Itchy Feet

It’s often said that itchy feet are a sign you’ll soon be going on a journey. That’s an appealing idea, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect reality. The likelihood is that persistent itchiness is caused by a foot problem, and it could stop you in your tracks if it’s not dealt with effectively. Itching is caused by a complex interaction between cells of the skin and our nervous system.

Dry Skin

One of the most common causes of itch on the skin is dry skin, which causes microfractures within the skin barrier. When this happens, local inflammation from cell signaling occurs, and chemicals like histamine and kinins are released. This causes tissue redness, swelling, and nerve irritation that are then interpreted by our body as itch.

Risk factors for dry skin include: age, living in a dry climate, regular exposure to water, for example, due to the frequent hand-washing required in health and service industries or swimming in chlorinated water. There are many possible reasons for dry skin, such as: not drinking enough liquids, spending too much time in the sun or sun tanning, being in very dry air, smoking, feeling stress or losing sweat and oil glands, which is common with age. Dry skin also can be caused by health problems, such as allergies, diabetes or kidney disease. Using too much soap, antiperspirant, or perfume and taking hot baths can make dry skin worse.

Older people are more prone to dry skin for many reasons: moisture-producing oil and sweat glands dry up, skin becomes thinner, and fat and collagen, substances that gives skin its elasticity, decrease.

Dry skin is often temporary — you get it only in winter, for example — but it may be a lifelong condition. Dry skin is likely to cause one or more of the following: a feeling of skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming, skin that feels and looks rough, itching (pruritus), slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling, fine lines or cracks, grey, ashy skin, redness and deep cracks that may bleed. Dry skin isn't usually serious. In most cases it's caused by factors like hot or cold weather, low moisture in the air, and soaking in hot water.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Neurophysiological research in the last 20 years has enabled more accurate descriptors of neural pathways involved in itch response. Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the peripheral nervous system, which extends throughout the body. Nerve damage can cause sensations, such as itchiness, numbness, and pain, in several parts of the body, including the feet.

Neuropathic itch is related to pathology located at any point along the afferent pathway of the nervous system. It could be related to damage to the peripheral nervous system, such as in postherpetic neuropathy, and in central nervous system damage as a result of spinal cord tumors and demyelinization diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Patients complain of itch, which coincides with burning sensation, aching, and stinging. Psychogenic itch is related to psychologic abnormalities e.g., itch in obsessive compulsive disorders and depression.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition that results in sore, itchy, scaly red skin. It can affect almost any part of the body, including the feet. Psoriasis can be extremely itchy and painful.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic disease. It tends to go through cycles, flaring for a few weeks or months, then subsiding for a while or going into remission. Psoriasis patches can range from a few spots of dandruff-like scaling to major eruptions that cover large areas. The most commonly affected areas are the lower back, elbows, knees, legs, soles of the feet, scalp, face and palms.

Eczema

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a condition usually characterized by very dry, itchy skin. It can appear on many areas of the body, including the feet. Eczema can be hereditary. Eczema is not contagious. Scratching and itching makes eczema worse. It starts a snowball effect of itching, which leads to a rash, which leads to more itching!

Dyshidrotic eczema is a type that often appears on the sides and soles of the feet. It causes small, deep, extremely itchy fluid-filled blisters. Females are twice as likely to develop this form of eczema. Dyshidrotic eczema is more likely to occur if you have other allergies. These blisters are itchy in nature and scratching them only leads to more itchiness and potentially infection. With dyshidrotic eczema, skin in the affected area will likely become red and flaky.

Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot is a fungal skin disease that usually develops between the toes, although it can also affect other parts of the feet. Athlete’s foot can cause an itching and burning sensation on the infected area. Fungi thrive in warm, moist, and dark conditions, such as inside sports shoes. An overgrowth of these fungi can cause athlete’s foot.

Athlete's foot is very common because water gets trapped in the warm spaces between your toes. It can spread from person to person in shared bathrooms, showers, and warm wet places. Keeping your feet dry lowers the chance of getting athlete's foot

Allergic Reactions

Skin allergies can cause itchiness. They may result from particular skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis or from contact with a substance such as latex or pollen. There are a variety of allergies that affect the feet, including allergic contact dermatitis , angioedema, and dyshidrotic eczema.

Allergic contact dermatitis results from direct contact with certain kinds of substances, leading to irritation and inflammation. This is a common form of a foot allergy and will often cause itchiness in the impacted area.

Angioedema is a more serious form of the allergies that affect feet, and it is often noted by the growth of welts that are itchy and painful. Other symptoms of angioedema include abdominal cramping and even difficulty in breathing. This condition is often caused by shellfish, insect bites, and antibiotics, although there are other allergens that cause it as well.

Hookworm Infections

A hookworm is a type of parasite that lives in human intestines. People can get hookworms by walking barefoot in areas where the larvae are present. Hookworm infections are relatively rare in places with sufficient hygienic practices. A person may experience itchiness in the spot where the hookworm larvae entered their body.

Scabies

Scabies occurs when very small mites burrow into a person’s skin and lay eggs, causing a very itchy rash. The condition is contagious and travels through skin-to-skin contact. Scabies is contagious and can spread quickly through close physical contact in a family, child care group, school class, nursing home or prison. It can occur anywhere on the body, including on the feet.

An estimated 200 million people worldwide suffer from scabies at any one time. Up to 10% of children in resource-poor areas are affected by scabies. Scabies occurs worldwide but is most common in hot, tropical countries and in areas of high population density.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a long-term condition that affects insulin resistance and how the body changes food into energy. Diabetes can cause diabetic neuropathy, which can lead to tingling, itchiness, and numbness, especially in the feet. Poor circulation due to diabetes can also cause itchiness. Also, having diabetes may increase a person’s risk of bacterial and fungal infections.

Post-burn Pruritus

Post-burn pruritus is the pruritus that occurs after burn during the rehabilitation and healing process of burn wounds. Even after they have healed, severe burns can cause lasting damage and itching. The post-burn pruritus is a common and serious complication of burn injury, which severely lowers the quality of life of the patient.