Bites and dry skin can affect anyone.
However, there are also medical conditions that result in itchy lower legs.
Depending on what triggered your itchiness, you may be able to stop the discomfort with at-home remedies.
Getty Images / Tharakorn Arunothai / EyeEm
Dry skin is more common during the winter months when cold weather and low humidity can dry skin out.
Frequent showering, bathing, and swimming may also lead to dry skin.
Older adults are more prone to dry skinparticularly on their elbows, lower legs, and lower arms.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can also help keep your skin hydrated.
Insect Bites
Insect bitesfrom mosquitos, chiggers, fleas, and bed bugs can cause intense itching.
Though its tempting to scratch an insect bite, this may make it even itchier.
Most insect bites stop itching after a few days time.
Contact with certain metals (e.g., nickel) may also cause irritation and itchy legs.
To relieve the itchiness, its important to find out whats causing your allergic reaction.
Skin Conditions
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a common cause of itchy skin.
Blisters may be a part of the rash in more severe cases of dermatitis.
Medication
Some medications can trigger intensely itchy skin.
Known as drug-inducedpruritis, symptoms may appear within hours or weeks after you start taking the medication.
In most cases, there is no rash with the itchiness, just scratch marks.
Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms.
They may advise you to stop taking the medication and replace it with an alternative.
For some people, itchy skin may be the first sign they have diabetes.
Carefully managing your diabetes can help protect your skin and prevent itchiness and infections.
This can make the itching worse and cause damage to the skin that could potentially lead to an infection.
You may be able to relieve the itching with a fragrance-free moisturizing cream applied at least twice a day.
Topical hydrocortisone and/or anti-itch creams may also help.
Nerve Damage
Sometimes nerve damage can cause itchy skin.
Ask your healthcare provider about how to manage neuropathic itching.
Some healthcare providers recommend pain relieving medications or antidepressants for this throw in of itch.
Topical anesthetics can provide short-term relief, and topical steroid creams can help reduce inflammation.
you might also try wrapping the itchy skin with a bandage.
Some healthcare providers recommend talking to a therapist.
Therapy may help you learn to cope with itching and resist the desire to scratch.
If youre experiencing itchy legs at night, it may be bad enough to interrupt your sleep.
Causes of itchy legs can range from dry skin to allergies to nerve damage.
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