Q: I am a 24 years old male suffering from severe itching for the last 9 months. It started at the beginning of this year when I was in Dubai. I took many medicines from the local pharmacy and stopped having chocolates, nuts, cashews etc on doctor’s advise but it did not help much. My blood test report has come out normal. Please suggest what should I do to get rid of this itching?

A:Itch is a symptom, which can occur in a number of disorders. It can occur in allergic conditions like urticaria, eczema and drug reactions. It can be encountered in liver and kidney disorders, in fungal infections, in conditions leading to dryness of skin, neoplastic disorders etc. Lastly, it can be psychogenic. Therefore a thorough clinical examination followed by laboratory investigations is required. Symptomatic relief is given till the underlying cause is identified and eradicated.