Causes of itchy skin on legs. Itchy legs below the knees - reasons

When the feet itch, a person cannot find a place for himself. Many skin diseases are accompanied by such an unpleasant phenomenon. The feeling of itching brings psychological and moral suffering, disrupts the normal rhythm of life, and interferes with everyday activities.

Itchy feet and toes all day and at night. The cause may be dermatological diseases.

The skin on your feet requires constant care. Dryness, accompanied by itching, occurs when there is insufficient air humidity and exposure to cold winter winds. Women are used to helping their hands with moisturizing creams. Likewise, you need to take care of your feet. If the problem lies deeper, seek help from specialists.

Factors that provoke itching

Damage to the skin of the legs is manifested not only by itching. Peeling, burning, redness of the skin, pain are associated symptoms in patients.

Unpleasant events cannot be tolerated. It is necessary to find the cause of the pathological process and cure it in order to avoid complications. The causes of itchy feet can occur within the body or due to environmental factors.

External factors:

  1. Injuries, abrasions, burns, frostbite of the lower extremities.
  2. Calluses and corns cause burning.
  3. Blood-sucking insects (ticks, fleas). Red bumps and intense itching in several family members are a reason to think about the presence of a microscopic resident.
  4. Fungus on the feet with excessive sweating and poor hygiene quickly colonizes the skin.

Internal:

Treatment methods

A detailed diagnosis and adequate treatment will be prescribed by a dermatologist.

Correctly identifying the cause is half the result. The other half is the treatment itself. You can't scratch an itchy place! Swelling can be influenced by medications and folk remedies.

Therapeutic measures:

  1. Pour 1 tsp of dry celandine into a glass of hot water. Leave for 10 - 15 minutes. Wipe the irritated skin of the feet with the tincture.
  2. Propolis tincture will help relieve unbearable itching. Apply to areas several times a day. Propolis kills germs and moisturizes the skin. Apply ointment to gauze and apply to feet. The itching will go away within 10 minutes.
  3. Brew tea with lemon balm (1 tbsp herb per glass). Melissa will calm the nerves and relieve skin irritation. The course of treatment is 1 month, twice a day.
  4. Buy the drug Mumiyo at the pharmacy. Its medicinal substances restore damaged skin and increase regenerative abilities. Apply as a compress to your feet and leave for 30 minutes.
  5. Soda. Dilute baking soda with water to a paste. Apply to itchy areas of the body. Keep until completely dry. Rinse off any remaining residue with water.

Effective itching relievers

Current medications for relieving itching include:

  1. Sinaflan is a medicine that helps with allergic manifestations and dermatitis of various etiologies. The ointment begins to act upon first contact with the skin, reducing itching and dry skin. During pregnancy, in the presence of cutaneous tuberculosis, the drug is contraindicated.
  2. Akriderm Genta is an antibiotic-based drug used to treat many dermatological diseases. Applying the medicine to scratches, wounds, ulcers, and rashes is unacceptable.
  3. Menovazin is a complex pain reliever to relieve itching.
  4. Sulfur ointment is a cheap, proven remedy. Has antiseptic properties. Can be used during pregnancy.

Hygiene and preventive measures

Itching is difficult for an adult to endure, and even more so for a child. Simple daily rules will help you recover quickly and prevent the occurrence of diseases:

  1. Get advice from a doctor in a timely manner, do not start the pathological process, treat chronic diseases correctly.
  2. Don’t skimp on comfortable, high-quality, well-ventilated shoes. Don't wear other people's shoes.
  3. Do not forget about hygiene (shower and bath daily).
  4. For minor injuries or scratches, do not be lazy to treat the damaged surface with antiseptics.
  5. Check your blood sugar levels periodically and eat less sweets.
  6. After washing your feet, wipe them dry so as not to create favorable conditions for fungus.
  7. Use a pumice stone on your heels several times a week.
  8. Fight the problem of excessive sweating of feet and unpleasant odor. Algel, Formidron, baths with oak bark and sage will help remove the problem.

For minor symptoms of itching, home care can be used. If you suspect a serious illness, you should consult your doctor.

You feel severe itching in your lower extremities, an unpleasant symptom occurs quite often and causes a lot of inconvenience - to understand why your legs below the knees itch, you must conduct a thorough diagnosis of the body.

Itchy skin is a consequence of irritation or inflammation of the epithelium. There can be quite a few reasons for the development of such a pathology, but for effective treatment they must be identified and eliminated. To do this, it is recommended to visit a dermatologist and undergo treatment.

