What illness makes you itchy?

Itching on the whole body might be a symptom of an underlying illness, such as liver disease, kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, multiple myeloma or lymphoma. Nerve disorders. Examples include multiple sclerosis, pinched nerves and shingles (herpes zoster).

mayoclinic.org - Itchy skin (pruritus) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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Overview

Itchy skin is an uncomfortable, irritating sensation that makes you want to scratch. Also known as pruritus (proo-RIE-tus), itchy skin is often caused by dry skin. It's common in older adults, as skin tends to become drier with age. Depending on the cause of your itchiness, your skin may appear normal, red, rough or bumpy. Repeated scratching can cause raised thick areas of skin that might bleed or become infected. Many people find relief with self-care measures such as moisturizing daily, using gentle cleansers and bathing with lukewarm water. Long-term relief requires identifying and treating the cause of itchy skin. Common treatments are medicated creams, moist dressings and oral anti-itch medicines.

Symptoms

Itchy skin can affect small areas, such as the scalp, an arm or a leg, or the whole body. Itchy skin can occur without any other noticeable changes on the skin. Or it may be associated with:

Redness

Scratch marks

Bumps, spots or blisters

Dry, cracked skin

Leathery or scaly patches

Sometimes itchiness lasts a long time and can be intense. As you rub or scratch the area, it gets itchier. And the more it itches, the more you scratch. Breaking this itch-scratch cycle can be difficult.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor or a skin disease specialist (dermatologist) if the itching:

Lasts more than two weeks and doesn't improve with self-care measures

Is severe and distracts you from your daily routines or prevents you from sleeping

Comes on suddenly and can't be easily explained

Affects your whole body

Is accompanied by other signs and symptoms, such as weight loss, fever or night sweats If the condition persists for three months despite treatment, see a dermatologist to be evaluated for skin disease. It may also be necessary to see a doctor who specializes in internal medicine (internist) to be evaluated for other diseases. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

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Causes of itchy skin include:

Skin conditions. Examples include dry skin (xerosis), eczema (dermatitis), psoriasis, scabies, parasites, burns, scars, insect bites and hives. Examples include dry skin (xerosis), eczema (dermatitis), psoriasis, scabies, parasites, burns, scars, insect bites and hives. Internal diseases. Itching on the whole body might be a symptom of an underlying illness, such as liver disease, kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, multiple myeloma or lymphoma. Itching on the whole body might be a symptom of an underlying illness, such as liver disease, kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, multiple myeloma or lymphoma. Nerve disorders. Examples include multiple sclerosis, pinched nerves and shingles (herpes zoster). Examples include multiple sclerosis, pinched nerves and shingles (herpes zoster). Psychiatric conditions. Examples include anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Examples include anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Irritation and allergic reactions. Wool, chemicals, soaps and other substances can irritate the skin and cause rashes and itching. Sometimes the substance, such as poison ivy or cosmetics, causes an allergic reaction. Also, reactions to certain drugs, such as narcotic pain medications (opioids) can cause itchy skin.

Sometimes the cause of the itching can't be determined.

Complications

Itchy skin that is severe or lasts more than six weeks (chronic pruritus) can affect the quality of your life. It might interrupt your sleep or cause anxiety or depression. Prolonged itching and scratching can increase the intensity of the itch, possibly leading to skin injury, infection and scarring.

mayoclinic.org - Itchy skin (pruritus) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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