Skin that is sensitive to touch is irritating, uncomfortable, and often unbearable. Pain or tenderness of the skin with medical point called allodynia, a condition in which a person feels an exaggerated type of pain or sensitivity even without painful stimuli, such as wind. There are various types skin tenderness, including:

• Tactile or mechanical allodynia, which is triggered by touch
• Static mechanical allodynia due to light touch or pressure
• Dynamic mechanical allodynia, where brushing the skin causes pain
• Thermal allodynia, which is felt with cold or hot stimuli

Abnormally increased sensitivity of the skin to various types irritants may be a sign of other health problems, such as deficiency nutrients, nervous problems, or viral infection.

Symptoms

It is easy to recognize the symptoms of delicate skin or skin that is sensitive to touch. The pain may be localized or widespread, with severe pain usually triggered by stimuli that do not normally cause pain. To test this, you can use gauze or a cotton swab and gently flick it onto your skin. You can also use cold or warm compress or simply use your fingertip to apply it to the affected areas. If any of these causes severe pain or tenderness or tingling, then you may experience allodynia.

Other symptoms include a sensation of something crawling on the skin, itching, tingling or burning.

Reasons

There are many possible reasons skin sensitive to touch, and it can vary from simple sunburn to a serious illness. Here are the possible reasons:

• Prolonged sun exposure- This causes a first degree to second degree burn, which makes the skin sensitive to light touch.
• Neuropathies“It is caused by nerve damage, which leads to increased skin sensitivity. Neuropathy may be associated with diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, or injury.
• Migraine- People who suffer from migraines may experience skin pain even when they simply comb their hair or wear a necklace.
• Roof tiles— Previous chickenpox infection may lead to late complication called herpes zoster or herpes zoster. This is a condition in which a rash or blisters appear on one part of the body and the skin becomes sensitive to touch.
• Fibromyalgia is a disease that is characterized by a syndrome of chronic body pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and allodynia.
• Demyelinating diseases are medical conditions affecting the nervous system, in which the myelin sheath covering nerve cells is damaged, causing various symptoms including pain and skin sensitivity.
• Brain defect- the brain is the part of the brain that is associated with evaluation and sorting various stimuli. Here the defect can lead to tactile defensiveness, which is an exaggerated painful response to normal stimuli like gentle pressure or light touch.

Treatment

Treatment for allodynia, or skin that is sensitive to touch, depends on specific reason. Treating the underlying cause may improve your symptoms; however, some of these conditions, such as fibromyalgia and demyelinating diseases, are not very easily treated. Treating conditions such as vitamin B deficiency can reduce or eliminate the tingling sensation in the skin. Herpes zoster may also be treated with antiviral drug, which also eliminates the burning sensation on the affected areas of the skin.

To reduce your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe a variety of medications. These range from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen to painkillers like ketamine. Narcotic drugs may be prescribed, such as morphine, tramadol, or alfentanil, as well topical medications pain, like aspercreme creams or capsaicin.

Sensitive and tender skin may be a symptom of a disease and requires appropriate treatment. If you experience unusual skin sensitivity, you may experience allodynia. You should see a doctor to treat the underlying causes and get rid of this sensitivity.

When without visible reasons painful skin appears on the abdomen, back, arm and other parts of the body, which often intensifies when touched; naturally, anxiety arises. A similar symptom may be caused for various reasons, for example, a virus, fungus, problems with the nervous system and other factors.

It is important to carry out a diagnosis to find the root of the problem and provide proper treatment based on the causes.

The main causes of pain

Often the cause of discomfort is the sudden stimulation of pain receptors located in the skin. For example, painful sensations occur after the injection, but they quickly pass. If the discomfort is severe and especially when touched, then you should consult a doctor to determine correct diagnosis. Let's look at the most common reasons.

Viral and fungal infections

If a viral infection is to blame, then this reason often lies in the papilloma virus. Not many people know that there is a flat variety of warts that are often early stages cannot be determined visually.

With a fungal infection, pain in the abdomen, arms and other parts of the body mainly becomes a symptom different types depriving, for example, pink. Similar diseases have light shade, which makes detection of the problem worse.

To determine the presence of such diseases, you should point a light source at the painful area and examine it carefully. If you can identify the spots, it means that a viral or fungal infection may be to blame.

