Itching is an annoying symptom. Whether it’s due to allergies, an illness or something else, it can be bothersome, to say the least. Common parts of the body that may itch include the eyes,face, nose, throat, and skin. There are others as well, but we will focus on these here.
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Itchy Eyes
Itchy eyes affect all of us from time to time. Usually, it lasts only a few minutes and then goes away. But sometimes the itching can become overwhelming and last for hours, days or even longer. If your itchy eyes have gotten bad enough to truly interfere with your daily activities, you may have a condition that needs to be treated.
Common causes include:
Any symptom that interferes with your daily life is something that you should discuss with your healthcare provider.
Itchy Nose
There are a few conditions that may cause an itchy nose. They include:
If you have an itchy nose but do not believe a cold or allergies are the cause, you should consult your healthcare provider.
Itchy Throat
Anitchy throatis enough to drive a person crazy when you can’t get relief. It’s important to know what is causing the itchy throat so that you know what to do to relieve the itching. The most common causes of itchy throats are:
Typically, taking medications such as antihistamines will help relieve the annoyance of an itchy throat. People with life-threatening food allergies should have anepinephrineauto-injector prescribed to them to carry for use in the event of anaphylaxis.
It may also be helpful to drink warm fluids (such as hot tea with honey) or eat cold foods (such as popsicles or ice cream). Throat lozenges and hard candy are a good option for adults and older children.
If you experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing and a rash along with itching, seek medical attention immediately because these may be signs of a life-threatening reaction calledanaphylaxis.
Itchy Skin
Itchy skin is more than just a minor annoyance for many people. It can get so bad that it interferes with daily life and makes it difficult to function. Depending on the cause, the itchy skin may be hard to treat. Some common causes of itchy skin include:
This is not a complete list of all the reasons you could have itching. If you don’t feel these causes apply to you, contact your healthcare provider for further evaluation.
Common Causes and Treatments for Itching
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Oaklander AL.Neuropathic itch. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2011;30(2):87-92. doi:10.1016/j.sder.2011.04.006Rathi VM, Murthy SI.Allergic conjunctivitis. Community Eye Health. 2017;30(99):S7-S10.Shirinde J, Wichmann J, Voyi K.Allergic rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and hayfever symptoms among children are associated with frequency of truck traffic near residences: a cross sectional study. Environ Health. 2015;14:84. doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0072-1Shulman ST.An Itchy Throat and Other Food Allergy Symptoms. Pediatric Annals.Kawauchi H, Yanai K, Wang DY, Itahashi K, Okubo K.Antihistamines for Allergic Rhinitis Treatment from the Viewpoint of Nonsedative Properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(1). doi:10.3390/ijms20010213Panthagani AP, Tidman MJ.Diagnosis directs treatment in fungal infections of the skin. Practitioner. 2015;259(1786):25-9, 3.Nemeth V, Evans J.Eczema. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Papaloukas O, Giannouli G, Papaevangelou V.Successes and challenges in varicella vaccine. Ther Adv Vaccines. 2014;2(2):39-55. doi:10.1177/2051013613515621Additional Reading"The Itchy Eye: Diagnosis, Management of Ocular Pruritis". Ophthalmic Pearls. EyeNet Magazine. American Academy of Ophthalmology.“Allergic Conjunctivitis.” Familydoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians.“Allergies and Hay Fever.” U.S Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.“Tips to Remember: Allergic Skin Conditions.” American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.“What’s An Asthma Flare-Up?” KidsHealth.org. Nemours Foundation.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Oaklander AL.Neuropathic itch. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2011;30(2):87-92. doi:10.1016/j.sder.2011.04.006Rathi VM, Murthy SI.Allergic conjunctivitis. Community Eye Health. 2017;30(99):S7-S10.Shirinde J, Wichmann J, Voyi K.Allergic rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and hayfever symptoms among children are associated with frequency of truck traffic near residences: a cross sectional study. Environ Health. 