We’ve all experienced it. After taking a long, hot shower throughout the cold winter months, your legs skin gets a little itchy after drying off and getting dressed. For most of us, this sign is mild, only lasts a couple of minutes, and is related to dry skin caused by cold, dry air and long, hot showers.
But for some people, itching after taking a shower can be chronic, extreme as well as crippling. There are a number of different conditions that can trigger legs itching after direct exposure to hot showers — the majority of them are benign, while others can be dangerous.
There are a number of other conditions that can cause itching however aren’t associated with taking a hot shower.
1. Xerosis
Dry skin afflicts individuals of any ages but is particularly typical in older people. Dry, irritated, itchy leg skin defines a variety of skin diseases that are collectively referred to as eczema. Xerosis, likewise called the winter season itch, occurs frequently throughout the dry, cold winter months, as an outcome of duplicated wetting and drying without using moisturizing. Symptoms include dry, itchy, flaky, red skin, with unpleasant breaking on the hands and legs.
2. Polycythemia Vera
Polycythemia vera (PV) is a disease of the bone marrow in which there is an overproduction of red blood cells. People with PV have “thicker” blood as an outcome of this disease process, which can trigger different symptoms such as headaches, lightheadedness, visual changes, chest pain, bleeding, embolism, bigger liver and spleen, and a “ruddy” complexion (redness of the face). This condition can be ruled out by checking an easy blood count. You may experience itchness on both legs as well.
3. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. Individuals with this cancer have bigger lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, groin, or within the chest. In addition to enlarged lymph nodes, Hodgkin’s lymphoma might cause entire body symptoms consisting of weight-loss, fever, night sweats and itching of different parts of a body including feet and legs. Hodgkin’s lymphoma can be evaluated for by performing x-rays to try to find enlarged lymph nodes, or carrying out a biopsy on an enlarged lymph node.
4. Cholinergic Urticaria
Cholinergic urticaria is a type of hives that is caused by a boost in body temperature. Hives are caused by any increase in body temperature level, such as hot showers, workout, spicy foods, or being under too many covers in bed in the evening. Strong feelings may likewise trigger hives and leg itchness to take place in people with cholinergic urticaria.
The hives in cholinergic urticaria are classically identify in size, less than the size of a mosquito bite. These may come together, or coalesce, into larger hives in time. Periodically, cholinergic urticaria can be associated with more severe symptoms, including asthma symptoms and low blood pressure.
Cholinergic urticaria, like many other kinds of urticaria, can frequently be treated easily with oral antihistamines.
5. Aquagenic Urticaria
Aquagenic urticaria is a very uncommon type of hives caused by water coming into contact with the skin. Impacted people will experience hives within a few minutes of direct exposure to water on the skin, no matter the water temperature level. Why this occurs isn’t really known, although some scientists think that water permits a certain protein in the skin to be liquified in the water, and that liquified protein is then able to reach much deeper layers of the skin where an allergy will happen. The medical diagnosis of aquagenic urticaria includes simply the placement of a drop of space temperature level water onto the skin and observing for the development of a hive within a few minutes.
Aquagenic urticaria, like a lot of other kinds of urticaria, can frequently be dealt with quickly with oral antihistamines.
5. Idiopathic Aquagenic Pruritus
Idiopathic aquagenic pruritus (IAP) is an uncommon condition that triggers itching without a rash after a person’s skin enters into contact with water. IAP is most likely caused but activation of an individual’s nervous system, with the release of different chemicals by nerves located within the skin after contact with water. Using antihistamines seems to be practical for some individuals, while a small study of 6 patients with IAP discovered treatment with a beta-blocker to be extremely useful in treating symptoms.
I recently noticed itching after a hot shower and I went to the doctor. I was prescribed oral antihistamines. I took them for a few days and itching does not appear anymore.