Often, the itching of the head is a response to a certain stimulus( substance, temperature factor), but in many cases this sensation is a symptom of internal pathologies occurring in the body and a signal for the immediate detection of the disease. This article will tell you in detail about the causes in adults and children and the treatment of folk remedies with severe itching of the scalp at home.
What is itch of the head
Itching of the scalp is a modified pain sensation, permanent or temporary, in the form of a sensation of irritation of a particular place that causes the need to scratch this site. Often, itching is a response to a certain stimulus( substance, temperature factor), but in many cases this sensation is a symptom of internal pathologies occurring in the body and a signal for the immediate detection of the disease.
It should be remembered that it is unacceptable to ignore the itching of the head, especially in conditions when it is accompanied by:
- itching of other parts of the body;
- buildup by evening or at night;
- by mass hair loss;
- by the appearance of inflammation, flaking red spots, papules( bulging seals), vesicles( small bubbles with turbid exudate), pustules( pustules).
To eliminate this unpleasant sensation, it is important to find a source-irritant, for which the patient will need to resort to a dermatologist, endocrinologist or trichologist. They prescribe examinations, after which it is easy to determine the diagnosis and develop a treatment regimen.
When an external irritant that causes an itch of the head is detected, the treatment can be performed out-patiently or at home - by folk methods. And, usually, after revealing the source of itching and its elimination, the desire to scratch your head disappears.
How to identify it
Itching is in itself so obvious physiological manifestation that the patient does not have the problem of detecting this sensation when he wants to comb a certain area of the skin or scratch the whole surface of the head.
Next, we will consider the causes and treatment of dermal itching of the head.
Possible pathologies and disorders of
Specialists often identify the causes of the itching of the head, described below.
Activity of parasites
The appearance of pruritus in parasite infestation provokes an allergic reaction of a person to toxins of pathogenic microorganism secretions( excrement, saliva, gland secret).
Scabies and pediculosis
It is possible to detect lice or itch, which cause scabies, with a magnifying glass with a sufficiently strong magnification. Lice look like whitish translucent and very small insects.
You can not see the mites themselves in a magnifying glass, but you can see the strokes that they gnaw under the scalp. To do this, a suspicious area on the scalp is lubricated with cotton wool with iodine. The loose layer of the epidermis, where the itch channels pass, becomes soaked more intensively, so they become noticeable and look like thin brown( from iodine) scratches - straight or sinuous.
It should be noted that as a rule, itchy itching affects the scalp mainly in children up to 4-5 years of age. In adults this phenomenon is not observed. If the baby scratches the head, feet, ass, back, and his marigolds began to separate and crumble, the itching of the head clearly indicates the development of scabies.
Demodecosis
A tick disease of the skin that causes acne is manifested by itching on the face, forehead, chin, external auditory canal, eye irritation and the appearance of rosacea.
To clarify the diagnosis of parasitic infection( lice, scabies, demodicosis) or to exclude this cause of itching development, it is necessary to have a bacterioscopy performed by a dermatologist or infectious disease specialist.
The various reasons for the itch of the head, dandruff and hairiness of the hair will tell this video:
Diseases of the scalp
Very frequent cause of itching - pathologies that affect the scalp. Diagnosing them is usually the easiest, and in these cases, itching is not the only sign of the disease.
Conjunctival
The condition of abnormally high dryness of the skin occurs with insufficient sebum secretion. There is a burning sensation and itching, redness and flaking.
Typically, there are two reasons:
- use of aggressive chemical agents;
- hormonal disorders.
Frequent head wash, hot air blow dryer, the use of straightening devices, the use of chemical hair treatment for permanent waving actively sap the skin and hair, causing itching.
Psoriasis of the scalp
This is a noninfectious disease that has many forms, one of which is seborrhea, manifested by the appearance on the head of itchy( but not always) pink convex plaques covered with dandruff-like dry whitish scales. Spread from the scalp to the neck and behind the auricles.
Dermatophytosis and mycosis
Skin lesions with pathogenic fungi-dermatophytes cause very severe itching. To exclude the disease, it is recommended to make a laboratory planting for fungus. Seborrhea nowadays medicine also relates to fungal lesions.
Seborrheic dermatitis
Often combing with seborrhea is accompanied by peeling, "falling off" skin scales, the appearance of which is called dandruff. At the same time there is debilitating itching of the head.
The disease is associated with a disorder in the glands that produce a sebaceous secret or with a fungal scalp. Dry seborrhea occurs due to deficiency of glands, fat - with active secretion of skin secretion, the chemical composition of which is broken.
If the itching to try to eliminate without carrying out competent treatment of chronic seborrhea, this condition can develop into a more serious pathology - seborrheic eczema.
Ringworm
Extremely unpleasant fungal skin disease, more common among children in close-knit groups or in contact with animals.
The main symptoms that can be suspected ringworm is the appearance on the skin under the hair of itchy, flaky, inflamed plaques with the remains of broken hair. The bald spots swell, become covered with purulent secretions and then with a thick crust, other parts of the trunk grow and seize.
Dermatomycosis
The defeat of the scalp by fungi of the genus Microsporum and trichophyte endothrix, manifested by a pronounced sensation of itching, brittle hair, which causes the growth of parasites in the hair shaft, and their loss after suppuration and destruction of the follicles.
Internal ailments and general pathologies
The head is itching not only for skin diseases, but also for pathologies of internal organs and systems, violation of hidden processes in the body and disorders of the nervous system.
