00:00But moving on to the other big story that we are tracking and this is the big itch.
00:05Whether you are an emperor, a politician, a religious leader or a social media star,
00:10there is only one thing that spares no one, which is an itch.
00:13It is perhaps one of the most common human experiences and yet we rarely take it seriously as we do
00:19other health problems.
00:20And that's exactly what this week's India Today magazine cover story, The Big Itch, is all about.
00:26Now in that, our editor-in-chief, Arun Puri, also makes the point.
00:29And he says that while we are quick to seek medical help for conditions like diabetes, heart disease or even
00:34high blood pressure,
00:34we often dismiss an itch as a minor botheration.
00:38But the skin, he reminds us, is a large organ of the body and sometimes what shows up on the
00:42surface
00:43could be a warning of something happening much deeper inside.
00:46And that brings us to this week's cover story itself.
00:52Now, global burden of disease data show that the number of people suffering from itching worldwide
00:56rose from 441 million in 1990 to about 70.8 million in 2021.
01:05That's an increase of 83%.
01:07In India, the numbers are equally concerning.
01:09A 2024 survey of 3,000 Indians found that 42.6% had scratched an itch in a week before
01:16they had surveyed.
01:17Now, all of us experience an occasional itch, but the problem begins when it refuses to go away,
01:22keeping returning or even spreads.
01:24Doctors classify itching that lasts for more than six weeks as chronic.
01:29And this is not something we should simply ignore or try to treat with a random cream.
01:33So what exactly causes an itch?
01:35But sometimes the reason is as simple as the weather.
01:38Low humidity can just dry out the skin, while heat and humidity can cause excessive sweating as well.
01:43Tight clothing can trap the sweat against the skin and pollution, dust, pollen, pet hair,
01:49all of that can really trigger reaction on your skin.
01:52Then there are skin conditions such as eczema, as the scabies, also fungal infections.
01:59In fact, fungal infections are amongst the most common causes of itching.
02:03Our everyday skincare habits can also add to that problem.
02:07Cosmetics, perfume, hair dyes, detergents may trigger allergic reaction as well.
02:11And blindly, copying skincare routines seen on social media can also make things much worse for you.
02:19A product that works for some one person may irritate someone else's skin.
02:23So stop trying and depending on internet for everything.
02:27But viewers, there is another reason why persistent itching needs attention.
02:32Sometimes the cause may not be on the skin at all.
02:36Itching can also be linked to conditions such as diabetes, to conditions such as thyroid disorders,
02:43kidney or liver problems and certain autoimmune diseases as well.
02:47This is why doctors say that we should not simply treat the itch without finding out what is really causing
02:52it.
02:53And the impact is not limited to physical discomfort.
02:56Remember, persistent itching can disturb your sleep, it can affect your concentration and even damage your confidence.
03:01Now, what to do?
03:04Most of us do, you know, when we develop an itch, we reach out to an old prescription or pick
03:11up a cream from the chemist.
03:13That is where things can go horribly wrong.
03:16Steroid-based creams can, you know, provide quick relief by reducing redness and inflammation.
03:21But the problem is a fungal infection.
03:24These creams do not kill the funcus.
03:25They can hide the symptoms while allowing the infection to continue to fester within.
03:29And once the cream is stopped, the rash may return, sometimes making it harder to diagnose.
03:35The scale of misuse is worrying.
03:37The 2022 study across 13 dermatology centers in India found that 50.9% of patients with fungal infections reported
03:45misusing steroid creams
03:47and prolonged or inappropriate use can damage the skin as well.
03:50A 2021 study of adverse effects linked to steroid creams found skin thinning in 50.1% of the reported
04:00case stretch marks in 25.54% and loss of skin color in 19.79% as well.
04:07So, the obvious question in your mind, I'm sure by now, is how do persistent itching really be treated?
04:13Well, the first step is actually to find out the cause.
04:17A dermatological, you know, expert will examine the skin and ask you about your symptoms.
04:23Also, check with products or medicines you have been using.
04:26Please disclose everything.
04:28If needed, doctors can conduct tests to identify specific allergies or determine whether a fungal infection is, you know, resistant
04:36to certain medicines.
04:38Treatments are also becoming more targeted, remember, instead of using the same medicine for every kind of itch,
04:42newer drugs are designed to target a specific signal causing inflammation and itching.
04:47These include sort of biological medicines, GAK inhibitors as well and newer non-steroid creams as well.
04:54But the important part in this is that there is no single medicine for every kind of itch.
04:58The right treatment depends on the cause.
05:00So, the next time you experience a itch, don't simply dismiss it and don't reach for a random cream.
05:07If it persists, keeps, you know, returning or getting worse, go get it checked by a doctor, not by the
05:14internet.
05:14Because sometimes, what appears to be a small irritation on the surface could be a warning sign from within.
