The rash may grow in size as the lymphoma progresses and may also occur alongside small lumps that form within the skin. They largely occur as reddish or purple scaly areas of skin and can arise in skin folds – quite often they are mistaken for other conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Some rarer forms of lymphoma such as cutaneous T-cell lymphomas can cause an itchy rash by directly invading the skin tissue. The itch is severe and is often described as a ‘burning’ sensation. It is not usually associated with an obvious rash and typically affects the whole body or can be localised to the lower legs. Generally speaking, itching in lymphoma is caused by a specific type called Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), with 1 in 3 HL patients experiencing it as a symptom before their diagnosis. Topical creams may allow temporary relief, but since the chemicals are released directly into the bloodstream, the itch will always return.Īs well as leukaemia, two other blood cancers are distinctly notorious for causing itchy skin: lymphoma and polycythaemia vera (PV). When immune cells come into contact with leukaemia or lymphoma cells, they can release cytokines at high levels, causing irritation of nerve endings within the skin and thereby a persistent itch. Many researchers believe it is caused cytokines chemicals released into the blood by the body’s immune system. The exact reason people with leukaemia or lymphoma sometimes develop itchy skin is not conclusively proven and is up for debate in scientific literature. If you are experiencing any other symptoms of leukaemia such as night sweats, weight loss, easily bruising, repeated infections, fever, or joint and bone pain, contact your GP immediately. Leukaemia patients with itchy skin often also report experiencing night sweats as a symptom before their diagnosis both of these symptoms can become more severe at night. Itching occurs alongside other symptoms of leukaemia.If your skin isn’t dry and you can’t find an obvious cause of your persistent itching, make sure you mention it to your GP. Most of the time, itching can be clearly tied to a rash, indicating an infection, allergic response, or chronic skin condition such as eczema. Not associated with a visible rash or dry skin.If you are pregnant or undergoing menopause, a whole-body itch is nearly always due to hormonal changes and should get better over time. However, if your skin isn’t dry and the itch is all over your body, this could be a sign of a systemic underlying problem and so is worth getting checked by your GP, certainly if it lasts for longer than 2 weeks or keeps coming back. However, there are a few things to look out for that should be treated with concern:ĭry skin is usually responsible for generalised (‘whole-body’) itching. It is very difficult to differentiate between itching that is due to leukaemia (or another cancer) and itching that is caused by a benign condition such as a skin allergy. Read on to gain a better understanding of the causes of itchy skin, so that you can spot leukaemia sooner. In very rare cases, itchy skin can be caused by a serious underlying condition such as leukaemia.Īccording to our patient survey “Living Well with Leukaemia”, around 9% of people with leukaemia will experience itchy skin as a symptom prior to their diagnosis. Possible causes range anywhere from the clothes you wear, to dry skin, to certain skin disorders such as eczema or dermatitis. It can become very irritating, especially if the underlying cause is unclear. Doing this will lock the moisture from your bath into your skin, keeping your skin hydrated and less likely to become itchy.Medically known as “pruritis”, itchy skin is a problem we are all familiar with. After taking a bath, rub lotion on your skin before fully drying off, concentrating on your hands and feet.Hot water can remove the natural oils from your skin, causing your skin to become dry and even itchier. Make sure that the water is lukewarm rather than hot.When you soak in the bath for too long, your skin can get dried out, which in turn could cause it to itch more. Stay in the bathtub for only 10-15 minutes.Sprinkle water with baking soda, uncooked oatmeal or colloidal oatmeal, all of which can help calm your skin.X Trustworthy Source Family-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family Doctors Go to source You may want to consider adding a colloidal oatmeal preparation to help further soothe your skin. Taking a bath in lukewarm water can soothe itchy skin and help decrease inflammation.
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