What Is Itching ?
Itching can be described as uncontrollable sensation that tempts one to scratch the skin. Itching can occur all over the skin or limited to specific regions. Itching can be caused due to many factors ranging from skin conditions to more serious problems in the kidneys or liver. Itching can be the response to certain allergic stimulus. Dermatitis, skin infection, insect bites, chronic diseases, over exposure to sunlight and dryness of the skin are the major causes for itching. Itching can occur all through the day or only at times of stress or sometimes only during nighttime.
Persistent itching can affect the quality sleep and you may feel tired the following day. For many people itching worsens at night for no defined reason. Itching targets the people with underlying medical illness and if itching continues for more than couple of nights you need to check with your doctor to identify the root cause.
Why There Is Increased Itching At Nighttime ?
For many people itching becomes worse at night for unknown cause. Psoriasis and dermatitis also increases itching at night. People with chronic illness like kidney or liver disorders would also have nighttime itching. One needs to follow conservative treatment alongside with doctor’s prescription drugs to manage uncontrolled itching at night.
Symptoms Of Nighttime Itching :
Itching at any time can cause symptoms like skin rashes, skin lesions, bumps and blisters. Specific skin area can become reddish and tender. For some people the outer layer of the skin gets torn up due to persistent scratching.
Nighttime Itching Causes :
Itching all over the body can occur due to many causes.
- Allergic Reactions – Sudden onset of itching (mostly all over the body) can occur due to allergic reactions caused by food poisoning. Eating allergic foods for dinner can intensify nighttime itching. To prevent this, you need to identify the list of foods/drinks that induce allergic response and completely avoid them.
- Insect Bites and Stings – Stings (honeybee) and insect bites can trigger the immune system resulting in itching. Bed bugs, flea bites and mosquito bites can also cause nighttime itching. Make sure that you are using nets or any other protective measures before going to bed.
- Stress/Anxiety – Increased stress or anxiety can cause itching and other symptoms like diarrhea/constipation and rapid heartbeat. When a person is worried about some event or expecting something to happen the next day he/she may not be able to sleep properly. The defense mechanism of the body can induce itching. Emotional issues can also cause persistent itching.
- Exposure To Sunlight – If your body is exposed to harsh UV radiations of the sun it can cause sunburn resulting in itching. You can avoid this kind of itching by not going out during daytime or wearing protective masks and sunscreen lotions while going out. Repeated sunburns can lead to skin cancer also.
- Dry Skin – Dryness is another common factor that induces itching. Some people are born with dry skin and they can use moisturizing creams regularly to control itching.
- Underlying Medical Conditions – Chronic problems in kidneys or liver can trigger itching. Liver infection or kidney disease can cause itching all over the body which worsens at night. Certain hormone changes like hyperthyroidism can induce itching. Similarly blood related disorders like polycythemia vera can cause persistent itching along with other symptoms.
- Bed and Clothing – Poor hygiene of bedding and clothing can cause nighttime itching. Certain insects like bed lice and scabies would hide in the bed and clothing and produce severe symptoms during night. Sometimes using rough woolen clothing and blankets can increase skin irritation.
- Skin Conditions – Psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions can cause itching all over the body. For some people genital itching becomes worse at nighttime. This can be due to fungal infections caused by tinea Curtis and commonly known as jock’s itch or dhobi’s itch. Swimmer’s itch is a kind of allergic reaction caused by infection. Parasites living in water bodies can transmit such infection. Pubic lice and head lice can also cause itching. Parasites like Sarcoptes scabiei can trigger intense itching at night.
- STD – Sexually transmitted diseases can cause vaginal itching and anal itching.