Does your skin itch you? Mine does!

Image result for skin cartoon
http://www.cartoonsbysheila.com
So, I got a question from a friend few days ago and she wanted to know what causes the skin to itch. There are quite a number of factors but the common ones are usually dry skin, allergies, or bites.

Allergies are usually immediate, especially after the body's very first response to an allergen (something that causes an allergic reaction); which is usually slow. The first response is referred to as initial sensitization and ‘sensitization’ here means the response of the body to an allergen! Anything after that happens fast! I hope I’m not losing you. So, in response to an allergen, the body releases a chemical called histamine that triggers the itching. You can take antihistamines to help with allergic reactions. I’m allergic to pollen, so I can relate.

The same goes for bites from insects and all those creepy things. The insect releases a chemical that triggers histamine production. So, stay away from bugs!!! Just kidding. They’ll find you anyhow.

Itching from dry skin could be really annoying. I know because I experience it; my skin is really dry. When people say I do not have pimples, I wish they know how badly I pay my dues by taking 2 minutes after a bath to ‘calm’ my skin down! For this one, your skin is just dry and cracked and you could moisturize regularly (I moisturize morning and night after every shower and that has helped). Hot water baths make it worse, so you might want to cut down on that. Use a mild soap and sponge too. Don’t worry, you’ll still be fresh! To learn more, read here

                                               

Interestingly enough, there is also the psychogenic itch influenced by depression or the complex reality of going crazy, but that’s all from the mind and caused by the release of chemicals that affect one's mood. If you itch, now you kinda know why and you might want to see a Dermatologist to prescribe something for you if it’s looking more serious than you thought. Any Dermatologists in the house?


Hope you learned something :) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Your opinion matters...

Popular posts from this blog

Story time: How I landed a job at Google

Image
Truth is, I say ‘landed’ like I did anything extra, when all I did was apply and God literally did the rest. Also, I struggled a little with putting this up on my blog because of what people might think, but I thought to myself ‘What if I can inspire someone?’, ‘Haters will say it’s tooting my horn but that’s okay cos haters gon’ hate anyway’, ‘What if I had made it to CNN, would it have been a secret then?’, ‘It’s on my LinkedIn profile, so how much of a secret can it really be?’. And with all that, I said ‘Whatever! Just like everything else I do with my blog, if the story inspires just one person, then I’m fulfilled’. This is going to be a long post and it still would not be enough to tell the story in totality, but I will do my best to summarize. That being said, grab your popcorn and let’s get right to it! Hi guys!!! Happy 2018!!! I know, I know; I’ve been away since September. Some of you reached out to ask what was going on and when I would put up a post. The truth ...
you just gotta read more »

Why do African Americans think they have to prove something?

Image
This was an honest innocent question that a fellow African asked during the hype of the Black Panther movie, and it occurred to me that some people might feel that way. On a side note, this is actually a late post. I had planned to start the year with the experience I had over Christmas of 2017 (which this post would share), but I didn’t. Instead, I put it in the back burner because I second guessed the relevance. SMH! But with the excellent movie that is Black Panther; the hype that people, especially black people, gave to the movie; and the innocent question that my friend asked, I said to myself, “It is time” in Rafiki’s voice . Last Christmas, I visited Maryland and got the opportunity to see my brother and some of my friends from Covenant University. It was definitely a blast just being around people who love you and whom you love right back! Among the very chill things we did was visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washingto...
you just gotta read more »

Are they hoverboards or firecrackers???

Image
     You know what a hoverboard is, right? Those segway lookalikes without handles? Well, some techy guys can’t get over the fact that they are called ‘hoverboards’ because they do not actually hover a.k.a suspend a.k.a don’t-touch-the-ground-at-all? But hey, some of us want to be in our own Back to the Future movie. Let’s cut right to it! These cool  hoverboards  have since become a thing of concern because they can spontaneously combust! Yeah, like actually cause a fire hazard.
you just gotta read more »

Do you work night shifts or just sleep deprived? I think you should know this...

Image
You would sometimes hear people say things like ‘I function better at night’ or ‘I am a morning person’. This is as a result of their body’s ‘circadian rhythm’ which is the natural functional pattern following the normal 24 hours where it knows to sleep at night, wake up when it is bright and even when to eat…all in the brain. It is what the body has come to know over time, and when that rhythm is disturbed, people may start to feel like they are not functioning right. This also gives an explanation for what happens when you travel to a different time zone and you say you are ‘jet lagged’. It is because your circadian rhythm has been disturbed and your body needs time to adjust to the new situation. Like every other ‘disturbance’ to the body, working night shifts and depriving your body of sleep has an effect over time if not properly managed. I have friends who work night shifts and I find myself worrying about their health. The most common problem with workin...
you just gotta read more »

Stay woke cos after the flood come these...

Image
My heart goes out to the people in Lagos, Nigeria, and other areas of the world actually, affected by flood. While we would typically try to make light of the situation because Nigerians (LOL!), I think we need to talk about the after-effects of the flood on our health. I'll get right to it! Flooding is a huge health risk because the water comes with anything and everything (Well duh! 😒).  By everything, I mean sewage, feces from any living creature, trash, oil, animals (I heard an alligator was captured casually strolling on the streets, no kidding!)! Then it leaves behind a big parting gift consisting of microorganisms, especially mold, that no one asked for. Sigh! While we wait for the government to take care of the big issues like, constructing more dams and improving on the drainage systems, how about we take care of the next big issue: Our health! So, in a place like Lagos, after the flood might come the following : 1.  Mosquitoes: This one is a no b...
you just gotta read more »

Did you know you can get gift items just for recycling??

Image
Recyclepoints.com                                                           Yup, you can! Let us be honest, sometimes, doing things like recycling to keep the environment healthy and save the world could be a bit of a hassle and could be inconvenient, especially for people who have other things that they are passionate about. Am I kinda right? Sometimes, we do not see the need to do something if there isn’t an immediate reward and recycling could easily be one of those activities whose reward comes a little later than expected. Inconvenience is another huge downer when it comes to recycling. If the bin is too far away, it could really discourage a person. But do not listen to that voice! Don’t give up - Recycle Points is here to save the day! Yaay! So, there is a fantastic group currently running a venture in Lagos, Nigeria called Rec...
you just gotta read more »