The 10 best small remedies for pruritus in Chinese medicine

Pruritus is a common disease in life, especially favoring the elderly, and the older they are, the higher the frequency and degree of skin itching.

Western medical treatment is mainly symptomatic, with antihistamines taken internally and hormonal drugs used topically, which have limited efficacy, while Chinese medicine is highly effective and easy to administer in stores.

Q:What kind of disease is pruritus?

A: Pruritus is no skin disease without obvious primary skin damage, but with pruritus alone as the main symptom.

In other words, itchiness that occurs because of various dermatitis and eczema that first cause red papules on the skin and then itchiness does not belong to pruritus.

However, it should be noted that after scratching the skin, skin changes such as scratch marks, crusting, pigmentation and mossy changes can occur in patients with pruritus. The antecedents and consequences should be distinguished when inquiring about the condition.

Pruritus can be divided into generalized pruritus and limited pruritus.

The manifestation is paroxysmal itching of the skin, which is indefinite or confined to certain parts of the body, and is common in the pubic area, around the anus, scalp, and lower legs.

Q:What usually causes pruritus?

A: Western medicine believes that pruritus is due to internal and external causes.

Internal causes: mostly related to certain diseases, such as abnormal thyroid function, diabetes, kidney disease, etc., but also includes drug reactions and stimulation such as tobacco, alcohol and spicy food.

External causes: There are dry and cold or humid weather, wearing chemical fiber woolen fabrics, using too strong alkaline soap, etc., can also contribute to the occurrence of the disease.

In Chinese medicine, the causes of the disease are divided into internal and external causes from a more macroscopic perspective: such as external wind, dampness, heat and other external evils, which are contained in the skin and cannot be drained and cause itching, or internal blood deficiency and wind dryness, resulting in loss of skin nourishment.

Q:How to identify the evidence and give oral Chinese medicine treatment?

Generally speaking, pruritus can be divided into the following three types of symptoms.

(1) Wind-heat and blood-heat evidence: characterized by itchy skin, aggravated by heat or alcohol, and bloodstains after scratching; accompanied by heart trouble, thirst, yellow urine, dry stool, red tongue, thin yellow coating, and floating or string pulse. Recommend Skin Itch Granules, 1-2 sachets each time, 3 times a day, to be taken in a flush.

(2) Dampness and heat: characterized by itching, oozing and crusting after scratching, or damp and itchy skin around the vulva and anus; accompanied by dry mouth and bitterness, chest and fullness, poor appetite, yellow urine, red tongue with yellow coating and slippery pulse. Recommend Golden Cicada Anti-itch Capsules, 6 capsules each time, 3 times daily, after meals.

(3) Blood deficiency and wind-dryness: It is common in elderly people, with a long duration of illness, dry and itchy skin, blood streaks, accompanied by dizziness, dry eyes, insomnia and dreaminess, red tongue with little coating and fine pulse. Recommend moistening and antipruritic capsules, 4 capsules each time, 3 times a week, taken orally.

Q:What are the topical Chinese medicines for pruritus?

A: There are various dosage forms of topical Chinese medicine recommended.

(1) lotion: applicable to all types of pruritus, recommend Ganlin lotion, dilute and use 1-3 times a day, no need to rinse with water after use; or Chuan Bai anti-itch lotion, apply directly to the affected area or dilute 4 times to wash the affected area, 1-2 times a day.

(2) Cream: for dry itchy skin lesions, recommend Qiang Yue cream, apply directly to the affected area, 2-3 times a day; or Skin Shu Anti-Itch Cream, take 5-10 grams, wipe the skin on a warm towel, rub for 5-10 minutes, rinse with water, once a day.

(3) Ointment: for dry and itchy lesions, even hypertrophic and moss-like changes, we recommend Qingpeng ointment, apply directly to the affected area, 2 times a day; or Damphenol ointment, apply to the affected area, 2-3 times a day; or Dehumidification and Anti-itch ointment, apply to the affected area in appropriate amount, 3-4 times a day.