As soon as evening comes, you have an irresistible urge to scratch your elbow or leg below the knee - this symptom cannot be considered a separate disease, but only a sign of the development of a skin or inflammatory disease. Most often, elbows and knees itch due to:

Dermatitis of the lower extremities is accompanied by redness of the affected area of ​​the skin. As a rule, a thorough examination of a blood test can reveal the cause of such an illness. If such an examination does not give the desired result, a dermatologist may take a sample. During this procedure, the doctor makes a small scratch on the patient’s back, applies various substances that can provoke allergies, and looks at the reaction. The thing is that some substances of natural or artificial origin can be perceived by the body as an infection.

Other

Low itching in the knee area often worries patients suffering from varicose veins. This symptom usually occurs at the initial stage of development of the pathology. At this stage, the dilated vessels are not yet visible, but blood circulation is already impaired. Most often, this disease affects people whose work involves constant heavy stress on their legs - salespeople, drivers, nurses, etc. If you have any problems with the heart and blood vessels, if you discover an unpleasant symptom, be sure to consult a doctor. The sooner you begin to treat such a pathology, the greater the likelihood of complete healing without health consequences.

Mechanical damage is another common reason why legs below the knees itch. Damaged skin is restored and renewed, which causes itching. Any wound or pimple will itch as it heals. The epidermis of some people reacts negatively to low temperatures and wearing clothes made of synthetic fabrics.

Any external medications should be used only on the recommendation of a doctor. If the doctor prescribed you an ointment for joint pain, but after several uses you notice that it causes discomfort, be sure to tell him about it. Most likely, you have an individual sensitivity to one of the components of the drug. To continue effective treatment, it is enough to replace the ointment with another, more suitable one.

Infectious

Harmful microorganisms can enter the body through a small cut or wound. The infection spreads gradually - at first the itching in the lower leg area is slight and almost unnoticeable, but over time the unpleasant symptoms intensify.

The skin around the injury turns red, does not heal for a long time, and suppuration may begin. The stronger the patient’s immunity, the faster the person can overcome the infection on his own. In patients with diabetes or thrombophlebitis, the body's protective functions are weakened, so any, even the most minor, infection can cause a lot of inconvenience and have serious consequences.

To combat an infectious disease, doctors prescribe antifungal ointments or gels to the patient, which are applied directly to the itchy area. If the disease has spread throughout the body, you may need to take antibiotics.

If your leg below the knee itches in only one place that turns red and takes on the shape of a five-kopeck coin, you may have lichen. Additional symptoms of this disease are: hair loss in the affected area, the appearance of small red swollen spots, unbearable itching. To get rid of lichen, use medications prescribed by a dermatologist, and also pay attention to the overall health of the body. For preventative purposes, you can take a course of complex vitamins and minerals.

Harmful

If your body reacts negatively to substances contained in certain products, your skin will itch not only in the lower leg area, but also on the elbows, arms, and neck. Most often, food allergies occur in young children.

The baby’s body cannot immediately get used to the vitamins and microelements contained in regular food, so it reacts negatively. To make the transition from breastfeeding to complementary feeding as comfortable as possible, be sure to first consult with your pediatrician.

Eating fatty, spicy, fried foods, fast food products, and low-quality alcoholic beverages can lead to an allergic reaction and itchy elbows and knees. To get rid of unpleasant sensations, it is enough to reconsider your diet and get rid of bad habits.

Varicose veins (video)

When itching appears in the legs, concentrated below the knees, the patient is simply tormented by unpleasant sensations. Quite often, in an attempt to alleviate their condition, the skin is scratched, which leads to more complex skin problems associated with additional infection. You can get rid of itching, but you need to know exactly what causes this phenomenon.

Causes of household itching

Itchy feet are not always associated with serious pathologies. Quite often, the causes of unpleasant sensations may lie on the surface. You can get rid of this phenomenon by simply changing your habits or clothes.

Mechanical irritations

Itching, which is accompanied by heaviness and fatigue of the legs, most often occurs in the evening after

The cause of itching and heaviness in the feet is tight shoes

tiring and stressful working day. The patient, having spent quite a long time on his feet, and at the same time wearing uncomfortable shoes, begins to experience.

This reaction occurs after the removal of compressive factors. In this case, the vessels, compressed for a long time by shoes or tight clothing, rapidly expand, and there is a significant flow of blood to the lower extremities, which is usually accompanied by itching.

There is no need to treat such reactions with special methods, but you should think about the condition of the blood vessels.

Allergic reactions

In case of contact or food allergy, a rash may occur on the skin, which provokes itching of the skin.

Allergic skin reactions on the feet are usually associated with:
  • wearing synthetic clothing;
  • wearing low-quality shoes;
  • insole material.

