Itching or pruritus is a neurological stimulus similar to pain. Your skin is alerting you to a “threat”. It can be a direct stimulus (a leaf brushing against your skin), imagined (you see someone scratching), or by an internal stimulus (an allergy to something taken orally). Like pain, the itching stimulus triggers a nerve that sends a message to the brain.
So what will help the itching? Obviously, scratching does alleviate some itching temporarily. Anti-histamines, topical corticosteroids, oatmeal baths, and moisturizers also help and are detailed below.
(Did You Know? Pharmacists’ top OTC picks: non-sedating antihistamine-Claritin, sedating antihistamine-Zyrtec, insect bite lotion-Cortizon-10, moisturizing cream-Eucerin.)
Routes to relief:
Antihistamines are mentioned above. Perhaps the best OTC is Benadryl.
Topical corticosteroids relieve itching from inflammation. Using for extended periods can cause thinning of the skin.
Oatmeal is packed with anti-inflammatory chemicals. Use only about a tablespoon for the bath and soak 15-20 minutes.
Use cream moisturizers which have less water than lotions. We recommend Aquaphor or Eucerin. Apply after shower or while the skin is moist.
Healthy living,
