Itchy hands but you don’t know where they itch could be pruritus. It can be treated with topical medications, oral medications, and physical therapy.
Pruritus is a skin disease with only itchy skin without primary lesions. The most common cause of pruritus is dry skin. Others, such as neuropsychiatric factors, systemic diseases, drugs or food, climate change, work and living environment, and lifestyle habits (e.g., excessively alkaline soaps, cleansing skin care cosmetics) can cause generalized itching.
1. Topical medication: It should be based on moisturizing, nourishing and anti-itching, choosing topical preparations with low irritation. Low pH detergents and lubricants, anti-itching agents (such as glycerine lotion, ethanol preparations containing menthol and camphor, etc.) and surface anesthetics (such as lidocaine cream, etc.) can be used, and topical immunosuppressant (such as tacrolimus) or short-term topical glucocorticosteroids may also be used to relieve symptoms.
2. Oral drugs: available antihistamines, calcium, vitamin C, sedative and sleeping drugs, tricyclic antidepressants (such as doxepin or amitriptyline) or a trial of intravenous closure of procaine. Geriatric pruritus can be treated with sex hormones. Antiepileptic and anxiolytic drugs (e.g., gabapentin and pregabalin) are effective in some patients.
3. Physical therapy: phototherapy (UVB and PUVA) is effective for some pruritus, dry skin can be combined with fumigation, in addition to starch baths, mineral baths have a certain effect.
For patients who have itchy hands but do not know where the itchy patients, it is recommended to go to a regular hospital to identify the cause of the disease, under the guidance of the doctor’s treatment. Follow the doctor’s instructions for medication.