After long-term or short-term exposure to the skin of the legs, the patient may experience a full range of allergic manifestations, such as burning, rash, itching and redness of the skin.

These reactions can also occur when using low-quality or expired cosmetic care and household products.

Symptomatic treatment for such problems involves taking antihistamines. But you can completely get rid of itching only by completely eliminating contact with allergens.

Pathological causes of itching

If itching below the knees occurs with frightening frequency or is constantly present, it is worth thinking about the pathological origin of the discomfort. It is impossible to get rid of such conditions on your own, since pathological itching of the legs requires specific treatment.

Dermatological pathologies

Infectious, allergic, neurogenic and traumatic lesions lead to dermatological problems. The most common skin problem accompanied by itchy feet is fungus. You can become infected with this disease in public institutions associated with water procedures, or through sharing things, a bathtub, or towels with someone who is sick with the fungus.

Itching of the feet is the first signal of infection. Later, the itching is accompanied by peeling, redness, and spread to other parts of the legs.

The appearance of itching of the legs below the knees may also be associated with:

Vascular diseases

When the vessels located below the knees are damaged, the venous outflow of blood is disrupted and trophic transformations of tissue occur.

Patients have:
  • severe fatigue associated with heaviness in the legs;
  • swelling of the legs, often occurring in the evening and spreading below the knees;
  • swelling of the veins and the presence of nodes;
  • the occurrence of pain during palpation examination.
Such conditions may indicate the presence:
  1. Varicose veins, in which the veins dilate and lengthen.
  2. Thrombophlebitis associated with inflammation of the venous walls and the appearance of blood clots settling on the walls.
  3. Obliterating endarteritis is an infectious pathology of the arteries.
  4. Atherosclerosis affecting the vessels of the legs below the knees, with complete or partial blockage of the vessels.

For vascular pathologies, treatment should be prescribed by a phlebologist or vascular surgeon.

Causes of metabolic itching

Diabetes mellitus often causes many unpleasant sensations. Patients may experience both causeless itching, numbness, goose bumps, and quite severe pain. Such symptoms are characteristic of a long course of the disease.

In addition to itching, diabetics may experience:
  • the appearance of trophic changes in the skin, spots, ulcers;
  • painful sensations below the knees that have a cutting, aching and stabbing nature;
  • pallor and blueness of the skin;
  • the appearance of diabetic foot;
  • tissue necrosis.

Diabetes is a rather complex metabolic disease. To avoid serious complications, it is necessary to constantly monitor the disease and not ignore the prescribed treatment.

Diseases of internal organs

The occurrence of itching below the knees may be associated with serious pathologies of internal organs:

Selecting the correct treatment for such itching is possible only after finding out the real cause of the pathology.

Neurogenic pathologies

Unpleasant itching of the legs, concentrated below the knees, may be associated with disturbances in thermal balance. In this condition, there is a periodic alternation of cold skin of the legs and arms with fever.

Such disorders of the nervous system occur:
  • with vegetative-vascular dystonia;
  • for nervous strain and stress;
  • under the influence of long-term depression;
  • with chronic fatigue syndrome.

You can get rid of such periodic itching in the legs by eliminating neurogenic problems.

Musculoskeletal problems

Any lesions of the knee of a traumatic or inflammatory nature that cause compression of the nerve fibers can provoke unpleasant radiating sensations below the joint, including itching. In this case, pain of varying intensity, burning and partial numbness may appear.

Itching may occur:
  • injuries of menisci, ligaments, bone and cartilage tissues;
  • inflammation of the external bursae, causing, due to swelling, an effect on the nerve tissue;
  • Baker's cyst causing itching in the lower leg.

Itching below the knees can also be a symptom of spinal problems concentrated in the lower parts.

Some ailments accompanied by itching in the legs can develop into more serious pathologies, in which there is a loss of sensitivity and motor capabilities. Therefore, leaving such symptoms as itching below the knees is simply dangerous.

Video

Video - Skin itching. Treatment

Severe itching in the feet is a very unpleasant symptom that can ruin the life of anyone. If you encounter such a problem, you first need to find out why your feet and soles are itching, and then determine an effective course of treatment.

There are many reasons why itchy feet occur. These include fungal infections, insect bites, allergies, burns and much more. Moreover, one of the main causes of itching on the feet is mycosis, that is, a fungus. It can be infected in different conditions, but it is not easy to cure.

Infectious lesions

Mycoses of the foot

As already mentioned, the most common cause of itching of the lower extremities is mycosis. The exact type of fungal infection can only be identified by a dermatologist. Based on laboratory tests, the doctor can accurately diagnose this or another disease.

Along with itching, burning, pain and even an unpleasant odor may appear on the feet. Infected areas of the skin become wet and cracks form on the soles. The lesion also spreads to the heels and areas between the toes. Pathogenic microbes develop on the affected skin, complicating the treatment process.

Factors that can contribute to the appearance of fungal infections include:

  • wearing cheap synthetic socks;
  • tight shoes made of low-quality materials;
  • excessive sweating;
  • poor personal hygiene.

You can get a fungal infection in a public locker room, in the shower, or even while walking barefoot on the grass or sand at the beach. People with weakened immune systems and diabetics are more susceptible to mycoses, which cause itchy feet, especially at night.

When your feet are very itchy, this sometimes indicates a scabies mite. Tiny nodular lesions and rashes appear on the skin. You can become infected through contact with a sick person or through sharing common household items.

Viral diseases

On the soles of the feet, itching may occur simultaneously with the appearance of a rough growth. The so-called papilloma virus under certain conditions (high humidity levels, poor hygiene, weakened immune defenses) leads to the formation of warts on the feet. At first, the feet only itch, but then severe pain occurs.

Allergic causes

There is also allergic itching of the feet, which has various causes. It is accompanied by swelling, redness and rash. The situation is aggravated by household chemicals, low-quality cosmetics, synthetic clothing and even pet hair.

In addition to all of the above, you need to pay attention to shoes and socks, changing them to more comfortable ones if necessary, and also spend more time on personal hygiene using good body care products.

How to quickly relieve itching at home?

Regardless of the reason why your feet itch, you can try to relieve the symptoms of itching on your own before you see a doctor. Please note that all the remedies described below do not remove the real cause, but only temporarily make you feel better:

  1. Exposure to cold tightens the pores on the skin and relieves irritation, as a result of which the receptors are dulled. Under the influence of cold, blood flow slows down and histamine, which causes itching, stops being produced.
  2. Heat exposure can also help in certain cases. It opens the pores, causing the epidermis to relax and tension to go away. The activity of histamine is stimulated, and it stops accumulating and the itching subsides.
  3. Baking soda can quickly relieve symptoms of itchy feet. You need to make soda baths and then let your feet dry without rinsing them. If it is not possible to take a bath, apply a little soaked soda to a cotton pad and wipe the itchy areas with it.
  4. Sea salt against itchy feet is used in the form of baths: per liter of water you need 50 g of pure salt. You need to take these foot baths for a maximum of ten minutes.
  5. Honey with propolis also relieves itchy feet. They are especially effective for thermal damage to the epidermis.

Preventive measures

If you have gotten rid of your symptoms and the soles of your feet no longer itch, or you want to know how to prevent this disorder, you need to take care of your personal hygiene. All funds must be individual (this applies to all family members). When visiting public baths or saunas, be sure to wear your own replacement shoes. This way you will avoid infection with fungus and other skin diseases.

Do not wear other people's socks or shoes, and wash your own regularly. Sweat and humidity are the best conditions for the development of pathogenic bacteria that cause itching on the feet. If you do a pedicure in a salon, make sure that the instruments used are sterile. These are the main recommendations for preventing itchy skin on the feet. Remember them and stay healthy!

If your legs itch below the knees, your skin hurts, you may have itchy skin. Itching, by definition, becomes an unpleasant feeling that requires relief.

A signal of itching on the legs below the knees is the feeling when the legs itch for no objective reason. It will be necessary to find out the cause of its appearance, type and theoretical danger to health.

The causes of the formation and development of itching below the knees may be caused by signals from the nervous system indicating problems in the body: a common allergy, a serious skin disease, varicose veins or nerve disease.

Because of these signals, areas of the skin become very itchy. Moreover, in some cases, organs can be damaged; the damage will not be limited solely to unpleasant itching and unsightly skin color. The reasons need to be known in order to choose the appropriate treatment. Let's consider the options in detail.

Diseases associated with itching

More often, the causes of itching on the legs below the knees come down to skin diseases. This kind of itching is constant and painful. There are many known skin diseases, let’s consider the common ones: dermatitis and psoriasis.

Dermatitis is a chronic disease. It most likely appears in adults who were ill in childhood; relapse is associated with the formation of hormones. Dermatitis occurs in people who grew up in the wrong conditions, which is why allergies develop. If the parents had dermatitis, the child is at risk of getting sick - the disease is classified as hereditary. There are many factors that cause pathology; an accidental scratch on the skin below the knees is enough.

