not control himself during sleep, most patients scratch the inflammation, which only worsens the disease. Eczema is treated with hormonal medications in the form of ointments or creams, as well as a diet that helps reduce itching and swelling caused by inflammation.
Let's consider several factors that influence the appearance of a feeling of localized itching. If your arms or legs are very itchy, these may not only be allergy symptoms, but also signs of various diseases.
1 Various types of skin diseases
Such diseases are accompanied not only by itching, but other skin manifestations. These include:
a) Scabies. It is a parasitic skin disease caused by the appearance of scabies mites (also called scabies). Recently, this pathology is not uncommon. It can easily be picked up in public places, for example, in transport. It is transmitted through objects, handshakes, clothing, and other close contact. This disease is characterized not only by a feeling of itching, but also by a papulovesicular rash to which pustular elements are attached. Looking closely, you can distinguish small black dots and gray-white stripes, which are the passages of ticks with their waste products. Typically located between the fingers and in the flexion areas of the joints.
b) Pediculosis. This pathology is associated with the presence of lice, which is why it is also called lice. Based on the location of these parasites, head lice, body lice and pubic lice are distinguished.
c) Urticaria. It can be caused by insect bites that suck blood, an allergic reaction to foods, medications, household chemicals, etc. It is required to quickly identify which product or substance provoked the disease and take measures to prevent contact with the allergen.
d) Neurodermatitis. Pathology associated with rashes accompanied by itching, which are caused by disorders of the nervous system, metabolism, etc. Frequent stressful situations can cause itching. In addition, it may appear when thinking about possible infestations with lice or scabies. In such situations, it disappears on its own after the situation that caused it is resolved.
2 Fungal infections
These include the following diseases:
a) Athlete's foot. Its manifestations can be seen in the groin area, as well as the feet and toes.
b) Seborrhea. It is a chronic dermatological disease of the scalp.
c) Lichen. Depending on the infection that provoked this pathology, it is divided into several types: flat, red, scaly and pink lichen.
d) Eczema. In addition to the burning sensation, it is also characterized by pustular, blistering and other manifestations.
And these are just the most famous fungal infections. During treatment, the dermatologist establishes an appropriate treatment regimen aimed at treating not so much the itching as its source.
3 Mechanical, chemical and temperature irritants
With fairly sensitive or dry skin, irritation in the form of scratching may appear as a reaction to cold, heat, abundant sunlight, sweat, as well as wool, synthetic items and fur. Sometimes it can be caused by the use of cosmetics. Stopping contact with the irritant has a beneficial effect on eliminating itching. However, if this condition has been bothering you for more than a month, then you should look for other sources.
4 Extracutaneous pathological conditions.
Typically, with such diseases, itching occurs mainly throughout the body, but sometimes it is also detected locally.
a) Diabetes mellitus, both latent and expressed types. With this disease, a burning sensation occurs near the anus and genitals. Therefore, in the case when, when testing your blood for sugar, the indicator is normal, it is worth taking a glucose tolerance test. The effect of irritation in the perineal area is sometimes alarming with gout. After undergoing diabetes therapy, the unpleasant condition goes away.
b) Liver diseases, accompanied by yellowing of the skin. The source of the itchy condition is considered to be the accumulation of too many cholic acids. Although not every time these substances are found in the blood. This is due to the individual characteristics of each organism. In some people, they accumulate more slowly in the blood than in the skin.
c) Renal dysfunction. Itching is caused by stagnation of nitrogen waste in the body and its release through the skin.
5 An itchy condition of the ankle occurs during stagnation of blood in the vessels of the legs such as varicose veins, swelling of the lower extremities as a result of a malfunction of the heart.
6 Other sources.
These include gynecological pathologies of inflammatory or tumor conditions in the groin area. Occasionally, at the initial stage of malignant formations of the female genital organs, itching is observed in the clitoral area. A disturbing condition in the anal area is possible with pinworms and hemorrhoids. If you have helminths, your nose may also itch. This phenomenon occurs very often in children. An increase in the number of lymph glands provokes diseases of the lymphatic system and is accompanied by itching. In this situation, consultation with a hematologist is required.
Due to malfunctions of the thyroid gland and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, an unpleasant itchy condition is also possible. Seasonal scratching is characteristic of vegetative-vascular dystonia. It appears mainly in autumn and spring.
Senile scratching. The cause has not yet been identified. Some experts believe that it may be caused by age-related changes in liver function. Others say that this is facilitated by deterioration in the functioning of the sebaceous and sweat glands, and also that the skin of older people is thinner and drier, and because of this, irritation appears more quickly.
To summarize, it is worth noting that itching that has been disturbing for a long time (especially generalized) requires mandatory examination by a number of specialists. You need to start treatment by visiting a dermatologist. If he does not detect parasitic diseases, then he will need to undergo special tests that will confirm or refute the presence of other pathologies of the endocrine system, kidneys, liver, and so on until the real cause of the itching is determined.
It is impossible to get rid of itching in the extremities without knowing the reason why it arose, so a person whose feet and hands itch must, firstly, go to the nearest hospital and undergo an examination prescribed by a doctor; secondly, strictly adhere to the recommendations of the treating specialist, developed taking into account the specifics of the identified pathology. If itching in the extremities occurs due to diabetes mellitus, the patient is forced to constantly monitor blood glucose levels, take appropriate medications and follow a low-carbohydrate diet.
If the cause of itching in the arms and legs lies in a skin infection, the patient is prescribed potent medications in the form of tablets and ointments, and is also given recommendations, adherence to which helps to avoid infection of others and reinfection. If the legs and arms itch due to diseases of the internal organs, allergies, malfunction of the endocrine or nervous systems, the patient is redirected for further treatment to the appropriate specialist - a gastroenterologist, nephrologist, allergist, endocrinologist, neurologist.
Not all people know what to do if an arm or leg is very itchy, if the cause of severe itching, itching and the appearance of an allergic reaction is unclear, but you want to get rid of the itching as quickly as possible. In this case, you should choose a specific method to eliminate the itching. If you don’t have any skin treatment at hand, you can use one of the many traditional methods for treating severe itching. If the treating specialist does not mind, you can use the following remedies to get rid of itching in the arms and legs:
Tea tree oil lotions to treat itching and scratching: five drops of tea tree oil are diluted in a glass of water and a bandage is soaked in the liquid, which is then wrapped around the itchy limb. Baths with a solution of salt and baking soda (one tablespoon of each product per liter of water), essential oils of chamomile, mint, calendula, sage or lavender. Rinsing the limb with cool water. Rub half an apple or a raw potato onto the itchy area of skin.
If a person does not know what to do if his arms or legs are very itchy, he can try to get rid of severe itching and itching at home using a simple folk treatment method, lotions with aloe pulp. Several aloe leaves with pre-cut thorns are crushed in a mixer, spread in a thick layer on a bandage or gauze and the cloth is applied to the itchy area of the body.
Oatmeal compress if you have severe scabies on your hands or feet: pour boiling water over a glass of oatmeal. The cooled mixture is applied in a thick layer to the itchy surface and covered with a bandage folded in several layers. After twenty minutes, the product is washed off. Rubbing itchy limbs with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar. Lubricating itchy hands and feet with ointment based on propolis or menthol.
Compresses with celandine: dried herb in a volume equal to one teaspoon is brewed with a glass of boiling water, infused for fifteen minutes and filtered. The product, cooled to room temperature, is used as impregnation for a bandage or gauze that is used to wrap itchy limbs.