Contents:
- Medical Video: Can stress or anxiety cause itching?
- How does stress cause itching?
- Various types of itching due to stress
- 1. Hives
- 2. Prickly heat
- 3. Skin disease
- 4. Itching psychogenic
- Relieves itchy skin due to stress
Medical Video: Can stress or anxiety cause itching?
Itchy skin is a problem that is quite often encountered. The causes also vary, ranging from allergies, insect bites, or dry skin. However, itchy skin can appear suddenly for no apparent reason. When this happens, you can only wonder what caused it. However, did you know that you can get itchy skin due to stress or excessive anxiety? Without your realizing it, the very annoying itch turns out to be rooted in your own mind. Have you been feeling the itchiness caused by stress or most thoughts? Keep reading the information below to find out the answer.
How does stress cause itching?
When you are under stress, your body will react. Stress stimulates chemical reactions in the body that make your skin more sensitive. In addition, there are many of your nerve endings connected to the skin so that if your central nervous system reads of a stress disorder, your skin will also react. This condition can also make your skin more difficult to cure if you are experiencing certain skin problems or diseases. The problem is, sometimes even you yourself don't realize that you are being hit by stress or a lot of thoughts. So when you experience an itch that appears suddenly, you feel that the cause is not clear.
Various types of itching due to stress
Itching due to stress can appear with different symptoms in each person. Here are the various types of itching that you may experience when stressed.
1. Hives
Hives usually occur as a result of your immune system's reaction to allergens (allergens). Because your skin is the body's outermost defense mechanism, that's where the immune system stimulates the production of white blood cells. White blood cells will then fight bacteria, viruses, or allergens so that hives appear. When you are stressed, the brain sends a signal to the immune system that there is a threat that must be faced. So, your white blood cells will immediately react to repel the threat. If you are susceptible to experiencing biduran, stress will further trigger the condition.
2. Prickly heat
Stress is usually followed by other symptoms such as excessive sweat production. However, if you are in a hot, humid environment, or the air circulation is not smooth, sweat will actually be trapped inside the skin layer and cannot evaporate. This will then cause prickly heat on the itchy skin. Prickly heat is not harmful, but until it completely disappears from the surface of the skin you usually need at least two weeks.
3. Skin disease
You who have certain skin diseases must be more careful about psychological stress. Because, stress can trigger recurrence of certain skin diseases such as eczema, herpes, and psoriasis. These diseases can cause intense itching. This is because when you are stressed, your body will produce hormones that can trigger the skin disease that you suffer from.
4. Itching psychogenic
This type of itching is quite unique because this condition is triggered by suggestions from your own mind. This condition is rarely encountered. However, if you have certain psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), just a little stress can trigger the desire to scratch the itchy skin. Usually psychogenic itching will only appear on easily accessible limbs such as the arms, face, shoulders, abdomen, or back thighs.
Relieves itchy skin due to stress
The best way to deal with itching due to stress is to find and deal with sources of stress. When stress decreases, the itching you feel will gradually disappear. So, it's important for you to take time for yourself to get rid of stress. You can relax with essential oils, exercise, take a vacation, or immediately resolve the source of the problem of stressors.
You can also relieve itchy skin with natural ingredients such as aloe vera or cold compresses. Avoid bathing with hot water because it can make the skin become more dry and itchy. If the itching you feel is too annoying and unbearable, you can buy itchy relievers in the form of ointments, creams or pills. It is better to consult with health personnel before taking itchy relieving medicines.
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