It is impossible to cure such diseases on your own, and taking medications chosen without the help of a doctor often leads to negative consequences.

Carbuncle

This skin disease causes inflammation sebaceous glands, hair follicles and nearby fatty tissue. In the first stages, there are no visible symptoms and the disease is identified only because pain and slight swelling occur after touching.

All this time in problem area pus accumulates, which begins to poison not only nearby tissues, but also the entire body. From this moment on, other symptoms are observed, for example, the skin acquires a bluish tint.

In the first stages of the development of the disease, treatment is carried out using Vishnevsky ointment and chloramphenicol. Problem areas should be treated in the morning, during the day, and compresses should be applied at night. When the situation is advanced, only a surgeon who will remove the carbuncle can help get rid of such a cause of pain on the body.

Lymphadenitis

With this disease, inflammation of the lymph nodes occurs. Most often this is due to experienced or chronic inflammatory processes, for example, boils, caries, ulcers and other infections. When expanding lymph node pain receptors in the skin are affected. As a result, local swelling and It's a dull pain when pressed.

Most often, this disease manifests itself in the area:

• ears;
• breasts;
• belly.

Treatment consists of prescribing antihistamines or anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, it is important to remove the underlying cause of the disease.

Hidradenitis

Inflammation of the sweat glands sometimes occurs on the body, which is often accompanied by suppuration. In most cases, the disease is observed in the genital area and around the nipples in women, and also in armpits oh and on the feet. In the place where hidradenitis develops, the skin begins to turn red, swelling occurs, and itching is often felt due to leaking lymph.

Inflammation of the sweat glands in most cases occurs as a result of:

• lack of personal hygiene;
• excess weight;
• use of clothing made from artificial fabric;
• frequent use of antiperspirants in large quantities.

Most often, to get rid of hidradenitis, clogged sweat glands and ulcers are removed.

Polyneuropathy

Often problems with the nervous system provoke echoes in the form of skin pain in the abdomen and other parts of the body.

When nociceptors are overly sensitive, a person feels severe pain. This disease occurs as a result of psychological and physical trauma.

The sensation of pain often occurs without touching. Treatment depends on the real cause and the patient will have to undergo psychological rehabilitation, take sedatives. Thanks to this, work is normalized nervous system and the unpleasant symptoms subside.

Neurosis

This reason includes several emotional pathologies.

Neurosis can be described as a disorder of the nervous system that is provoked by:

• chronic fatigue;
• powerful emotional shock;
• chronic lack of sleep.

Symptoms of this disease are:

• headache;
• irritability;
• drowsiness;
• tearfulness;
• mood swings, etc.

At the same time, many suffer from pain when touching the stomach and other parts of the body. To cope with discomfort, it is recommended to take a good rest and relaxation. It is important to avoid irritating factors, and when strong neurosis You can’t do without the help of a psychotherapist.

Allergy

Pain in the skin on the abdomen, arms and other parts of the body is often felt if a person has allergies to clothing or food. In this case, itching and redness also occur. Cope with unpleasant symptoms possible with the help of reception antihistamines, which will dampen the allergic reaction. If allergies occur frequently and complications occur, it is important to consult a doctor.

What to do if your skin hurts?

Treatment directly depends on the cause of skin pain on the abdomen and other parts of the body. It is important to see a doctor and undergo a diagnosis, which may include different measures depending on the patient’s complaints.

Let's consider several main areas:

It is important to make a correct diagnosis and only then carry out therapy, so self-medication is not justified. Only by removing the root cause can you get rid of painful sensations on the skin.

We have presented to you the most common reasons that relate to why the skin in the abdomen, back, arms and other parts of the body may hurt. To prevent the condition from getting worse, it is recommended to consult a doctor at the first unpleasant sensations and get a diagnosis.

Skin is the most large organ human body. And if any uncharacteristic sensations arise when touching it, life becomes significantly more complicated. In some situations, pain occurs with light touches or pressure, in others - a reaction appears to contact with cold or hot objects. This hypersensitivity refers to a condition called allodynia.

Increased sensitivity (allodynia) can develop from both thermal or mechanical damage skin, and due to serious illnesses, requiring long-term treatment.

Unbearable pain causes discomfort to a person and prevents him from leading a normal lifestyle. Complications that the disease can lead to are disorders social adaptation, depression.

