The fact that a person can comb one or another part of the body is quite natural and not pathological. Another thing, if this desire arises systematically, in the same area of the body, increases with time. And other symptoms are added to the itch. Why are the feet itching in this case?
There are quite a few reasons - from uncomfortable clothes to serious diseases. In the article we will get acquainted with this symptom in more detail, consider the causes of itching in the legs. And also imagine the direction of diagnosis and treatment of diseases characterized by a similar symptom.
Symptoms
As a rule, with pathological causes of itching of the legs of the legs, a person notes not only a stubborn desire to scratch. Along with this, other symptoms make themselves felt:
- Redness on the lower legs. Skin color may change to pinkish, reddish. This is both a continuous area and small spots.
- Dry skin on the legs of the legs (the causes of the condition here are also pathological - we will consider them further). Derma can peel off, exfoliate.
- Severe or moderate pain (may also be caused by physical damage during combing).
- Dryness and itching of the legs can be accompanied by cracking of the skin in this area.
- The formation of purulent vesicles. The symptom is different in that the unpleasant smell of decay comes from these rashes. Note that such bubbles cannot be bursted or removed in any other way on their own.
- Burning in the lower leg.
Such symptoms can be supplemented by signs of diseases that do not apply to the shin alone. For example, with an allergic reaction, the patient simultaneously suffers from a severe cold, cough. This condition is often perceived as an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold, and a person does not pay attention to skin itching of the lower leg.
In diabetes mellitus, together with such local symptoms, the patient may suffer from severe unreasonable thirst, increased urination. With neurological diseases - additionally suffer from mood swings.
Non-pathological causes
Nevertheless, in most cases, the causes of itching of the lower leg are non-pathological. And related to the impact on the body of any external factors. In most cases, this is as follows:
- Drinking insufficient fluid. To ensure normal functioning, a person needs to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. If he consumes much less fluid, this ultimately affects his health. In particular, a lack of moisture adversely affects the condition of the skin. They become dry, begin to peel off, which is why a person experiences itching, a persistent desire to scratch any part of the body.
- The climate is cold. One of the common non-pathological causes of itching of the legs of the legs is a person’s prolonged exposure to cold. An unpleasant sensation appears, in particular, with a sharp temperature difference. When a person from the cold enters a warm room. It also causes peeling of the skin, a desire to scratch it.
- Use of inappropriate skin care products. Creams, shaving foams, shower gels may contain elements that individually irritate your skin, or even cause allergic reactions.
- Improper nutrition. This is a common cause of not only itching of the legs, but also problems with the body in general. We are talking about addiction to fatty, sweet, smoked, flour, fried, spicy, salted foods. Such food negatively affects the digestive tract, is not completely digested. One of the consequences of this is persistent skin itching. Which, including, can be felt in the area of the lower legs. In addition, a rash appears on the lower leg (in adults and children). In this case, you must either completely limit yourself in the use of junk food, or eat it normally, in small portions, make sure that it is not the main food.
- Addiction to alcohol and smoking. Such bad habits negatively affect the whole body. One of the consequences is the appearance of skin itching, rash in various parts of the body.
Why are my feet itchy? This may be a serious pathological reason.
Skin diseases
It is various skin diseases that are a common cause of itching, various redness, rashes. In particular, they can affect the lower leg area.
The most common pathology in this vein is dermatitis. Such a disease of the skin can occur as a result of the influence on the body of a variety of factors: chemical, biological, mechanical. In particular, dermatitis is a consequence of mechanical injuries of the skin, burns, bruises, allergic reactions, and animal bites.
At its core, dermatitis is a chronic disease. Itching and other unpleasant symptoms occur in the same place. The main symptoms of dermatitis are as follows:
- Persistent itching, a strong desire to scratch a particular part of the body.
- The formation at the site of the lesion of redness, pinkish spots.
- Small rash.
- The skin on the legs is cracked.
- The formation of small water or purulent vesicles on the surface of the dermis.
Another popular skin disease that can itch is psoriasis. This is a non-infectious, chronic pathology that affects certain parts of the body. As a result of such a disease, characteristic reddening appears on the skin slightly above its surface, called psoriatic plaques. In some cases, the disease develops without them.
Psoriasis can trigger stress, systematic nerve stress, malnutrition, addiction to alcohol and tobacco. Depending on the stage of the disease, red itchy spots cover either a specific area of the body (in this case, the lower leg), or spread over all skin integuments.
Allergy
Itching in the legs, knees, inner thighs is one of the manifestations of the allergic reaction of the body. The list of allergens is quite extensive. Moreover, it is not common to all people. Each person has their own individual list of allergens. For some it is small, for others it is extensive. Note that exposure to allergies also depends on the state of immunity of a particular person. The more active are the defenses of his body, the less likely is the onset of allergic reactions.
There are several groups of allergy pathogens:
- Food. In particular, these are dairy and sour-milk products, citrus fruits, vegetables, sweets and so on.
- Medical facilities.
- Bites of animals (in particular, insects).
- Household allergens. These are household chemicals and cosmetics, synthetic materials, dust and so on.
- Pollen of flowering plants.
An allergy can manifest itself not only in the itching of the lower leg. This is a constant lacrimation, frequent sneezing, coughing, the appearance of rashes on the skin in the form of small pimples and so on. The condition brings the patient many inconveniences, worsens the quality of his life. Moreover, when combing, it is easy to introduce an infection into the wound, which will add big health problems.
Vascular disease
Varicose veins in men and women can also begin to manifest with itching in the lower leg. With this disease, the venous walls lose their elasticity, the ability to taper and stretch. The integrity of the venous valves may be impaired, due to which the pressure in the vessels increases, blood stasis occurs.
The causes of varicose veins in men and women are usually as follows:
- Hard physical work.
- Wearing uncomfortable shoes.
- Systematic lifting weights.
- Excess weight.
- On the male line - a genetic predisposition.
- A sedentary, sedentary lifestyle.
- Wrong diet.
- High blood viscosity.
- The presence of bad habits.
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
In the initial stage, the disease can make itching in the lower leg region. But he rarely appears as the only symptom. The patient complains of the following:
- The appearance of a feeling of fatigue in the legs.
- A feeling of heaviness in the lower limbs.
- Edema after physical exertion.
- Feeling of "swelling" of the legs.
- Decreased skin sensitivity of the lower extremities.
- Sensation that the legs seemed to be full of fluid.
- The appearance of vascular networks.
Diabetes
With this disease, there is a violation of the liver and kidneys. From here, a large amount of toxins and other harmful substances accumulate in the patient's body. Metabolism (metabolism) worsens, hormonal failure occurs, the activity of the endocrine system is disrupted.
Of course, all of the above has a negative effect on the skin. Including the fulfillment of the required functions by the skin. She begins to peel strongly, which is accompanied by severe itching. The skin also dries strongly, in some cases covered with purulent vesicles. The lower leg may also be the affected area.
In some cases, intolerable itching appears in the hip area. Redness may occur, the skin becomes flabby and inelastic. The problem is that getting rid of diabetes is forever impossible. The patient can alleviate his condition by excluding alcoholic beverages, nicotine, and products containing a large amount of sugar from the usual diet.
Liver and kidney disease
Failures in the work of these organs are the causes of a pathological change in the condition of the skin. Small rashes appear on them. The latter irritate the upper epithelial layer, a manifestation of which is itching, the desire to scratch the affected area.
This problem is accompanied by other characteristic symptoms: a constant feeling of bitterness in the mouth, fatigue, the appearance of a network of blood vessels on the skin. These symptoms can be used to identify quite serious diseases: cirrhosis, cholelithiasis, hepatitis.
As for kidney diseases, their development can be accompanied by the release of excess salts through the skin, mucous membranes. Salt has a negative effect on them - tightens, dries. The skin begins to peel off and itch very much. It can also be accompanied by swelling of the face and legs.
Neurological problems
We analyze the causes and treatment of itching of the skin of the legs of the legs. This condition can also provoke various neurological conditions - periodic stress, depression, anxiety, nervous breakdowns.
One of the answers to a strong emotional shock can be skin problems. In particular, the occurrence of severe itching. In some people, this is a chronic phenomenon, besides affecting the same areas of the skin. In response to a strong experience, the skin on the hands begins to itch, or, as in this case, in the region of the legs.
Diagnostics
If you are very worried about itching in the lower leg, the problem returns to you periodically, then you need to visit a specialist dermatologist. Medical assistance begins with diagnostic measures:
- First of all, the doctor gets acquainted with the patient's medical history, his outpatient card. Based on this information, it is easier to understand what exactly caused the itching.
- Visual inspection of the affected area.
- Survey of the patient about his worrying symptoms, description of the general condition, diet, lifestyle, etc.
If necessary, laboratory tests are carried out:
- General and biochemical analysis of blood.
- Urinalysis and feces.
- Laboratory examination of scraping from an itchy area.
In some cases, instrumental diagnostics will be required:
- Ultrasound
- X-ray
- Endoscopic procedures.
- CT
- MRI
The above is prescribed if there is a suspicion of serious pathologies - diabetes, liver, kidney, varicose veins.
Treatment
How to relieve itching of the lower leg? In this case, conservative (i.e., medication) treatment is prescribed. Medicines are selected individually for each case. In particular, the doctor may prescribe the following to the patient:
- Antioxidant drugs.
- Vitamin complex.
- Detoxification agents.
The main treatment is not aimed at the symptom itself (scabies), but at eliminating its cause - a specific disease or pathology. If itching of the legs with varicose veins was detected, then drugs that improve the condition of the veins are prescribed. Designed for both external and internal use.
If the cause of the symptom is diabetes, the patient is prescribed a specific dosage of insulin, a special diet. If the cause is a nervous disease, sedatives and tranquilizers are prescribed.
The treatment of skin diseases here is more complicated, takes place in several stages. At the first stage, drug therapy is prescribed, the use of external drugs - ointments, creams. At the next stage, an individual diet is prepared, physiotherapeutic procedures are carried out.
Folk remedies
If you are sure that the cause of itching in the lower leg is non-pathological, refer to proven folk remedies that will facilitate the manifestation of the symptom:
- Compresses from baking soda.
- Lotions with infusions of medicinal plants - aloe, chamomile, calendula, sage.
- Compresses based on apple cider vinegar.
But in this case, do not resort to self-medication. Use these products only with the approval of your doctor.
Problem prevention
Itchy skin is a small but literally annoying problem. In order not to suffer from it, we recommend that you pay attention to these recommendations:
- Watch your diet - reduce the use of junk food, which has a negative effect on the whole body.
- Watch your drinking regimen - it is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
- Use a moisturizing, nourishing cream specifically for the skin of the feet that does not contain allergenic components.
- If you feel itching after a nervous breakdown, do not comb the affected area. An unpleasant symptom can be removed by applying a cold compress to the skin.
- Prefer clothing made from natural materials. Synthetics cause discomfort on the skin, including itching.
Does the tibia constantly itch? The reasons for this condition, as you have seen, are many. From synthetic clothing, stress at work to diabetes, varicose veins, liver and kidney damage. Therefore, you should definitely contact a dermatologist with such a problem.