What Causes Itching All Over The Body?

Posted on Sat, 28 Jun 2014

Question: Hello Dr. XXXXXXX

Need your advice for my mother actually she is facing itching in her whole body.
So, what she should do.
Please let me know what all information do you require so that i can collect and send it to you.

Thanks & Regards
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Kalpana Pathak (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
details below

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing to us.
There could be many causes for generalised pruritus. To ascertain most probable cause, I would like to know
Your mother's age
Since how long is she having it
Any systemic disease that she is having like kidney/liver/thyroid ds
Any medicine that she has been taking for a while
If there are any skin lesions. If yes, then size, shape and site of lesions
If itching persists through out the day or subsides in between for long
If itching is mainly nocturnal
If she has dry skin
If there is or has been history of itching in family in recent past
If she stayed in a hospital hotel or any place outside prior to onset of itch.

Answer these queries and post images of her skin lesions if any.

Hoping to hear from you soon.
Take care

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Kalpana Pathak (10 minutes later)

Hello Dr. kalpana,
Please find the detailed information below.

Mother Age - 45
From past 6 months she is facing this problem.
No systemic disease.
Yeah she is taking Ebast( ebustine tablets 10 mg) in the night. If she is not taking the medicine the problem arises.
No, there are no skin lesions uptill now.
Itching persists through out the day if she fails to take the medicine.
Yes itching is mainly nocturnal
She has a dry skin
Yeah her mother is having the same problem.
No, she hasn't stayed in a hospital, hotel or any other place from the couple of the months
.

Answered by Dr. Kalpana Pathak (2 days later)

Brief Answer:
details below

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for providing the details.
There could two probabilities for itching- dry skin and urticaria.
Considering these possibilities,I would suggest that your mother should

Use A mild soap for bathing like cetaphil/venusia/hidrate soap etc and a good moisturiser like venusia max/cetaphil dam/moisturex soft etc twice in a day

Continue ebast m or may also take tab levocetirizine 10 mg

Use a steroid lotion like mometasone lotion twice in a day over affected area.

Also I would advise certain tests like absolute eosinophil count, urine routine examination and thyroid assay to rule out any underling cause.

Also ask your mother specifically if she has
red itchy bumps in finger web spaces, wrists, forearm, arm, chest abdomen, thigh etc or if these areas are the areas that itch in night (to rule out scabies)
if the skin is red dry scaly( to rule out eczema, fungal infection)
During episodes of itching she gets thick swollen red lines or round lesions over skin that disappear after a short while( to rule out urticaria).

Please update me regarding these queries.

Hope this helped.
Take care

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar