“It’s so itchy, I can’t take it anymore, it’s killing me!” In the consultation room, Mr. Zhao complained and scratched, making him restless.

“Looking at your situation, it may not be an itchy skin, but a tumor growing inside your body. You need to check it further. Don’t be careless.”

“Doctor, what’s the matter, isn’t it just normal skin itching, just give me some medicine, how could it be a tumor?”

It turns out that in the past few weeks, Uncle Zhao has been suffering from itchy skin, which has made him sleepless all night, tossing and turning, making his wife unable to sleep well. It was especially intense these days. Due to scratching, a lot of white dander appeared on Uncle Zhao’s neck. In some places, there was a lot of digging, and blood beads had penetrated. However, even if he scratched so hard, it still couldn’t stop the itching.

Unfortunately, Uncle Zhao had to come to the hospital for examination, but was reminded by the doctor to be careful of the possibility of tumor.

Humans live in the natural environment, and the skin is the first layer of human beings “natural” It is also inevitably affected by factors inside the human body and changes in the external environment, causing itching sensations. Itching is a feeling everyone experiences when they grow up, and some people with sensitive constitutions make itchy skin a common occurrence, but you know what? There are also different types of itchy skin.

I. Itching of the skin, first distinguish whether it is “dry” or “wet”

Itching is when the human skin feels uncomfortable after being stimulated and wants to Eliminate this strange self-feeling with a certain degree of subjectivity. Patients with itchy skin usually have a strong desire to scratch, which may be caused by skin lesions, systemic diseases, or bad feelings caused by psychogenic diseases.

When the itching symptoms persist, it will take a toll on the patient’s mood, sleep quality and other aspects. In clinical treatment, pruritus symptoms lasting 6 weeks were judged as chronic pruritus.

• Reminder: “Dry Itch” is not the same as “Wet Itch”

< p>From a medical point of view, itching can be roughly divided into two types, one is non-pathological “dry itching”, It often appears in the elderly population. As the age increases, the secretion capacity of the sebaceous glands and sweat glands in the elderly decreases, and the loss of body water and the drying of the stratum corneum lead to the phenomenon of skin peeling. Appropriate relief will be obtained after using skin care and moisturizing measures.

The other is “wet itching” associated with diseases, which People with this condition have no abnormal skin surface, appear healthy, and are therefore easily overlooked. Clinically, the common diseases that can cause itching include abnormal liver and kidney function, hyperglycemia, and genital and perianal dampness.

1. Abnormal liver and kidney function

Due to liver and kidney insufficiency, patients with Metabolism is affected, toxic substances cannot be excreted, and when accumulated in the human body, they will reach the skin and cause irritation. Although the skin of this symptom is not damaged, the skin condition and color may be abnormal, so it can be observed from the outside.

2. Hyperglycemia

Elevated blood sugar produces nerve endings in the skin Stimulation affects the sensory function, so there is itching, and the skin surface is generally smooth as usual.

3. Wetness around the vulva and anal area

The perianal area of ​​the vulva and anus is most likely to accumulate sweat, and also It is easy to hide dirt and dirt. If you do not pay attention to hygiene, it is easy to cause itching due to local uncleanness.

Also, it is worth noting that Growing tumors in the body can also cause abnormal itching of the skin.Studies found that the incidence of generalized itching in cancer patients was as high as 27.1%, and some special cancers even exceeded the average, such as colon cancer itching Symptoms have a 30% incidence, and ovarian cancer is also as high as 28%.

The reason why tumors can cause skin itching is that on the one hand, some tumors themselves can cause skin lesions, such as erythema, itching, blackening, etc., on the other hand, tumors grow in the human body. Internally, during the growth process, some biologically active substances may be secreted, such as histamine, proteolytic enzymes, etc. These substances reach the skin through blood circulation and cause irritation, thereby causing itching.

Clinical treatment found that compared with general skin pruritus, pruritus caused by tumors is often a sudden intractable symptom, and External factors are irrelevant, and the patients themselves are difficult to resist. In addition to the special drugs for the treatment of tumors, ordinary drugs are also difficult to be effective.

