Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 3-13-20

Health
Problems With Your Thyroid
It's a gland in your neck that makes a hor- mone that helps your body store and burn en- ergy. If it doesn't make enough, you could feel tired, weak, achy, and foggy-headed. You could also get dry, itchy skin. It's more common
in women who might notice changes in their monthly cycle or problems getting pregnant. You might be able to manage it with artificial hormones and other treatments.
You only get it if you've had chicken- pox. Along with a painful, blistering rash, the virus some- times kills cells in a part of your brain called the sensory ganglia. This could lead to pain and itch-
Stroke
trigeminal nerve in your face. This can lead some people to scratch until they do serious damage to the skin around their cheek and nose.
Diabetes
Skin 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. It's important to treat
your diabetes, but you can also soothe the itch if you take shorter showers or baths, use mild soap, and moisturize af- terward.
Pinched Nerve
This could be the cause if you have an itchy patch with no rash in just one area of your body. It can hap- pen in a fall or an acci- dent or because you repeat a movement too much, like typing. An infection might lead to
swelling that presses on a nerve. Sometimes it goes away with rest, anti-inflammatories, and physical therapy, but you may need surgery if you have a serious case.
Shingles
ing for months after the rash is gone. It happens in about half of all people who have a shingles outbreak, though it's more common if your rash was on the face or neck.
Medications
They sometimes cause a reac- tion that makes you itch. You may have a rash, but not always. Some- times your skin looks normal and itches anyway. Typical culprits in- clude antibiotics, antifungals, an- timalarials, and narcotic pain drugs like opioids. Talk to your doctor before you stop or change the dose on any medicine.
It cuts off blood to part of your brain. Your throat, jaw, or ear might itch if it af- fects cranial nerves close to your brain and spinal cord. And damage to certain brain tissue can cause itching through the
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