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10 Types of Pruritus (Itch)

Pruritus is irritating skin sensation and is characterized by itching, as well as provoking to scratch.

1. Pruritus Gravidarum
Induced by the estrogen hormone, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy, starting from the abdomen or body, then generalized, may be accompanied by symptoms of anorexia, nausea or vomiting are also accompanied by pruritus cholestatic jaundice after 2- 4 weeks due to bile salts in the skin.

2. Cholestatic pruritus
As an expression of cholestatic pruritus sign of obstruction in the bile (obstruction biliarry disease) located in the hepatic region, can also be caused side effects of drugs that provide intra hepatal obstruction resulting billiard acid salt excretion.

3. Senile pruritus
Senile skin dry, easy to suffer from fissures (chapped skin) absolute become pruritic, occurs with or without inflammatory reaction. Itching occurs because light stimulation / temperature changes. The most common area is the external genital area, perineal and perianal.

4. Pruritus on Endocrine System (Diabetes Mellitus, hypoparathyroidism, myxedema)
In DM occurs hyperglycemia, causing irritability of nerve endings in the skin and metabolic glands anogenital region or submammae especially in women.
In hyperparatiroidism an increase in plasma parathyroid hormone resulting in a deficit of calcium in the skin, especially calcium phosphate.

5. Generalized Pruritus
Generalized pruritus occur, especially in the CRF (chronic renal failure) occurs with edema and dry skin (xerosis) due to atrophy of sebaceous glands, and glands sudorifera.
In kidney disease also cause metabolic disorders in phosphorus and calcium, magnesium in serum increased resulting in uremia that cause pruritus, caused by materials that undergo retention, failing kidneys secrete, so need hemodialysis.

6. Pruritus in neoplastic
Pruritus in internal malignancy mainly derived from the lymphoreticular system caused by the incidence of Hodgkin's disease for months, before the symptoms of the underlying disease is known.

7. Pruritus in mycosis fungoides
Is a progressive malignant lymphoma. Pruritic skin lesions arise at the time was not typical and yet there is a malignant infiltration. Pruritus can be settled and intolerant.

8. Pruritus in neurologic
Central nervous deficit / peripheral as a regulator of tactile sensation can cause pruritus.

9. Pruritus in Psychology
Scratching responses differ with pruritus due to other causes. In itch because organic disease there is a correlation between the severity of the itch sensation scratching response. At turns psychological itch scratching response is smaller than the degree of subjective itching, scratching effects seem less and less effect more scratching and picking, and not common sleep disorders.

10. Pruritus in other diseases
  • Gout / arthritis.
  • Hypertension, atherosclerotic cause itching all over the body before the onset apoplexia.
  • Polycythemia veins accompanied by pruritus and urticaria.
  • Fe deficiency, not anemia, due to impaired formation of Fe.