itchy skin :(

[aaherat]

Hello Doctor,

I was wondering if you could help me. I typed in fungus as a topic because I used to suffer from tinea versicolour which apparently my dermatologist said was like a skin fungus which was caused white spots on my arms. Anyways, that problem thankfully faded almost completely away, but my question is that my lower back and my sides have been very itchy for the past few weeks, and I thought it could be because of the cold weather that it might be dry. But even with lotion it's still always very itchy. When I looked at the area today, I noticed its discoloured and there's brown blotches on my skin. I was wondering what was happening with my skin and what I can do? Are these discoloured patches permenant now? And how can I make the itching stop?

Hope to hear from you soon, thank you very much...

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

It could be eczema, sweat dermatitis, allergic reactions or eczema.

You need to wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites.

Apply calamine lotion at the site of the lesions and see if it helps. You could take some oral antihistamine medications like cetrizine or loratadine. You need to maintain a good personal hygiene .

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone or desonide), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema. Keeping the affected area moistened can promote skin healing and relief of symptoms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema

Let us know if you need any further information.

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for the symptoms and a proper clinical examination.