This:
- diabetes mellitus;
- malignant neoplasms;
- endocrine disorders, including hypo- and hyperthyroidism;
- heart disease and gastrointestinal system;
- neurodermatitis and neurological disorders;
- allergic reactions.
Neurodermatitis
One of the serious neurological diseases that occurs with pathological changes on the skin. Exacerbations occur against a background of stresses, strong negative impressions.
Itching, characteristic of the disease, occurs on different parts of the body, including the face and head, is strengthened during nervous tension, experiences.
Diabetes mellitus
Increased blood sugar causes rapid dehydration, accompanied by acute thirst and a deficit of sebaceous secretion. The skin on the entire body, including the head, becomes dry, flaky, and itchy.
Neurological disorders
Stress stress, including mental, physical overload, panic attacks, psychological pressure, emotional distress during illness, loss of loved ones are often a source of development of pruritus of the scalp. Active adrenaline production of the adrenal glands in response to stressful situations leads to its accumulation and the occurrence of a painful itching sensation on the scalp.
| Headache itching | Basic principles of therapy |
|---|---|
| Scabies( spread of mites on the scalp occurs in children up to 3 - 5 years old) | Effective anti-scabies:
Double treatment is performed on days 1 and 4, at bedtime. Do not rinse off for 12 hours. Boiling laundry, ironing clothes with a hot iron, airing contact items in the air for 2 days. Doctor - parasitologist, dermatologist |
| Demodecosis | Basics of therapy:
Doctor - dermatologist |
| Pediculosis | Basic measures:
Attention! The use of kerosene is unacceptable in order to avoid allergic shock, laryngeal edema and irritation of the scalp. |
| Dryness of skin | Basic measures:
|
| Fungal diseases, including seborrhea | Treatment is differentiated depending on the manifestations. Doctor - trichologist, dermatologist Apply:
Assigned by a physician after laboratory sowing for fungus:
|
| Vitamin Vitamins( Vitrum, Neuromultivitis, Complivitis, Antistress, Alphabet, Centrum, Milgamma) | |
| Allergy to external stimulus | Primary measures:
Doctor - Trichologist |
| Pathology of organs and systems | If you suspect a serious internal pathology, which causes itching of the head, immediately turn to the therapist, neurologist, endocrinologist. Itching, as a symptom of the disease, will help in time to identify and begin treatment of such formidable diseases as: · diabetes mellitus; · endocrine, hormonal and neurological disorders;neurodermatitis; · neoplasm. |
Allergic reactions
It is an allergy, in most cases, is the cause of the itching. When the so-called mast cells( basophils) are destroyed by the "antigen-antibody" compound during the allergic reaction, the itch mediator - histamine, which breaks the integrity of the cellular structures is produced, resulting in the development of skin itch, including the scalp.
- Symptomatic reminds signs of contact dermatitis - pink flaky( not always) spots.
- When allergies are often itchy skin on the entire body. If the area of constant desire to scratch is only the scalp, then this is likely to indicate a local allergic reaction when using an agent directly in contact with it.
- Skin starts to itch when changing shampoo, applying coloring agents, conditioners, masks, balms, foams and varnishes).
Further we learn about what to do if it causes severe itching of the scalp and how to treat the skin from it.
How to deal with such a symptom
Traditional methods of
Because the itch of the head appears as a result of improper handling of the hair or as a symptom of a particular internal disease or disorder, to get rid of it, identify and eliminate the cause that it provokes. If the desire to scratch your head arises from the development of internal pathology, specialist help is required, diagnostic studies that take into account the severity of the itching, the analysis of other symptoms accompanying the obsessive desire to scratch and the appointment of adequate treatment.
Diseases that cause itching of the head, and their treatment:
Folk remedies
For relief of the itching of the head, the following are effective:
- massage, which enhances blood circulation and nutrition of cells;
- treatment with herbal decoctions and extracts to normalize the function of the glands that produce skin fat( nettle, dandelion, oak bark, chamomile, burdock root).
Useful folk recipes that can be used at home to get rid of the need to scratch your head:
- Dandelion flowers( a full handful) are ground, poured with vodka( 50 - 80 ml), juice of one small lemon, adding a teaspoon of liquid honey. Leave to infuse for 14 days. Tincture is filtered and for half an hour before washing the head lotion is applied to the skin, covering the hair with a cotton scarf.
- Onion( or garlic juice) is mixed with lemon juice, vegetable oil in equal volumes. The liquid is rubbed into the skin and applied to damp hair, leaving for half an hour, and then rinsed off with warm water, into which add a large spoonful of apple cider vinegar. Sulfur, contained in the juice of garlic and onions, well eliminates the itching after dyeing the hair.
- Apple mask is very simple, but it helps when the head is itchy. On the grater tinder a large apple, applying a fresh slurry to the skin and hair before washing. Keep under the cap for about half an hour. Use 2 times a week.
- Magic remedy: vegetable oil 2 tablespoons beat with 1 yolk, cognac, onion juice and honey( all liquids 1 large spoon).In the mixture, neutral shampoo( from which the head does not itch) is added. All mixed and applied to the head, after 30 minutes, rinsing off with warm water.
- Rye Mask. In the glassware crumble the pulp of rye bread( a glass), pour 150 ml of boiling water, stir and allow the bread to swell. After that add the yolk to the mush. The mixture is rubbed into the skin under the hair, leaving for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinsed off without using shampoo.
How to get rid of the itch of the head, will tell the video below: