Is itchy skin a sign of cancer?
Mr. Li from Inner Mongolia found that his body was always itchy, and the itching site was different every time. Itching occurred on the chest, back, thighs and other places.
The itching symptoms continued for four or five days did not improve. Mr. Li thought he had a skin disease at first, but he went to the hospital dermatologist and had no results strong>.
Mr. Lee finally checked the pancreas at the doctor’s advice and found out that he had pancreatic head cancer. Itchy skin is actually related to cancer, what the hell is going on? Let’s take a closer look.
First, when the weather is dry, your body is itchy?
Many people are prone to itching in spring or autumn and winter. If the itching are not fixed, the skin does not have redness, pain, severe scaling, etc. and can be relieved by scratching, then this itching is mostly caused by dry skin.
Because the dry weather can easily destroy the thin lipid film that protects and locks water on the surface of our skin, resulting in dry and cracked skin, causing itching.
Therefore, when the weather is dry, you can protect the skin by applying moisturizer, lubricating oil, etc. At the same time, pay attention to the damage of the lipid film on the skin surface caused by taking a bath for too long.
If the skin is flushed, large and small flaky bumps, accompanied by itching, and you want to scratch at any time, it may be hives. Generally speaking, urticaria is as short as 1 week, and as long as 1 month can be cured, and some people have not been able to recover and develop into chronic urticaria.
A red bump with scales around it and fluid after scratching may be eczema. If the above skin problems occur, it is recommended to go to the hospital to find the triggering factors.
Second, some itchy skin, is it related to cancer?
According to foreign medical literature, pruritus and malignant tumor are closely related, 16% to 30% of the elderly suffering from malignant lymphoma, 25% of the population suffering from malignant tumor of reproductive organs, 25% Up to 60% of female elderly people suffering from tumors and 50% of people suffering from malignant rectal tumors will have varying degrees of itching symptoms.
Cancer pruritus is different from general pruritus, and most of them have the following characteristics: Sudden and persistent pruritus, pruritus that occurs without skin abnormalities such as rashes, not caused by factors such as weather Itching or itching symptoms that cannot be relieved by antipruritic medication, etc.
Which itching may be associated with cancer?
1. Pancreatic cancer
Like the case of Mr. Li, the obstruction of the bile duct in the patient with pancreatic head tumor will cause the accumulation of bile salts, so Itching occurred. In addition to persistent itching, symptoms such as inexplicable weight loss, abdominal pain, and yellowing of the whites of the eyes may also occur.
2. Uremia
Generalized pruritus is one of the characteristics of skin itching caused by uremia, especially in Extreme itchiness in extremities and back, exacerbated at night, and dry skin. In addition, anemia, nausea, loss of appetite, etc. are also possible symptoms of uremia.
3. Lymphoma
Recurrent generalized generalized itching of the skin, Lymphoma may be associated with swollen lymph nodes, inexplicable weight loss, fever, and night sweats.
4. Cervical cancer
The pruritus of cervical cancer is generally frequent pruritus, which usually occurs in the hands and feet , neck or private parts.
Third, in addition to itching, these abnormalities may also be cancer signals
The skin is the “barometer” of the body, in addition to itching symptoms and the possibility of cancer In this regard, if the following abnormality occurs, you also need to be alert.
1. Skin discoloration
yellow complexion, which lasts for a long time, possibly due to liver and gallbladder diseases, such as Hepatitis, gallstones, cirrhosis, etc. If it is accompanied by indigestion, abdominal pain, bloating, etc., you need to seek medical treatment in time.
Yellow skin is unhealthy, but redness is not a good thing either. If a person experiences prolonged flushing, along with indigestion, a feeling of fullness and pain in the upper abdomen, and tarry black stools, it may be a sign of stomach cancer.
It is recommended to eat more foods rich in carotene, pectin and natural red pigment. These ingredients have the effect of protecting the gastric mucosa and may reduce the risk of gastritis and gastric cancer.
2. Black moles on the skin
Black moles on the skin are a common phenomenon, however this An easily overlooked mole can lead to malignant melanoma.
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of pigment cells. Melanoma predominantly occurs in the skin at the end of the extremities. Although the early symptoms are not obvious, it is easy to be ignored, but the chance of metastasis is very high. .
In addition, melanoma often occurs in the nasal cavity, digestive tract, urinary system mucosa, etc., and the degree of malignancy is generally higher than that of melanoma that occurs on the skin surface.
Of course not every mole will become cancer, which can be distinguished from 5 aspects.
Source: Popular Science
Fourth, protect the skin, start with these
The ancients said: “There are all shapes in the inside, and there must be shapes in the outside.” The skin is the body An important reflection of health, protecting the skin is maintaining our health.
In addition to environmental factors, skin problems have a lot to do with our inner body. Therefore, in order to have an ideal skin condition, in addition to cleansing and hygienic skin, ensure adequate sleep time in daily life, try to avoid irritating and heavy-taste foods, and drink plenty of water strong> etc. Adapt to the changes of the four seasons day and night, keep out the cold in winter and prevent the heat in summer. Try to achieve combining work and rest, exercising more, maintaining a calm and comfortable mood, and eating appropriate, timely, and quality meals.
Once it is found that the skin continues to be abnormal and cannot be relieved, it is necessary to go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time to avoid serious diseases.
References:
[1]《How many moles do you have on your body? Will they turn into melanomas? “. Popular Science China. 2019-01-19
[2] “[Reminder] Itchy skin, hidden tumor! These may be signs of disease, be vigilant! ”. People’s Daily . 2019-01-11
[3] “Don’t ignore itchy skin in winter! May be a signal from cancer”. CCTV Life Circle. 2021-11-12