Living with Itch: A Patient's Guide

by Gil Yosipovitch MD, Shawn G. Kwatra MD

Overview

Find relief from chronic itch in this comprehensive guide.

We have all experienced itch, whether from insect bites or dry skin, but millions of people worldwide have chronic or even intractable itch. Just like chronic pain, chronic itch interferes with a person’s ability to function—and even affects quality of life. Living with Itch offers relief, drawing on the authors’ vast knowledge of itch, the suffering it causes, and available treatments.

Itch researchers and clinicians Drs. Gil Yosipovitch and Shawn G. Kwatra explain the cascade of physiological events that causes us to experience itch. They describe the many skin diseases, from atopic dermatitis (eczema) to psoriasis, and conditions like chronic kidney disease, lymphoma, HIV, and neuropathies that cause itch. Living with Itch provides information on preventing itch as well as topical and systemic ways to treat it. Patient and parent narratives illustrate how people cope with itch and how, with medical and social support, itch can be managed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421412337
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	10/30/2013
Series:	A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gil Yosipovitch, MD (MIAMI, FL), is a professor, Stiefel Chair in Medical Dermatology, and the Director of the Miami Itch Center at the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surger at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. He is known as the "Godfather of Itch" and is the founder of the International Forum for the Study of Itch.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jeffrey D. Bernhard, M.D. xi

Preface xiii

A Patient's Perspective. Eczema: A Lifelong Conflict 1

Part I Definitions and Mechanisms of Itch

1 What Is Itch? 13

2 What Causes Itch? 16

Part II Different Forms of Itch

A Parent's Perspective. An Unexpected Life 23

3 Atopic Dermatitis 33

A Patient's Perspective. From Double Helix to Dermis: The Menacing Morse Code of Psoriatic Itch 42

4 Psoriasis 46

A Patient's Perspective. Cutaneous Lymphoma Itch 49

5 Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma 52

6 Chronic Urticaria 56

7 Neuropathic Itch 60

8 Itch Associated with Autoimmune Disorders 63

9 Itch Associated with Infections 69

10 Itch Associated with Systemic Disorders 75

11 Unique Types of Itch 81

12 Psychogenic Itch 98

Part III Treating Itch

13 Preventing Itch without Medications 105

14 Topical Treatments for Itch 109

15 Systemic Treatment for Itch 119

Conclusion 131

Glossary 133

References 135

Resources: Associations for People with Specific Skin Conditions 137

Index 141

What People are Saying About This

Jeffrey D. Bernhard

"This book and its inventive format will make it possible for people who suffer from itch to understand it in great depth. And its practical advice will help everyone—from anyone who has ever been bitten by a mosquito to anyone who has ever experienced the unrelenting itch of the many skin diseases in which it causes so much suffering."

Kaspar Mossman

"If you live with chronic itch, you might think no one understands what you’re going through. This innovative book is proof that some very smart people do."

Susan Thornton

"Anyone who has suffered from itch, especially those with a condition where itch is a constant companion, will benefit by reading this groundbreaking book. As a patient myself, understanding it and learning ways to manage it can make a huge difference in living well day to day."

From the Publisher

This book and its inventive format will make it possible for people who suffer from itch to understand it in great depth. And its practical advice will help everyone—from anyone who has ever been bitten by a mosquito to anyone who has ever experienced the unrelenting itch of the many skin diseases in which it causes so much suffering.
—Jeffrey D. Bernhard, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Editor Emeritus, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Anyone who has suffered from itch, especially those with a condition where itch is a constant companion, will benefit by reading this groundbreaking book. As a patient myself, understanding it and learning ways to manage it can make a huge difference in living well day to day.
—Susan Thornton, cutaneous lymphoma patient; CEO, Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation

My son's round-the-clock itch runs so deep, he scratches and scratches to find some relief. This book is for anyone with an allergy or eczema or other condition that causes itch, or anyone who wants to truly understand what so many endure when the itch is unrelenting.
—Eric Kageyama

If you live with chronic itch, you might think no one understands what you're going through. This innovative book is proof that some very smart people do.
—Kaspar Mossman, eczema patient

Eric Kageyama

"My son's round-the-clock itch runs so deep, he scratches and scratches to find some relief. This book is for anyone with an allergy or eczema or other condition that causes itch, or anyone who wants to truly understand what so many endure when the itch is unrelenting."

Editorial Reviews

09/16/2013
Yosipovitch, chair of the department of dermatology and director of the Temple Itch Center at Temple University School of Medicine, and Kwatra, a dermatology resident at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, present a comprehensive guide for patients, their caregivers, and families. In part one, the authors provide the definition and causes of itch, which can range from mosquito bites or poison ivy (acute itch) to chronic diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis. Part two presents the different forms of itch. Part three covers treatments, including prevention and topical and systemic treatments. Woven through the straightforward medical chapters are several moving essays by patients describing the challenges of living with eczema, psoriatic itch, and cutaneous lymphoma itch. Chronic itch (itching that lasts longer than six weeks), the authors note, can lead to depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and even thoughts of suicide. Although there is no simple cure, the book offers hope as well as treatment options, useful charts, and links to online resources. Those seeking support, information, and relief will benefit from this forthright guide. 31 color, 1 b&w illus. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Those seeking support, information, and relief will benefit from this forthright guide.
—Publisher's Weekly

Yosipovitch's openness to holistic treatment comes from the recognition that in some cases, itch is truly all in the mind. Damaged nerve fibers cause the brain to misinterpret signals as itch. Then other psychological factors such as depression and anxiety intensify the problem.
—Marie McCullough, Philly.com

From the Publisher

Yosipovitch's openness to holistic treatment comes from the recognition that in some cases, itch is truly all in the mind. Damaged nerve fibers cause the brain to misinterpret signals as itch. Then other psychological factors such as depression and anxiety intensify the problem.

Philly.com - Marie McCullough