Patients with itching severely underserved

Patients with chronic itching in Germany severely underserved.

In the opinion of the physician Prof. Matthias Augustin of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf. Itching, patients with chronic itching are still completely underserved. About 17 percent of the working population complains of chronic itching, about four percent suffers from severe itching.

According to medical specialists, patients with chronic itching in Germany are medically underserved. Chronic itching occurs when symptoms persist for more than six weeks. "For chronic itching we are dealing with a folk disease, but it is still an underestimated disease symptom," criticized Prof. Matthias Augustin from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf. Only six percent of the patients are taken care of and half can not go to the doctor despite suffering. Doctors suspect that those affected by shame do not initiate treatment. Because chronic itching is still socially stigmatized. „When someone scratches, one first thinks of fleas and lice, "explains Prof. Thomas Luger from the University of Münster, adding that a bloodily scratched skin is repulsive to many people.

The symptom „itchy skin“ has been greatly neglected in recent years. "Until the 1990s, it was considered a sub-quality of pain," explains Prof. Luger. In addition, many doctors would not know how itching should be treated. The triggers for constant itching are very different. Patients are most often affected by atopic dermatitis or food intolerance. However, there may also be a disorder of the nervous system or a tumor.

Chronic itching can only be treated badly. However, the symptom is hardly noticed scientifically. So far, there are only three competence centers for chronic itching (pruritus) in Germany. One in Munich, in Heidelberg and in Berlin. That's another reason why waiting times of six months are extremely long.

In naturopathy, there are some applications to treat constant itching. Read: tingling in the limbs, itching and itchy vagina. (Sb)