1/15Problems With Your ThyroidIt's a gland in your neck that makes a hormone that helps your body store and burn energy. If it doesn't make enough, you could feel tired, weak, achy, and foggy-headed. You could also get dry, itchy skin...
2/15PregnancyWhen you're expecting, your body sends more blood to the skin and stretches it over your belly, which may cause mild itching. You can manage it with loose, breathable clothing, cool baths, and moisturizers. If the itching is really bad, especially on your hands or feet, it could be a ...
3/15DiabetesSkin problems are sometimes the first sign of this disease. If you're itchy, it could be a yeast infection or dry skin, among other things. When circulation is the problem, your lower legs may be the itchiest...
4/15CancerItching is only rarely a sign of this disease, but it's possible. A type of blood cancer called polycythemia vera may cause it, especially after a warm bath or shower. You also may get tired or dizzy or have trouble breathing...
5/15Cancer TreatmentsDry, itchy skin is a common side effect of chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, and stem cell transplants. It helps to avoid skin irritants like harsh soaps, perfumes, and detergents and to keep your bath water warm rather than hot. And remember to moisturize soon after ...
6/15TumorsAnything that grows on or near the spinal cord or brain stem can lead to "neuropathic" itch. It happens when the affected part of your nervous system misfires. Your doctor can suggest ways to ease the itching and keep yourself from scratching too much...
7/15StrokeIt cuts off blood to part of your brain. Your throat, jaw, or ear might itch if it affects cranial nerves close to your brain and spinal cord. And damage to certain brain tissue can cause itching through the trigeminal nerve in your face...
8/15ShinglesYou only get it if you've had chickenpox. Along with a painful, blistering rash, the virus sometimes kills cells in a part of your brain called the sensory ganglia. This could lead to pain and itching for months after the rash is gone...
9/15Multiple SclerosisIt slowly damages the nervous system and can cause sudden, intense bouts of pain, tingling, burning, or itching anywhere on your body. The disease may also affect cranial nerves or brain tissue that could make you itchy for longer periods in the face, throat, jaw, or ear. You...
10/15Pinched NerveThis could be the cause if you have an itchy patch with no rash in just one area of your body. It can happen in a fall or an accident or because you repeat a movement too much, like typing. An infection might lead to swelling that presses on a nerve...
11/15MedicationsThey sometimes cause a reaction that makes you itch. You may have a rash, but not always. Sometimes your skin looks normal and itches anyway...
12/15Lack of IronIt causes anemia, which means you don't have enough red blood cells. That may make you tired, weak, and short of breath. And your skin could get pale and itchy...
13/15Kidney DialysisIt's a blood cleaning process that can make your skin itch in one spot or all over. Too much or too little dialysis might upset the balance in your blood. Also, it takes extra water from your body, so if you don't drink enough, your skin could dry out and trigger itchiness...
14/15Restless Legs SyndromeIt may feel as if the tissue deep under your skin is crawling, creeping, aching, tingling, or itching. You get a strong urge to move your leg, especially if you've been still a while. Doctors aren't sure what causes it, but it could have something to do with a brain chem...
15/15Mental HealthAnxiety, stress, and depression could make any itchiness you have from another condition feel more intense. If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, your frequent handwashing or bathing can dry out, damage, and irritate your skin. Other conditions might make it harder to stop s...