2015;14:84. doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0072-1Shulman ST.An Itchy Throat and Other Food Allergy Symptoms. Pediatric Annals.Kawauchi H, Yanai K, Wang DY, Itahashi K, Okubo K.Antihistamines for Allergic Rhinitis Treatment from the Viewpoint of Nonsedative Properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(1). doi:10.3390/ijms20010213Panthagani AP, Tidman MJ.Diagnosis directs treatment in fungal infections of the skin. Practitioner. 2015;259(1786):25-9, 3.Nemeth V, Evans J.Eczema. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Papaloukas O, Giannouli G, Papaevangelou V.Successes and challenges in varicella vaccine. Ther Adv Vaccines. 2014;2(2):39-55. doi:10.1177/2051013613515621Additional Reading"The Itchy Eye: Diagnosis, Management of Ocular Pruritis". Ophthalmic Pearls. EyeNet Magazine. American Academy of Ophthalmology.“Allergic Conjunctivitis.” Familydoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians.“Allergies and Hay Fever.” U.S Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.“Tips to Remember: Allergic Skin Conditions.” American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.“What’s An Asthma Flare-Up?” KidsHealth.org. Nemours Foundation.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Oaklander AL.Neuropathic itch. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2011;30(2):87-92. doi:10.1016/j.sder.2011.04.006Rathi VM, Murthy SI.Allergic conjunctivitis. Community Eye Health. 2017;30(99):S7-S10.Shirinde J, Wichmann J, Voyi K.Allergic rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and hayfever symptoms among children are associated with frequency of truck traffic near residences: a cross sectional study. Environ Health. 2015;14:84. doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0072-1Shulman ST.An Itchy Throat and Other Food Allergy Symptoms. Pediatric Annals.Kawauchi H, Yanai K, Wang DY, Itahashi K, Okubo K.Antihistamines for Allergic Rhinitis Treatment from the Viewpoint of Nonsedative Properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(1). doi:10.3390/ijms20010213Panthagani AP, Tidman MJ.Diagnosis directs treatment in fungal infections of the skin. Practitioner. 2015;259(1786):25-9, 3.Nemeth V, Evans J.Eczema. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Papaloukas O, Giannouli G, Papaevangelou V.Successes and challenges in varicella vaccine. Ther Adv Vaccines. 2014;2(2):39-55. doi:10.1177/2051013613515621
Oaklander AL.Neuropathic itch. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2011;30(2):87-92. doi:10.1016/j.sder.2011.04.006
Rathi VM, Murthy SI.Allergic conjunctivitis. Community Eye Health. 2017;30(99):S7-S10.
Shirinde J, Wichmann J, Voyi K.Allergic rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and hayfever symptoms among children are associated with frequency of truck traffic near residences: a cross sectional study. Environ Health. 2015;14:84. doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0072-1
Shulman ST.An Itchy Throat and Other Food Allergy Symptoms. Pediatric Annals.
Kawauchi H, Yanai K, Wang DY, Itahashi K, Okubo K.Antihistamines for Allergic Rhinitis Treatment from the Viewpoint of Nonsedative Properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(1). doi:10.3390/ijms20010213
Panthagani AP, Tidman MJ.Diagnosis directs treatment in fungal infections of the skin. Practitioner. 2015;259(1786):25-9, 3.
Nemeth V, Evans J.Eczema. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
Papaloukas O, Giannouli G, Papaevangelou V.Successes and challenges in varicella vaccine. Ther Adv Vaccines. 2014;2(2):39-55. doi:10.1177/2051013613515621
“The Itchy Eye: Diagnosis, Management of Ocular Pruritis”. Ophthalmic Pearls. EyeNet Magazine. American Academy of Ophthalmology.“Allergic Conjunctivitis.” Familydoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians.“Allergies and Hay Fever.” U.S Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.“Tips to Remember: Allergic Skin Conditions.” American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.“What’s An Asthma Flare-Up?” KidsHealth.org. Nemours Foundation.
“The Itchy Eye: Diagnosis, Management of Ocular Pruritis”. Ophthalmic Pearls. EyeNet Magazine. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
“Allergic Conjunctivitis.” Familydoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians.
“Allergies and Hay Fever.” U.S Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Tips to Remember: Allergic Skin Conditions.” American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
“What’s An Asthma Flare-Up?” KidsHealth.org. Nemours Foundation.
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