Why does my body itch during pregnancy?

Because of pregnancy, the estrogen in pregnant women's bodies increases rapidly, so the body will experience a series of special symptoms, such as pregnancy reactions such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, irritability, decreased sleep quality, etc. Some pregnant women often feel itchy skin on their bodies, and their skin will turn red after scratching it with their hands. Let's take a look at what causes itchy body during pregnancy?

Pruritus during pregnancy is caused by cholestasis during pregnancy and the effects of estrogen or progesterone, which cause bilirubin excretion disorders and induce skin itching. Opinion: When pregnant women experience pruritus, they should not scrub with hot water or soapy water, should eat less irritating foods such as chili peppers, leeks, garlic, etc., and try to scratch less to avoid further stimulation that may aggravate the itching. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits to keep your mood happy and your bowel movements smooth. Do not use medications without authorization to prevent fetal malformations or drug-induced dermatitis.

In fact, the most common diseases that cause itchy skin in pregnant women are :

1. Pregnancy skin disease : More than 15% of pregnant women may encounter this skin disease. The whole body may itch, usually occurring during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. There are no changes on the skin other than itching, and no rashes or blisters appear. The cause of the disease is generally believed to be related to the increase in estrogen during pregnancy and has no effect on the fetus.

2. Pregnancy rash : About 2% of pregnant women may develop this disease, usually between the 4th and 9th months of pregnancy. Small red rashes appear on the skin, most often on the extremities, and look like insect bites. Some pregnant women think that the problem is caused by lice or fleas on their pets, but in fact it is caused by the pregnancy itself and has no effect on the fetus.

3. Toxic skin rash during pregnancy : The prevalence is about 1%, mostly occurring in short and obese pregnant women, and most often occurs when stretch marks appear. It is currently believed that it may be related to hormonal imbalance. The comforting thing is that this skin itching will not harm the fetus.

4. Papular dermatitis of pregnancy : The incidence rate is very low and the disease may occur in any part of the body. When the disease occurs, rashes will appear on the skin all over the body. The cause of this disease is still unclear, but it may cause miscarriage or stillbirth, so you must be especially careful. After pregnancy, a woman's endocrine, metabolism and immunity will undergo major changes, her skin will also experience some corresponding physiological changes, and pregnancy-related skin diseases will occur.

Therefore, pregnant women should pay special attention to maintenance. Because pregnant women experience significant changes in endocrine and metabolism, physiological changes may occur. For example, pregnant women may experience pigmentation on their areola, nipples, linea alba, vulva, and armpits; existing moles may darken in color; and butterfly spots may appear on their faces. These changes will gradually lessen or disappear after delivery as hormone levels return to normal, so pregnant women do not need to worry about this. During pregnancy, the increase in corticosteroids and the expansion of the abdomen can cause tissue expansion and rupture of skin elastic fibers, forming silvery-white stretch marks. Some stretch marks can be alleviated after delivery. During pregnancy, the most common skin diseases are itchy skin diseases, such as prurigo of pregnancy, pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, papular dermatitis of pregnancy, and pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy. The main manifestations are the appearance of papules, erythema, and plaques on the skin, with varying degrees of itching, which may leave pigmentation after scratching. These skin diseases may cause discomfort to pregnant women but will not have adverse effects on the fetus. For the first three diseases, while avoiding scratching, you can take promethazine orally in a short period of time and apply some corticosteroid creams externally, such as 2% hydrocortisone cream, dermatitis cream, etc. For itchy folliculitis, apply some antibiotic ointments such as chloramphenicol and erythromycin. During the illness, avoid eating foods that are too oily and contain too much sugar.