Q:What should patients pay attention to in their life?

A: Reduce the number of baths, use warm water to shower or rub the body, and do not exceed 10 minutes.

Immediately after bathing, apply moisturizing lotion to moisturize the skin and avoid strong alkaline soap cleaning, scratching and hot water scalding. Wear cotton underwear, avoid eating spicy and hairy foods, and regulate your emotions and avoid exertion.

Treatment of itchy skin small prescription

1, old ginger for itchy skin

Fresh old ginger 1 pounded like mud, wrapped in gauze, rubbing the affected area. Each time 10-20 minutes, l-2 times a day, with remarkable results. This party can not only stop itching, but also moisten the skin.

2, jujube snow pear cream for itchy skin

Jujube (or golden dates) 10, snow pear cream 20 ml. Jujube first soak half an hour, into the casserole with water and boil until the jujube rotten after adding snow pear cream after taking. This can moisten the lung and skin care, strengthen the spleen and benefit the qi. Suitable for dry and flaky skin in winter, itchy skin in the elderly.

3, pig trotters bone soup for itching

Take the bones of 2-3 pig’s feet, add water to boil and then boil for 5 minutes. Every day before going to bed with a sanitary cotton or clean white cloth dipped in pig’s feet bone soup in the itchy skin scrub once, can cure the elderly stubborn itchy skin. Generally, the symptoms will basically disappear after 4 times of continuous scrubbing. Heavy cases can be applied more times.

4, silver yellow wine to cure the elderly skin itching

Silver yellow (available in traditional Chinese medicine stores) and 60 degrees of sorghum wine blend (silver yellow: white wine ratio of 1:4) mix well, at night when you go to bed with a cotton ball dipped in the mixed slurry applied to the itch, the night can be effective, once a night, 3-5 times can be cured. It is suitable for elderly people with itchy skin.

5, Chinese herbal decoction for winter itchy skin

Cang Er Zi, mugwort 30 grams each, bitter ginseng, ground skin, white moss skin, Lu Hifang, Tu Geen Pi, Su Ye, Sichuan pepper 20 grams each, 1 dose per day, add appropriate amount of water decoction, filter the liquid, while hot bath, once in the morning and once in the evening, each time rub 15-20 minutes, for 7 days for a course of treatment. Applicable to pruritus.

6, salt water or vinegar for itching

Every night before going to bed, use the basin to hold half a basin of water, put the appropriate amount of salt or rice vinegar, heated to the salt dissolved, with a towel dipped in water to wash the affected area, generally 3-5 times can be effective. If there is recurrence, you can continue to apply and wash. Suitable for middle-aged and elderly people with pruritus, the effect is better.

7, Cord filling therapy

Take safflower, comfrey, gardenia, rhubarb each equal amount, research as fine powder, add ice chips appropriate amount, mix evenly, bottled and set aside. Take a little of the medicine each time, add petroleum jelly to make a paste, apply it to the navel, dressing, fixed with adhesive tape, change the medicine once a day, and use it for 1 to 2 weeks.

8, Foot bath therapy

Take 10 grams each of bitter ginseng, ringworm skin, snake bed seeds, wormwood, red comfrey and wind, decoct the juice, put it into the bath, wait for warmth, take a foot bath twice a day, 10-30 minutes each time, 1 dose daily, and use it for 5-7 days.

9, Patching therapy

Take Tribulus terrestris, He Shou Wu each equal amount, grind into fine powder, bottled spare. Every night after bathing, take the right amount of medicine, add a little rice vinegar to make a thin paste, applied externally to the Yongquan point in the heart of both feet, dressing wrapping, tape fixed, every night, the next morning to take off, for 7 to 10 days.

10, Vinegar and glycerin for itching

The acid and aldehydes contained in vinegar can make capillaries dilate and have stimulating effect on the skin. Glycerin can soften the skin and keep moisture. The method of configuration: mix white vinegar and glycerin in the ratio of 3:7, once a day or 2 to 3 times a week, and apply to the affected skin immediately after bathing.