There are SO many causes to itch. Each person's skin condition is truly unique. My guest today, Dr. Shawn Kwatra, is deep in the trenches with research varying from what causes itchiness to the gut microbiome could be a major causes for things like eczema and psoriasis.
Shawn Kwatra, MD is a Director of the Johns Hopkins Itch Center and an Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, USA. He specializes in medical dermatology areas of clinical expertise include atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, chronic itch of unknown origin and dermatology for ethnic skin. Dr. Kwatra also runs a basic science laboratory and clinical trials unit and is funded by the National Institutes of Health and multiple foundations. Dr. Kwatra has been an author or co-author on over 200 publications and author of the book Living with Itch.
Have you tried any outside-the-box therapies to stop your itchiness? Let me know in the comments what worked for you!
In this episode:
- Breaking down the itch cycle in your body
- Tips to STOP the itch + disrupt the itch signal
- Why histamine is NOT always the cause of itchiness or eczema
- Sedating vs. non-sedating antihistamines (pros + cons)
- How your vagus nerve connects gut problems to itch (FASCINATING)
- Latest research on IL-31 (the "master conductor of itch")
- What happens when you don't get relief from itchiness (especially long-term)
- Why you can't "just stop scratching"
Quotes
“There was a study showing that even vagal nerve stimulation can actually alter itch sensation, and one of the new frontiers in inflammatory skin diseases is looking at alterations in the gut microbiome as well... I believe some of these bacterial specials, viral species, fungal species, may be signaling through the vagus nerve to help propagate itch sensation." [16:27]
"The studies that have been done today across many different indications have shown that IL-31 (cytokine) blockade is one of the most potent, if not the most potent anti itch medicines and inhibitory factors that exist. And so monoclonal antibodies targeting this agent are in deep late phase development." [19:38]
Links
Find Dr. Shawn Kwatra online here and here
Follow Dr. Kwatra on Twitter
Get Dr. Kwatra's book Living with Itch: A Patient's Guide
Healthy Skin Show ep. 265: Problem with Antihistamines That No One Tells You w/ Dr. Chris Thompson, MD
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