Does itching drive you mad?Itching or Pruritus is a sensation that makes a person want to scratch. Itching is a complex process involving nerves that respond to certain chemicals like histamine that are released in the skin, and the processing of nerve signals in the brain. The most common causes of itch are stress, anxiety, dry skin, exposure to UV radiation, liver or kidney disease, reactions to drugs, diseases of the blood and some cancers.Severe or persistent itching can cause extreme distress, discomfort and frustration. It can affect your concentration, sleep, mood and energy levels.It can lead to insomnia, anxiety, exhaustion and even depression. Caught in an endless unstoppable itch and scratch cycle, itching over excites, exhausts and saps your nervous systems energy reserves.Even sleep is no respite from severe or persistent itching. Even asleep there is no rest from the urge to scratch.Without treatment, even the most determined and resolute eventually succumb to the need to scratch. And if you have all over body itching, the discomfort can become almost intolerable.For older people too with especially sensitive and thin skin, even minor scratching can so easily develop into lesions, bleeding and infection.
