What makes eczema so itchy

However, researchers believe that the itching associated with this chronic skin disease may be related to a combination of histamine 4 receptors, IL cytokines, and tryptase enzymes. These may be present in a variety of inflammatory or allergic conditions.

Changes within certain nerves in the upper layer of your skin, called C fibers, may also be a cause of eczema. These changes may increase skin sensitivity, making you more prone to itching and scratching. As your condition progresses, you may even scratch your skin without realizing it. Feeling itchy from eczema can come and go, and some rashes are more intense than others.

If the itchiness is quite intense, it may keep you up at night, leading to sleeplessness and daytime fatigue. While individual experiences vary, some triggers may include:.

Soaking in an oatmeal bath may help alleviate eczema itch and discomfort. Use store-bought colloidal oatmeal and run it under lukewarm water. You may soak in the bath for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

Cool compresses can also help when applied throughout the day. Applying a fragrance-free moisturizer can alleviate itchiness, but it may also help protect the skin barrier and ward off flare-ups. You can apply moisturizer throughout the day as needed. An effective eczema treatment plan is one that focuses on long-term management, not just treating flare-ups.

In the case of moderate to severe eczema, your doctor may recommend medications or other treatments. Symptoms often present in childhood and can range from mild to severe. A child is more likely to develop atopic dermatitis if one of their parents has had it. Children with atopic dermatitis have a higher risk of food sensitivity. They are also more likely to develop asthma and hay fever. Atopic dermatitis tends to cause patches of dry skin that can become itchy, red, and inflamed. These patches often appear in the creases of the elbows and knees and on the face, neck, and wrists.

Scratching the patches can worsen the itching and make the skin ooze clear fluid. Over time, repeated scratching or rubbing can cause the patch of skin to thicken. This is known as lichen simplex chronicus LSC. People with atopic dermatitis usually experience flare-ups, where the eczema gets worse for a time.

Triggers of flare-ups include:. Contact dermatitis is a reaction of the skin to certain substances. Image credit: Digitalgadget, Some people experience a skin reaction when they come into contact with certain substances.

This is known as contact dermatitis. Irritant contact dermatitis can result from repeated exposure to a substance that irritates the skin, such as:. People who regularly use or work with these substances have a higher risk of developing contact dermatitis. A person might not react to an allergen the first time they come into contact with it. However, once they develop an allergy, they will usually have it for life. Dyshidrotic eczema may cause small blisters.

Dyshidrotic eczema, or pompholyx eczema, typically appears in adults under 40 years of age. It usually occurs on the hands and feet and has characteristic symptoms, including intense itching and the appearance of small blisters. In some cases, the blisters can become large and watery.

A diluted-bleach bath decreases bacteria on the skin and related infections. Soak from the neck down or just the affected areas of skin for about 10 minutes. Do not submerge the head. Rinse, pat dry and moisturize. Take a bleach bath no more than two or three times a week. Apply an anti-itch cream or calamine lotion to the affected area. A nonprescription hydrocortisone cream, containing at least 1 percent hydrocortisone, can temporarily relieve the itch. Apply it to the affected area before you moisturize.

Once your reaction has improved, you may use this type of cream less often to prevent flare-ups. Moisturize your skin at least twice a day. Use a moisturizer all over while your skin is still damp from a bath or shower. Pay special attention to your legs, arms, back and the sides of your body.

If your skin is already dry, consider using oil or lubricating cream. But did you know eczema is actually a term used to describe many different kinds of itchy, red rashes—also known as flare-ups? You may have atopic dermatitis if you struggle with flare-ups that occur several times a year.

Some people always show signs of the disease. Get tips for talking with your child or your child's doctor, or sign up for valuable resources. Look at atopic dermatitis from the inside out and see what different cells are doing deep underneath the skin. While the redness and rash of atopic dermatitis are visible on your skin, the real story may be happening beneath the surface.

Atopic dermatitis is more than a skin condition. It's a disease caused by an overactive immune system that leads to inflammation in your body. While scratching may offer short-term relief, in the long run you're actually making your atopic dermatitis—and the itch—worse.

In healthy skin, the tough outer layer called the epidermis keeps foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, and allergens from getting in. When you have atopic dermatitis, the outer layer of skin is weaker and more susceptible to inflammation caused by immune cells in the body. The damage done by scratching also contributes to the breakdown of skin cells, making it easier for foreign substances to get in.

Once these foreign substances have broken through the skin barrier, immune cells alert the body that It's under attack. These immune cells travel to the lymph nodes, which are in the second layer of skin, called the dermis.

Once in the lymph nodes, these immune cells activate your body's defenders, called T helper cells. The immune cells release substances that cause the familiar redness and rash on the skin's surface.

Although these substances normally go away after a short time, if you have atopic dermatitis, the cells don't switch off like they should. Instead, they continue the inflammatory process, so the skin continues to react, even when your skin looks clear. Even when you have no visible rash, the underlying inflammation is still active beneath your skin. The itching leads to scratching, which further weakens the skin cells in the epidermis, allowing more foreign substances to get in and increases your risk of infection.

And the itch-scratch cycle continues. Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron are committed to providing resources to advance research in areas of unmet medical needs among patients with inflammatory and immunological diseases. The most obvious sign of atopic dermatitis is dry, itchy skin. Flare-ups are different for every person and can appear all over the body.