The skin of a person in old age becomes dry. The skin produces less fat - this leads to the appearance of microcracks on the surface of the epidermis. Some endocrine diseases and problems with the functioning of the liver exacerbate this process. In older women, a period of postmenopause occurs, which causes hormonal failure, as a result of which the skin condition also suffers. Folk remedies for senile itching bring temporary relief. Is it possible to get rid of this unpleasant state for a long time?
Age related epidermal changes
With age, epidermal cells produce less elastin and collagen, the skin requires constant high-quality moisturizing and nutrition. If she does not receive them, then senile itching of the skin develops. This is a rather unpleasant pathological condition. Most often it is independent and does not pose a threat to health. In some cases, if senile itching of the skin is accompanied by intense thirst and weight gain, this is a precursor to diabetes or problems with the functioning of the liver.
Sometimes scabies develops to such an extent that a person is forced to exert efforts when combing. As a result, fairly deep wounds form. In elderly people, they heal for a long time, can begin to fester. As a result, a person can not do without special therapeutic ointments, which contribute to the rapid regeneration of tissues and rapid healing.
Pathology of the liver and gall bladder
One of the most common causes of senile pruritus in the elderly is chronic cholecystitis. This is an inflammation of the cells of the gallbladder, which occurs due to a violation of the outflow of bile. The most common causes of the disease are as follows:
- malnutrition;
- physiologically incorrect bending of the organ;
- fiber deficiency in the diet;
- alcohol abuse.
In the process of cholecystitis, gallstones are most often formed. The liver also suffers. Almost always, along with cholecystitis, fibrosis, hepatitis of various etiologies, and fatty degeneration of liver cells are diagnosed.
In the process of the development of these diseases, the skin may acquire a yellowish tint (this does not always happen). Senile itching with pathologies of the liver and gall bladder is in the nature of an excruciating pathology: itchy hands, legs, back, face. In this case, scabies intensifies after a person has taken a shower. At first, patients try to choose the most mild detergent that contains nutritious and moisturizing ingredients. However, senile itching does not subside from this, and in some cases it only gets stronger. It is necessary to treat the pathology "from the inside": drink a course of hepatoprotectors, replace the usual coffee and tea with choleretic collection, monitor your diet and abandon bad habits.
Diabetes as a cause of senile itching
The first signs of diabetes mellitus of the second type (characteristic of women over forty who are suffering from obesity):
- constant feeling of thirst, which cannot be satisfied with any drink;
- severe itching, which forces the patient to comb his skin to the blood;
- weight gain, despite attempts to regulate nutrition;
- constant weakness, from time to time - fainting state;
- lack of physical strength for the simplest loads - walk about a kilometer or push a couple of times from the floor.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characteristic of women; men are rarely given this diagnosis. Senile pruritus in type 2 diabetes is an integral part of the clinical picture. With the disease of the first type, itching also exists, but it is expressed to a much lesser extent. In addition, patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus are forced to inject the hormone insulin, which allows them to quickly stabilize their condition.
In diabetes mellitus, it is possible to get rid of senile skin itching with the help of pharmacy ointments, therapeutic baths, but the most important rule for stabilizing well-being is a special diet.
Simple carbohydrates and foods with a high glycemic index should be completely eliminated from the diet. This is a basic condition in order to feel acceptable and to continue professional activities. If the patient of the endocrinologist refuses to follow a diet, he will have a gradual extinction of all body functions. Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease that affects every corner of our body: vision deteriorates, kidneys fail, blood composition is disturbed, varicose veins and hemorrhoidal disease develop, the state of veins, arteries and capillaries deteriorates rapidly throughout the body.
List of folk treatments
How to treat senile skin itching, if for some reason there is not enough finance for pharmacy ointments? Folk remedies will come to the rescue: everyone in the house has salt, potassium permanganate, soda, iodine, green stuff. Of course, in comparison with professional pharmacological preparations with hormones in the composition, folk remedies produce a weak effect. Nevertheless, they are able to alleviate the condition for half an hour or an hour and remove the symptoms of intolerable senile itching.
1. Therapeutic bath with salt and soda. You should fill the bathtub with water of moderately warm temperature (about 50-55 degrees) and dissolve in it a kilogram of ordinary edible salt and about 200 grams of soda. Take a bath for half an hour. After it, it is advisable to immediately go to bed, as the senile itching will subside and it will become possible to calmly fall into sleep.
2. Iodine grid - a simple and effective way to reduce the severity of scabies. Iodine should be applied with a cotton swab to the problem area by drawing a grate. Within half an hour, the severity of senile itching will become less.
3. If wounds and deep scratches form as a result of combing, they should be treated in a special way. Normal green is suitable. Before applying it, you should disinfect the skin with chlorhexidine or some alcohol solution.
4. A weak solution of potassium permanganate will help relieve the symptoms of senile itching in the elderly. Treatment is quite risky: potassium permanganate is famous for its aggressive effect on the skin. Before you make a compress or bath with a solution of potassium permanganate, you should test and observe how the skin reacts to a weak solution. If there is no irritation and the itching does not intensify - you can do compresses and baths.
Herbal infusions - a quick way to heal the body
Senile itching of the skin in the elderly can be reduced by regularly ingesting infusions of medicinal herbs.