Symptoms of the onset of dermatitis: severe itching and pain. Can be incredibly painful, causing stress and frustration. A person, feeling itchy, begins to scratch the areas below the knees, aggravating the disease. Dermatitis can be accompanied by colds and asthma, which are dangerous to health. Treatment begins with therapy based on the use of drugs aimed against inflammation. Compresses and a special diet are prescribed.

Psoriasis is recognized as a chronic disease characterized by the appearance of red or white plaques, most often found on the legs below the knees, or other parts of the body. Plaques are formed from dead skin cells and are very itchy. Usually cells are replaced in 28 days, psoriasis greatly speeds up the process to 3-6 days.

Psoriasis cannot be infected; the disease can be inherited from mom and dad. The cause is not known for certain, but it is believed to be a damage to the immune system. Psoriasis can be caused by frequent stress. It is possible to consume products with tar; they have a positive effect on treatment; short-term sunbathing has a similar effect. It is useful to limit the patient from stress.

Allergy

A popular cause of itchy feet and body is allergies. The main symptoms are similar to skin diseases - severe itching and rash. If the allergy is not severe, you should not scratch the areas of the spread, aggravating and complicating the treatment.

Many people develop fundamental allergies to animals and pollen, a well-known fact. This type of allergy causes itching, coughing, runny nose, and sneezing. Sometimes people do not realize that they have an allergy, mistaking symptoms for signs of a cold, and buying unnecessary medications.

Such cases require treatment with special medications and avoidance of contact with animals and plants from the environment close to the sick person. There is no other way to get rid of allergies. As a result, areas of the skin itch less.

An allergy to cold is possible after severe hypothermia. Blisters and rashes may appear that are very itchy. Hypothermia causes joint pain and high body temperature, like a cold. The reasons for this type of allergy are trivial. A person acquires the pathology by being exposed to the rain for a long time, due to swimming in cold water, excessive consumption of ice cream and soft drinks. The type of allergy does not usually affect the feet.

Treatment for this type of allergy does not involve the use of medications. The remedies will relieve symptoms without completely eliminating the allergy. Preventing allergies to cold is similar to preventing colds - dress warmly, get treatment at the first symptoms.

It is possible to be allergic to drugs that contain chemical elements: shampoos, medications, air fresheners. Called by a single element or a collection. Prevention – ridding the patient of chemicals that cause allergies.

Fungal infections

Fungal infections are caused by a fungus. The causes vary: a consequence of allergies and dermatitis, cuts and animal bites. The wound gets infected, causing severe itching and burning.

Nutrition

With an unhealthy diet, an irritating sensation of allergies appears, causing discomfort in the legs below the knees. The cause of this kind is accompanied by obvious symptoms and is easily identified. The symptoms are standard - itching and burning become constant companions of food allergies. Children who know little about healthy eating and who put dirty objects in their mouths are more likely to suffer.

Adults can suffer from poor nutrition - from chips, fast food, alcohol and other irritants harmful to the body. Moreover, in adults, allergies can be more serious than in children. Poor nutrition causes serious damage to internal organs and the digestive system.

The symptoms of acquired allergies are more serious and dangerous. There is a lack of appetite, stool, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. The signs of the acute form are listed. The treatment is simple - the use of special medications. If the allergy is not pronounced, clearing the stomach with a laxative and creating a balanced diet for the patient will be sufficient.

Diseases due to blood circulation

Characteristic signs that an allergy is caused not by flower pollen, but by circulatory pathologies are pain, burning, swelling of the legs, and especially the knees. Symptoms appear when the veins dilate. The disease can affect any part of the body, most often the areas below the knees. Due to a dangerous disease, a person changes his gait and step width, and walking as usual becomes painful.

Women are more susceptible to the disease, men less often. The causes of varicose veins are pregnancy, excess weight, and addiction to stiletto shoes.

Treatment of the described type of allergy has a similar principle and is prescribed individually by a doctor. In the early stages, the patient is given proper nutrition and gets rid of excess weight. It is recommended to wear compression garments. In the later stages of the disease, serious medications are used.

What to do about symptoms

Itching on the legs below the knees can be easily treated at home. It is enough to smear the irritated areas with the necessary ointments, and do not scratch the long-suffering skin. It is necessary to avoid contact with objects that can cause allergies. Itchy areas should be thoroughly washed with baby soap in hot, relaxing baths; it is permissible to apply cold compresses.

You should consult a doctor when the itching becomes unbearable and it is difficult to walk or sleep. A sign of dangerous itching is the duration of the phenomenon (two weeks) or the itching covers the entire body.

You should not ignore the symptoms; the body’s signals require attention. Itchy feet below the knees is not as simple as it seems.