Second, these parts are abnormally itchy, and the alert is that the cancer cells “wake up”

1. Itching in the anus

Although anal itching may be caused by allergies, irritating foods, femoral moss, hemorrhoids, etc., it should be noted that if If the anus has long-term frequent itching, ulcers, and drugs that cannot be relieved, it is necessary to be alert that cancer cells are “playing ghosts”. Because the bioactive substances such as histamine and proteolytic enzymes secreted by rectal cancer cells will stimulate the nerve endings of the perianal skin when they are brought to the vicinity of the anus by the excreta. Cause anal itching.

The survey data shows that 50% of rectal cancer patients have symptoms of anal itching. Clinical diagnosis can be screened by digital examination, colonoscopy (color superconducting photoelectron colonoscopy) and other methods.

2. Genital itching

Genital itching may be caused by pubic lice, vaginal trichomoniasis, Candida infection and other diseases, but the above reasons are excluded , Long-term genital itching may also be a typical symptom of vulvar cancer.

The early symptoms of vulvar cancer are only 3 kinds of genital itching, vegetations and nodules, and the incidence rate in female systemic tumors is only 1%. It only accounts for 3-5%, and the incidence and symptoms are easily overlooked, so the probability of misdiagnosis is extremely high.

Clinical diagnosis can only be made by histopathological examination.

3. Itching in the neck

Itching in the neck may be associated with thyroid cancer and lymphoma related. If there is no abnormality on the surface of the neck skin, the itching persists for 10-20 years, the medication is ineffective, and small lumps grow, then you should be highly vigilant. This is because the human neck is composed of cervical vertebrae, lymph and thyroid. When a tumor grows in the thyroid or lymph, a mass will be formed, and the bioactive substances secreted by the tumor will reach the neck skin along with the blood circulation and cause itching.

4. Breast itching

The most common cause of breast itching is atopic dermatitis , also known as eczema, but may also be associated with cancer. A rare form of breast cancer, eczematoid carcinoma of the breast,cause breast skin scaling, burning and itching of the nipple and areola. In this case, if the drugs for allergies and eczema do not work for 2 weeks, it is necessary to be highly vigilant about breast cancer.

In addition, malignant tumors such as liver cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer may cause different Therefore, when you cannot judge whether it is caused by skin problems or diseases, it is recommended to go to a specialist hospital for identification in time.

Third, how to prevent skin itching in daily life?

In addition to professional treatment for pathological pruritus, non-pathological pruritus in daily life will also have a greater impact on the patient’s body and life. Abnormal, how to avoid irritating the skin as much as possible to prevent itching is very important. The following 3 suggestions may be able to help you:

1. Eating light and not stimulating

In terms of diet, we should pay attention to avoid frequent consumption of spicy and stimulating food, try to mix meat and vegetables well, and achieve balanced nutrition.

2. Moisturizing and skin care should not be less.

At ordinary times, pay attention to adding moisture, and take care of the skin. Do a good job of protection and moisturizing, especially when doing outdoor activities, choose different skin care methods according to the environment and weather, such as: pay attention to sun protection in sunny weather, and pay attention to dust prevention when there is a lot of dust.

Reminder: It is best to use products with high oil content for skin care, which has the best moisturizing effect. In addition to sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hats and other tools can also play a role.

3. Bathing frequency should not be too frequent

Bathing frequency should not be too high, otherwise it will damage The skin’s natural barrier, generally washed once a day, if you don’t go out or the weather is cold, you can wash it once every 2-3 days. Shower gels, soaps, soaps, etc. used for bathing are not recommended to use higher alkaline ones, otherwise they may be washed away. Most of the oil on the body surface, causing excessive cleaning.

Tips: The water temperature should not be too high when taking a bath, and the bathing time should be controlled within 20 minutes.

Itching in the eyes of many people is only a small symptom, not worth mentioning However, this small symptom may also be a temptation for cancer. Once the vigilance is relaxed, it will give the disease an opportunity.

It can be seen that in life, people should pay attention to skin symptoms, and do early screening and early treatment. Humans exist in nature, and the skin is an effective weapon for the human body to resist external risk factors. Once the skin is damaged, the human body will inevitably be invaded by external harmful substances. Therefore, if you want to protect your health, you must pay attention to the maintenance of the skin. .

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