Why Does The Skin Itch During Pregnancy?
If you are pregnant, be prepared to experience several changes in the body: weight gain, cramps, changes in skin tone, and most of all, itching. Still, you may wonder if itchy skin is normal.
Each of them are conditions of the gestation stage, but if you follow the recommendations of your obstetrician, these skin changes during pregnancy do not have to become a major difficulty.
Dermatosis of pregnancy
This is how it is known to the conditions that appear during the gestation period related to the skin and that have certain particular characteristics. All of them are completely normal and, unless you notice something very unusual or that causes you a greater risk, you will not need to go to a health professional. Next, we describe the most frequent ones.
Herpes gestationis
Its incidence is quite variable, being appreciated mainly in women with several children, and with a considerable percentage of 70% inclined towards the white race. It begins with an exasperating itch that eventually creates a blister. It usually forms in the abdomen and near the navel.
Treatment for herpes gestationis:
This condition is autoimmune and must be treated with corticosteroids or antihistamines, and even after delivery they can remain for a few weeks, so treatment will have to be continued.
Polymorphous eruption
It is perhaps the most common on the skin during pregnancy, and its incidence is much higher in new mothers and in twin pregnancies. One condition that increases this rash is being overweight.
It is defined as a very intense, almost unbearable itch that causes raised lesions on the skin, palpable to the touch and reddish in color. Its field of appearance is in the hips, abdomen, arms and legs, and the cause is derived from the distention of the skin during pregnancy.
Treatment for polymorphic rupture:
The final cause is parakeratosis, the formation of cells in the layer of the skin, which alters the natural keratin and causes it to lift and itch. Treatment, in the same way, is based on high-potency topical corticosteroids applied to the lesions several times a day.
Folliculitis
It is a rash of pimples accompanied by a lot of itching. In addition, it can occur throughout the body of the pregnant woman. It is noticeable during the second semester and after delivery it tends to disappear. The cause is attributed to acne itself and hormonal reactions.
Treatment for folliculitis:
Corticosteroids should be applied to the skin during pregnancy. Benzoyl peroxide and UV B therapies are also recommended.
Prurigo
Its incidence is higher in the first trimester of pregnancy. They are palpable and elevated lesions in the form of nodules. It is common for them to appear on the arms and legs; the itching is greater.
Treatment for prurigo:
There are no direct effects on the fetus, so treatment with corticosteroids is the most effective, and antihistamines if the itching exceeds the resistance of the pregnant woman.
Cholestasis of pregnancy
The itching and itching of this condition is its characteristic, and the intensity is such that scratching can cause injuries. In other words, skin lesions during pregnancy are not caused by itching, but by the action of the nails to relieve itching. In addition, this itch can radiate up to the hands.
In some cases, the skin turns somewhat yellow, this is known as jaundice. The cause is derived from the liver, which secretes a substance called bromine sulfthalein, and from the increase in estrogen during pregnancy.
Treatment for cholestasis:
After taking a blood test, an increase in alkaline phosphatase, transaminases, and bilirubin can be seen. Therefore, the treatment will be based on resincolestyramine and antipruritic drugs or also ursodeoxycholic acid.
In most cases, the prognosis for the mother is good. Only that the skin during pregnancy can be marked, more due to the action of scratching than due to the skin condition.
Precautions during pregnancy
It is important that during the pregnancy stage you take the best possible care of yourself, thus avoiding reactions that could cause you greater discomfort.
For example, you must:
- Extreme cleaning of your body.
- Hydrate yourself well, drinking enough fresh water.
- Promote hydration with moisturizing creams.
- Protect yourself from the sun.
- Wear cool clothes.
- Avoid fatty foods.
- Avoid lotions with alcohol and highly perfumed.
In the end, it is considered a normal condition for the skin to change during pregnancy; your belly begins to grow and that causes the skin tissues to loosen, which is why stretch marks tend to appear.
Heat and sweating can also cause those folds to become irritated, causing more itchiness. Remember that most of them will disappear after delivery and you can use other substances or creams to regenerate your skin.
