do you ever have an itchy skin? by PROF ANA LOVATO

HOW S YOUR SKIN ? DOES IT EVER ITCH ? 1 things your itchy skin can reveal about your health The possible causes of chronic itch go way beyond dry skin. By Ashley Lewis Intense itchy skin all over the body often occurs in people with late-stage kidney disease or those who suffer from chronic renal failure. In fact, 42 per cent of dialysis patients suffered from moderate to extreme itchiness, according to a study published in Renal Failure. “Some people describe it as a nuisance,” says dermatologist, Dr Anthony M. Rossi. “[The itch] is so intense that people wake up in the middle of the night scratching.” Science has yet to uncover why kidney disease causes itchiness, but doctors suspect it has to do with the build-up of toxins in your body when your kidneys are unable to remove the waste from your bloodstream.

Itchy skin all over could also be a silent sign of liver disease. Where incessant itchiness shows up late-stage in kidney disease, it can be an early symptom of liver disease. “If your liver is not functioning properly to detoxify the body, byproducts like bile acids back up,” says Dr Kathleen Cook Suozzi, assistant professor in the department of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “The primary goal is to treat the underlying liver disease and prescribe medications that can eliminate bile acids.” Doctors will typically prescribe medications that can inhibit your body’s uptake of bile acids or help reduce the amount of bile acid returning to the liver. LOOK AT THESE BEGINNINGS AND FINISH THE STATEMENTS ACCORDING TO THE IDEAS IN THE TEXT People with later stge kidney disease ........................................................... According to a study ............................................................................ Described as a nuisance by patients, ..........................................................This itch may be brought about by ............................................................................................. Itchy skin could also be hiding ......................................................v Medications to inhibit the patienmt s uptake of ..................................................