Pruritus Treatment: How To Manage Skin Allergies And Itching

What Is Pruritus

Pruritus, more commonly known as itching, is defined as an urge to scratch a certain parts of the skin that feels irritated. Repeated scratching may bruise the skin and cause inflammation. Itching is mostly the result of skin allergies to certain food items, chemicals and pollutants present in the immediate surroundings, animal hair and occasionally to certain forms of medicine. Exposure to extremes of temperature, excessive dryness of the skin, insect bites and sudden hormonal changes in the body may also induce itching.

Home Remedies For Pruritus

There are quite a few simple home remedies that you may follow to prevent and treat itching. Make sure that you wear natural fabrics as far as possible, as this minimizes the chances of friction between your skin and the clothes you wear, as well as soaks up excess perspiration, thereby preventing skin itchy skin eruptions. Also, apply a sunscreen lotion or cream that suits your skin type every time you step out of doors. This protects the skin from the harmful radiation of the sun and prevents skin allergies. Massage your body with vitamin E oil every day after taking a shower, as this helps keep the skin well moisturized and prevents itchy rashes and eruptions. You may apply the juice of aloe vera leaves or some eucalyptus oil on the affected parts of the skin to get instant relief from the itching sensation. Local application of cod liver oil or wheat germ oil also produces similar soothing effects on the skin. Adding half a cup of cornstarch or oatmeal powder to your bathwater also helps relieve itching. The use of cold compresses on the affected areas is also known to be of help in treating pruritus. If you suffer from this condition frequently, dry some orange peel in direct sunlight, grind it a fine powder and add a little water or cold milk to it. Apply this paste gently on the affected areas every day to cure itching. For another remedy, crush a small piece of ginger and add its juice to a cup of buttermilk, and massage the affected areas with this solution. Another popular remedy for treating itches is to remove the seeds from handful of soap nuts and boil their peel in a liter of water for 10 minutes or so. Strain out the clear liquid extract and let it cool down. Apply this decoction topically to get quick relief from itching and irritation.