What is the reason for itchy skin during confinement?

The itchiness on the body during the confinement period will undoubtedly make the postpartum mother feel bad. The cause of the itchy skin may be an allergy to clothes, urticaria or papules, prickly heat caused by hot weather, etc. During the confinement period, you must choose cotton clothes, which are comfortable and will not cause allergies. Pay more attention to hygiene and do not eat irritating foods.

1. Unexplained papules

Cause: Unknown. This type of papule is very itchy, and the cause of the disease is still unclear. Some literature points out that prurigo is closely related to the formation of stretch marks, and women who gain too much weight during pregnancy are more likely to get it.

Symptoms: The symptoms of prurigo in pregnant women are that some small red rashes first appear on the belly, especially near the stretch marks, which gradually merge into one piece and slowly spread to the thighs.

Disappearance: Pregnancy prurigo usually disappears 1-3 months after delivery.

2. Urticaria, also known as hives, has many causes. For some people, it is caused by food or drugs, while for others it is related to emotional stress.

reason:

(1) Eating food containing rice wine: Because Chinese people have the custom of confinement after childbirth, they will be exposed to some foods that they rarely eat normally. In particular, people in the south often eat food containing rice wine, which can make urticaria worse.

(2) Stress: Physical weakness plus the emotional stress of taking care of a baby can cause changes in physical constitution, making urticaria difficult to control.

Symptoms: Red papules, like mosquito bites, which gradually merge into a large area. The rash may appear all over the body, and scratching will make the rash more obvious and the itching more severe.

Improvement: Urticaria usually takes half a year or more to improve. Severe itching requires oral medication to control.

3. Hidradenitis is commonly known as prickly heat

Reason: Traditionally, you are not allowed to take a bath during the confinement period. Moreover, as pregnant women are susceptible to colds, they often have to wrap their bodies tightly and lie in bed as much as possible. This is really a big test for people who are afraid of heat and sweat easily. When the sweat glands' sweat secretion function is blocked, they are prone to inflammation.

Symptoms: The symptoms of prickly heat are the formation of tiny, itchy, red papules on the torso where sweating occurs easily, especially on the back due to prolonged confinement in bed.

Improvement: Prickly heat is easy to treat. Just make sure the room temperature is not too high and wipe it clean with a towel when you sweat a lot. It will usually improve.

4. The most common bacterial infection is tinea versicolor

Reason: It is also caused by the postpartum confinement period, inability to take a bath, stuffiness and sweating. Symptoms: Usually occurs in the wrinkles of the trunk, armpits, neck, etc. where sweat accumulates easily. It appears as light brown or discolored oval patches (less than 1 cm) on the skin, which sometimes merge into one large area. The symptoms are usually not obvious, but it will feel very itchy when you sweat.

Improvement: In addition to treating tinea versicolor with antimicrobial topical medications, keeping the skin ventilated and dry is also important. Eczema changes on local skin. The most common changes on local skin after childbirth are hand eczema and areola eczema.

5. Good: Most common in new mothers

reason:

(1) Excessive hand washing: Worrying about the baby being infected by germs, the frequency of hand washing increases significantly. The vicious cycle of constant dry-and-wet, wet-and-dry will cause hand eczema, commonly known as "rich man's hands".

(2) Excessive cleaning of nipples In order to breastfeed, mothers often clean their nipples excessively. This, coupled with the friction caused by the baby’s sucking, can cause severe dermatitis, which is often painful, itchy and extremely uncomfortable.

Symptoms: In the acute phase, there may be very itchy small blisters on the hands, and the skin gradually becomes rough, peeling, keratinized, and finally cracked.

improve:

(1) Apply lotion after washing hands. Mothers are advised to strengthen their skin care work. It is best to apply lotion immediately after washing hands. If you are worried that your baby may get the lotion on their hands, you can use the same baby lotion as your baby, or use mild vaseline.

(2) Wipe the nipples with warm water. There is no need to over-clean them. Just wipe them lightly with warm water before feeding. After feeding, you can squeeze out more milk to moisturize the skin.

(3) It is best to wear nursing bras made of cotton with good support to reduce friction between the breast skin and clothes.