
Frustrated about the severe itching without rash sensation? You’ll understand how different underlying factors are linked to itching with no sign of a rash, including when one is pregnant…
A severe itch is one that doesn’t develop into a rash, and isn’t noticeably visible. The reason for not seeing these rashes is because it may be an early sign of a skin infection, or something that is most likely to sprout up later. There are many reasons why you can experience this frustrating sensation, and it may be more serious than you think. Consult a doctor if itching prolongs itself for days at a time without ceasing. Severe itching all over the body is a clear sign that something may be brewing within your system.
Severe Skin Itching Causes
These are the likely causes of severe itching, that you may be faced with when dealing with severe itching portions on your body. These could be diseases that haven’t yet progressed to a later stage, or some sort of skin disorder. Just remember that there’s nothing to panic about, you just need to stay attentive at how the itching progresses or dies off with time.
Infestation
Skin lesions that cannot be seen, but bring on a fit of itching, shows that you could be in the initial stages of having scabies. Lice present either on your head or body can be the culprit here, intestinal worms like hookworms, or even roundworms and onchocerciasis could be some of the possible organisms involved.
Hormonal Problems
Thyroid problems can either increase/decrease when it comes to their everyday hormonal flow. Due to the increased blood flow and metabolic rate, hypothyroidism seems like a strong possibility, since dryness is another cause for the same, leading to severe itching. Diabetes (neuropathy), is another reason you could experience itching, when it is in its early stages.
HIV Infection
You could be suffering from a sexually transmitted disease (STD), since one of its primary symptoms, is itching.
Drugs
Some medications or drugs can produce a negative effect on the body, bringing about itching. This can then result in a disease known as pruritus sine rash.
Liver Disease
When bile flow is obstructed, it leads to a problem called cholestasis, where the foot soles and palms start itching profusely, and can spread to other parts of the body. Hepatic disease leads to itching as well, because of high levels of opioid peptides in the skin and blood.
Generalized Pruritus
Causes like aged skin, dermatitis herpetiformis, allergies, bullous pemphigoid, dry skin and so on, can lead to severe itching when one gets these diseases. Consulting a doctor, would mean getting tested for the severity of the itching, and how to eliminate its causes effectively if the damage is serious. That is why, like I mentioned earlier, keep a track of how long the itching has been going on, and accordingly get it checked.
Food Intake
If you immediately experience itching after you’ve eaten, it is definitely due to a food allergy reaction, where the foot item must be eliminated from your diet. It can also further lead to pruritus sine rash.
Allergic Reaction to Water
Polycythemia patients get itchy sensations, after they’ve come into contact with a water body. This is known as aquagenic pruritus.
Kidney Failure
Itching is a common symptom that arises when one gets chronic kidney disease. It can later lead to skin rashes and then severe problems like nummular eczema, prurigo nodularis and so on. Due to the build up of toxins within one’s body, the system acts out due to the failing of one’s kidney functions.
Leukemia and Other Problems
Skin rashes can appear, where even just the itching sensation can be a sign of having leukemia. When one is anemic, he/she can suffer from intense itching fits. Other diseases/problems that lead to itching are – depression, multiple myeloma, mastocytosis, emotional stress, lichen simplex chronicus and so on.
Severe Itching During Pregnancy
Due to the expanding uterus, the skin stretches, making one get a pregnancy itch. Women who are pregnant, often experience itching during pregnancy. There is also a change in your hormonal balance, which causes you to experience signs of itching, with enzyme function altered in the liver, when bile salts increase.
Itching can be felt on the soles of your feet or the palms of your hand when pregnant. Apply moisturizer just after a shower, when the pores are open and can take in the cream better. Avoid hot baths, and stick to warm water instead, to avoid itching.
These are other different ways of how women can experience itching when pregnant.
- Rashes appear where there are large itchy skin bumps across the belly. This occurs in the third trimester, leading to what is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). The area where this is noticed first, is the abdomen, that later on spreads to other parts of the body like the arms or thighs. This isn’t harmful to the baby, but can lead to severe itching if not checked out in time. Doctors will prescribe a topical agent to help ease itching, or in serious cases, oral steroids. This only sticks around for a couple of days. Similar to this is a problem called prurigo, which is rare in nature but also brings about itchy bumps all over the body especially on the arms, feet, legs and hands. This doesn’t harm the baby as well, and will wear off over time.
- A rare condition known as cholestasis, which was mentioned earlier, is another form of itching that arises during pregnancy. Itching can be extremely frustrating to bear, causing women to scratch so hard, that it leaves peeled skin deposits. This will stop after you’ve given birth; you can consult a doctor and ask him what to do about the unbearable itching.
Severe itching without rashes, is a very common case among people, who don’t witness signs of reddening or bumpy patches. Get in touch with a doctor if you/others experience anything that isn’t normal in an itchy-skin-no-rash situation, and get it checked as soon as possible.