The skin ceases to respond adequately to the slightest irritants. It becomes impossible to put on tights, lubricate the body with lotion or apply decorative cosmetics. The pain is often accompanied by burning of the skin, increased body temperature, insomnia and irritability.

Allodynia is divided into several types. This:

• Tactile allodynia, characterized by painful skin when touched with fingers;
• Mechanical form, characterized by pain upon contact with tissue, for example, a cotton pad when removing makeup;
• Dynamic allodynia occurs when washing or massage;
• The thermal type of disorder manifests itself during temperature changes, for example, when going outside in the cold season or, conversely, in the heat.

Reasons

Before coping with symptoms by seeking help from potent painkillers, you should establish the cause of the disease and try to eliminate it. There are several causes of allodynia. Each of them has its own distinctive features and forecast.

This is both an easily solvable problem of allodynia that arose against the background of vitamin deficiency or allergies, as well as disorders associated with severe brain diseases.

Allergic reactions

Allodynia often appears as a symptom allergic reaction. For this state characterized by pain on all skin surfaces at the same time. It is allergy sufferers who most often suffer from insomnia, which occurs due to the fact that a person constantly turns around in his sleep in search of a “painless” position. Usually others allergic signs not observed. The impetus for allergic allodynia is clothing and bedding made from uncomfortable materials.

Brain diseases

Brain diseases (acquired and congenital) can disrupt the chain of reception, conduction and recognition of signals transmitted by nerve endings. The brain stops perceiving signals sent from the outside, reacting equally vividly to light stroking and strong blows. The pain is not localized in one place, it can occur throughout the body, even when the wind blows.

In this case, it is not possible to get rid of skin hypersensitivity.

The patient’s psyche gradually changes, and reactions to habitual stimuli also change.

Exposure to chemistry and radiation

Some chemicals and radiation can have negative impact on neurons of the peripheral and central systems. Pain from mechanical, dynamic or thermal stress occurs over the entire surface of the skin without obvious localization.

Hidradenitis, purulent diseases

The cause of purulent inflammation sweat glands (hidradenitis) is a staphylococcus localized in the genital area, armpits, nipples and around anus. Sweat glands cause inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Dense subcutaneous nodules, which lead to painful sensations when touching the affected areas. Body temperature rises.

If you delay treatment, the nodes begin to open, forming fistula tracts, which lead to further infection and aggravation of the patient’s condition.

Photos of the symptoms of the disease. May be unpleasant to watch

Fungal and viral infections

Allodynia can also occur against the background of fungal or viral infections. For example, with lichen or human papillomavirus. The progressive disease actively affects the skin, making it susceptible to mechanical or temperature influences. Herpes virus or chicken pox more often than other diseases cause skin hypersensitivity. In both the first and second cases, the pain is localized in areas of dermatological rashes.

Moreover, unpleasant sensations arise even 2-3 months after the blisters disappear.

Antiviral therapy will relieve the symptoms of allodynia, reduce burning in areas where the virus is activated, and help cope with insomnia resulting from contact with bed linen.

Demyelinating diseases

Destruction of the myelin sheath of neurons leads to deterioration of signal conduction in the affected nerves. As a result, the reaction to touch becomes unpredictable.

Moreover, unpleasant sensations can occur on any area of ​​the skin.

Demyelinating diseases include such serious disorders as Canavan disease, multiple sclerosis, Devic's disease and others. IN difficult cases Strong drugs such as morphine and tramadol are used to relieve pain.

Lymphadenitis

Inflammation of the lymph nodes, which appears against the background of caries, furunculosis, and wound infection, brings considerable discomfort. And allodynia is largely the reason for this.

A painful reaction to touch appears in the area where the lymph nodes are located.

As nearby tissues become involved in the infection process, the area of ​​spread also increases. discomfort.

Migraine with skin sensitivity disorder

People who regularly suffer from excruciating headaches begin to feel pain when touching their head as the disease progresses. Scratching and even wearing jewelry on the neck leads to unbearable pain.

The difficulty of treatment lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to relieve pain and other symptoms of migraine, such as photophobia or allodynia, with conventional painkillers.

Disorders of the spinal cord and nerve endings

In case of pathological disorders of the functioning of nerve endings and spinal cord pain occurs at the slightest contact with the skin. This is due to the complexity of signaling and responding to stimuli. Failure leads to pain, which is not localized to one point, but spreads throughout the body.

