Q When I scratch because it's itchy, it oozes and seems to spread more. What should I do when it itches?
A Scratching breaks down the barrier further and raises the risk of secondary infection. Gently covering the affected area with a cold wet towel to cool the heat eases the itching, and keep your nails short so scratching causes less damage.
Detailed Answer
The act of scratching an itch breaks down the damaged barrier further, invites oozing and secondary infection, and creates a vicious cycle where the more you scratch, the itchier it gets. When the itching is extreme, rather than scratching mindlessly, gently covering the affected area with a cold wet towel to cool the heat dulls the transmission of the itch signal and eases it considerably. Keeping nails short and wearing cotton gloves at night also helps prevent unconsciously scratching and wounding the skin while asleep.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we see that beneath the itching lie heat rising upward and internal damp-heat, so we combine treatment that cools and brings down that heat. While managing the surface heat with cold compresses, we believe the itching subsides fundamentally only when the root of the heat boiling inside is also addressed together.
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