Medications or treatments for itchy skin in the elderly.

Older adults often suffer from chronic illnesses and frequently take various medications. Many oral or topical medications can cause itching.

Elderly people often suffer from chronic illnesses and take various medications. Many oral or topical medications can cause itching. Furthermore, the sebaceous glands in the skin of older adults have difficulty secreting oil during the winter months, which further exacerbates the dryness of their already dry skin.

On the other hand, elderly people have weak immune systems and cannot tolerate the cold. When the weather turns cold, they have to wear many layers of clothing, which affects the normal respiration of their skin.

Illustrative image.

According to traditional medicine, to prevent and treat itching in winter, the elderly should not bathe too often; bathing once or twice a week is sufficient. They should avoid bathing in excessively hot water and using highly alkaline bath soaps or shower gels; and maintain appropriate humidity in the room. For symptoms such as itching, scaling, and increased itching at night, especially during very cold days, readers can try one of the following remedies:

Recipe 1: 9g dried ginger, 10 red dates, 6g cinnamon bark. Boil and drink one dose daily. Drink continuously for 7-10 days.

Recipe 2: Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia glutinosa, Paeonia lactiflora, 15g each; Salvia miltiorrhiza 20g; Saposhia divaricata, Mentha arvensis, Tribulus terrestris, 10g each. Decoction to be taken once a day, divided into two doses.

Recipe 3: 50g of Polygonum multiflorum, 20g each of Sophora flavescens and Cnidium monnieri, 30g of Mentha arvensis, and 5g of Zanthoxylum bungeanum. Boil one dose daily, dividing it into two servings.

Recipe 4: Cinnamon twig 6g, white peony root 12g, Angelica sinensis 10g, fresh ginger 3 slices, red dates 10 fruits, licorice root 5g. One dose per day, decocted twice.

Recipe 5: Angelica sinensis 10g, Cinnamomum cassia 10g, Paeonia lactiflora 10g, Asarum sieboldii 3g, Glycyrrhiza glabra 5g, Akebia quinata 6g, Evodia rutaecarpa 3g, fresh ginger 9g. One dose per day, decocted twice.

Medicinal dishes

Recipe 1: 30g eel meat, 15g red dates, enough rice, cook into porridge and eat daily.

Recipe 2: 200g goat meat, 3g Sichuan peppercorns, 15g fresh ginger, 30g Angelica sinensis. Simmer until tender and serve hot.

Recipe 3: 15g hawthorn berries, 15g Angelica sinensis, 10g red dates. Cook in a pan.

Topical remedies

Lesson 1: Boil the peel of a ripe banana to extract the juice, then soak a cotton cloth in the juice and apply it to the itchy area, or use the inside of the banana peel to apply directly to the itchy area.

Lesson 2: Take 30g of fresh peach leaves, boil them to extract the juice, and in the evening before going to bed, soak a cotton ball in the juice and apply it to the itchy area.

Recipe 3: 250g fresh ginger, 500ml white wine. Wash the ginger, slice it, and soak it in the wine for 3-5 days. Use a cotton ball soaked in this wine to apply to the itchy area 2-3 times a day.

According to Health & Life