Neuropathy (neuropathy)

Cranial injuries, endocrine pathologies(for example, diabetes mellitus) or vitamin deficiency can lead to the development of neuropathy - excessive sensitivity of the skin to any irritants (mechanical, temperature). Patients react acutely not only to touch, but also to contact with clothing. Sleep with neuropathy is disturbed, as it is difficult for the patient to fall asleep in almost any position. At diabetes mellitus the first symptoms of allodynia begin when touching the skin on lower limbs.

Treatment consists of eliminating the cause that led to allodynia.

For example, in case of vitamin deficiency, it is enough to compensate for the deficiency valuable substances in the body, and in case of diabetes mellitus - normalize blood glucose levels.

Burns (thermal, solar, chemical)

Allodynia, as a side effect of a burn, has been experienced by everyone who has ever been sunburned on the beach. The same acute reactions touch is experienced by people whose burns are classified as chemical or thermal. To get rid of symptoms, drugs that promote skin regeneration, products that cool the skin, etc. are used. The prognosis in most situations is favorable.

AIDS

Fibromyalgia

Can lead to the development of fibromyalgia hereditary factors, biochemical and hormonal disorders, stress and trauma. One of the symptoms of the disease that most often brings the patient to the doctor is skin hypersensitivity. Pain occurs at certain points, pressing on which causes sharp sensations that are uncharacteristic of such a degree of impact on the skin in other parts of the body. There are only 11 such points. They are located on the knees and elbows, in the buttocks, neck, back of the head, on the shoulders and lower back.

In addition to disturbances in receptor sensitivity, the patient feels a strong feeling of fatigue, suffers from insomnia and muscle pain.

Age-related allodynia

Skin hypersensitivity can be caused by age. Despite the fact that young people (20-30 years old) most often suffer from the disorder, older people are also susceptible to the disease due to narrowing of the capillaries, which causes stagnation of blood, which causes pain. The pain is localized on the face.

Allodynia as a side effect of contouring

Patients of cosmetic clinics may encounter the problem of allodynia after aesthetic facial correction using fillers. Impaired skin sensitivity is accompanied by a slight increase in body temperature, limited movement of chewing and facial muscles, swelling of soft tissues. You can avoid such side effects by carefully choosing a specialist who will carry out the rejuvenation procedure.

Treatment

Tactile allodynia is treatable. To eliminate pain, analgesics, anticonvulsants, anti-inflammatory drugs, and sedatives are used. In severe cases, narcotic substances are prescribed, and special devices that control nerve impulses are implanted under the skin. Physiotherapeutic procedures, reflexology, and visits to a psychologist are effective. A relapse of the disease is possible.

Sometimes during the treatment process regression occurs and the patient stops adhering to the treatment regimen recommended by specialists. This leads to worsening of the condition in the future.

Allodynia brings discomfort to the patient, makes him suffer from pain and chronic stress associated with her. You can improve your quality of life by promptly consulting a doctor, who will prescribe a treatment regimen that includes pain relief and eliminating the cause of skin hypersensitivity.

Usually the skin hurts from injuries (abrasions, cuts, bruises, burns) or skin diseases, for example, fungal infections, scabies, eczema, furunculosis and so on. External manifestations clearly indicate the cause of the pain and help to immediately choose the optimal way to alleviate the condition. But what if visible signs no, but are there any pain sensations? Why does the skin on my back hurt when outwardly everything remains normal - there is no redness, no peeling, no swelling? Let's look at what causes this and how to fix it. pain syndrome.

Pain is the body's first reaction to various disorders physiological functions, a kind of danger signal, and therefore cannot be ignored under any circumstances. The absence of external manifestations does not mean that there are no reasons for concern, and everything will go away on its own in a few days. It is quite possible that pain is only the first sign of a serious pathology that requires immediate treatment. A condition in which painful sensations can be caused by the slightest influence (even the touch of clothing on the body), experts call allodynia.

There are several types of the disease:

• tactile – pain is caused by touching the skin;
• dynamic – pain occurs when the skin is affected by stroking, massaging, squeezing; even ordinary washing can cause discomfort;
• thermal – pain appears when the skin is exposed to cold or hot objects, water, or air currents.

This pathology most often occurs due to thermal or mechanical damage to nerve receptors, but also develops against the background various diseases, especially neurological in nature.