- A positive effect on the body of the elderly is the use of a collection prepared from crushed dry leaves of alder, nettle, and quinoa. It is necessary to mix a tablespoon of each plant, pour a liter of clean water and bring to a boil. You can add half a teaspoon of soda to the ready-made cold collection - this will help reduce acidity in the presence of gastritis. Take an infusion of these herbs three to four times a day, preferably on an empty stomach.
- Peppermint is distinguished by a pleasant taste and a calming effect on the skin with senile itching. For cooking, take 3 parts of dry mint and 1 dandelion rhizome. 500 ml of boiling water is steamed, covered with a saucer and allowed to infuse for several hours. Such an infusion is tasty and may well replace tea and coffee - unlike these drinks, it will benefit the body.
- Take one tablespoon of dry chopped blueberry leaves and the same amount of burdock. Pour boiling water (from half a liter to a liter, depending on the desired concentration of the finished broth), let it brew for a couple of hours. Take on an empty stomach two to three times a day, 100-150 ml.
Taking pills and capsules to relieve itching
If skin senile itching is provoked by diseases of the liver and gall bladder, then you can not do without taking specialized drugs.
Hepatoprotectors are needed - this class of pharmacological agents restores liver cells and promotes the outflow of excess bile.
1. "Ursosan" - a modern effective drug that allows you to get rid of gallstones without surgery. Take it should be long courses under the supervision of a doctor. To monitor the condition once every six months, do an ultrasound. The cost of packaging the drug with 60 capsules is about 800 rubles.
2. "Heptral" - a modern hepatoprotector, which not only restores liver cells, but also has a mild antidepressant effect. The instructions provide dosage regimens and dosage for various liver diseases, it also mentions the possibility of taking the drug for depressive anxiety disorder. The cost of packaging, in which 20 tablets, is about 1,500 rubles.
3. "Karsil" - a mild preparation, the therapeutic effect on the liver of which is achieved due to silymarin in the composition. Doctors rarely prescribe Karsil to their patients, since they consider its action too mild. If senile itching of the skin is provoked by a violation of the liver, then "Carsil" may be useful. The cost of packaging with 90 tablets is about 700 rubles.
Diet to mitigate scabies in the elderly
Treatment of senile itching of the skin will be useless if you do not change your lifestyle and adjust your diet. The epidermis of older people (both men and women) almost always lacks collagen and elastin.
To saturate the body with these amino acids, it is necessary to include salmon varieties of fish - chum salmon, trout, pink salmon, salmon, and salmon on a daily basis. Of course, this fish costs more than another, but only it can saturate the body's cells with useful fatty acids and amino acids, which are necessary to maintain the health and integrity of the epidermis.
In no case should you give up meat! In old age, switching to a raw food diet or vegetarianism is dangerous. Meat contains the whole complex of interchangeable and irreplaceable amino acids. None of the other products can compensate for the body's need for protein and amino acids to such an extent as dietary meat (turkey, chicken, veal). You should not fry it, the best way to cook it is boiling and stewing.
Also in your daily diet you need to include dairy products - kefir, cottage cheese, cheese, milk, fermented baked milk. They are rich in calcium and protein. Sour milk products with a low fat content should be preferred.
The importance of giving up all bad habits
Treatment of senile itching will be useless if, in parallel with it, a person abuses alcohol, smokes and does not allow himself to get enough sleep. Regular intake of alcohol (even if not abused) inevitably leads to the destruction of liver cells and fatty degeneration of the organ. As a result, there is a violation of the outflow of bile. This, in turn, leads to senile itching of the body.
The harm of alcohol also lies in the toxic effects on the nervous system. Nervous skin itching is a fairly rare occurrence, but should not be deleted from the list of possible probabilities. Only by completely abandoning alcoholic beverages for at least a year can we judge the appropriateness of this step and the change in well-being. In older people, health is no longer that good, and a couple of glasses of wine for dinner can provoke an increase in pressure, liver damage, senile itching of the skin, and the appearance of red spots on the hands (a frequent manifestation of an allergy to alcohol).
Pharmacy ointments for the manifestation of scabies in the elderly
List of the most effective ointments for senile itching:
1. Sulfur ointment - is produced by many pharmaceutical plants. This is a cheap tool that gained popularity back in the Soviet years. It has antipruritic, antiseptic and sedative effects. Effective against some varieties of fungi (onychomycosis of the skin).
2. "Advantan" - one of the most effective ointments, which almost instantly removes even the most severe itching, promotes the healing of sores and cracks. It is so effective thanks to the hormones in the composition. Minus “Advantana” - in case of refusal to use all the symptoms will return to an even greater extent than before.
3. Wilkinson's ointment - contains sulfur in the composition. The drug is used exclusively for uncomplicated skin itching, when there are no nodules and other manifestations of dermatitis and allergies. The medication is used only for three days, with a longer use, development of addiction and a decrease in the therapeutic effect are possible.
Dermatologist's Tips: How to Prevent Scabies
Simple tips to help prevent senile itching:
- use a contrast shower;
- to refuse from bad habits;
- normalize your diet;
- regularly subject your body to moderate physical exertion;
- if necessary, take hormonal drugs, hepatoprotectors or other pharmacological agents for the normal functioning of the body;
- once a year to undergo a full examination of the body.