The main causes of allodynia include:

• solar and chemical burns I degree;
• deformation of nerve fibers in subcutaneous layer(polyneuropathy);
• chronic muscle tissue disease (fibromyalgia);
• disruption of the myelin sheath of nerve fibers (demyelination);
• lesions of the spinal cord and brain that affect the transmission of nerve impulses.

Important! In some cases, painful skin on the back is caused by various types of infections (staphylococcus, herpes), which provoke the development of diseases such as shingles, erysipelas, chicken pox and others. But the pain syndrome is not the only symptom- observed in humans external signs, typical for a particular disease - rashes, redness of the skin, swelling, and so on.

Provoking factors may be severe stress, excess or lack of vitamins in the body, general or local hypothermia, prolonged nervous tension, tanning abuse. Itchy and painful skin is common in people with type 2 diabetes. Sometimes this condition occurs after traumas suffered, especially if there were bruises to the head or spine. Also in in rare cases the development of allodynia is caused by congenital pathologies.

How does pain syndrome manifest itself?

Allodynia has very characteristic manifestations by which it can be easily recognized. First of all, this is a painful reaction to irritants that previously did not cause any unpleasant sensations. That is, if suddenly the skin on your back begins to hurt from touching clothes, bed linen, from jets of water while taking a shower or, for example, from the wind, this already indicates a pathological increase in sensitivity. The nature of the manifestations also helps to determine the disease:

• when exposed to an irritant, a sharp, often unbearable pain appears on the surface of the skin;
• pain can be localized in one area, but more often spreads to the entire back or most of it;
• At the same time, a tingling sensation is felt in the skin, itching, a crawling sensation, and a burning sensation may occur;
• pain syndrome bothers you with any movement, prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep;
• It is impossible to lie on your back and sit leaning on the back of a chair.

The person becomes overly irritable, insomnia appears, and headaches often occur. All this leads to increased fatigue, nervous overstrain and causes development serious complications from the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems.

Diagnostics

Because external manifestations are absent, it is impossible to independently determine the cause of the pathology, and without this it is impossible to apply folk remedies or medications are not allowed. In such a situation, self-medication can provoke even greater health problems, so without qualified assistance can't get by. It is best to contact your local physician, who will then initial examination and taking an anamnesis, will refer you to a specialist.

Most often, this problem is dealt with by a neurologist. If the damage to the nerve endings is caused by diseases of the spine, you will additionally need to consult an orthopedist or vertebrologist. To identify pathology, the patient is prescribed magnetic resonance or computed tomography, radiographic examination, electromyography. They also carry out general and biochemical analysis blood, which allows you to determine the presence of infectious pathogens, sugar levels, and find out the body’s need for microelements and vitamins. Based on the results full examination The doctor selects individual therapy for the patient.

Treatment options

Usually the skin on the back stops hurting immediately after the cause that caused it is eliminated. But since this often takes time (in the case of treatment of chronic diseases, serious injuries), then various conservative techniques are used to alleviate the patient’s condition.

Drug therapy

Reception medicines- the fastest and effective way get rid of pain and accompanying symptoms, such as insomnia and irritability. It should be remembered that all medications must be prescribed by a doctor who takes into account not only the cause of the pathology, but also general condition the patient, the presence of contraindications and other important factors.

Table. Pain relievers

Group of drugs	Characteristics
	They help to quickly cope with pain and have a fairly long-lasting effect. Usually they take analgin, paracetamol, dolaren, tempalgin tablets. At severe pain the doctor may prescribe analgesics with narcotic properties, for example, morphine or tramadol, but they cannot be used for a long time.
	If the pain is unbearable, and taking analgesics does not give results, the patient is prescribed local anesthetics, which include novocaine, lidocaine, trimecaine. They eliminate pain in a matter of minutes and can maintain their effect for quite a long time. True, they cannot cure the pathology, so they are used only for temporary relief of the condition.
	Good for pain relief inflammatory processes in tissues, have an antipyretic effect. At hypersensitivity skin are prescribed mainly in the form of external agents - creams, ointments, gels. The list of the most popular drugs includes: “Finalgel”, “Ortofen”, “Ketoprofen”, “Ketonal”.
	They affect nerve endings and smooth muscles, due to which the muscles relax, blood vessels dilate, the transmission of nerve impulses slows down and the pain subsides. To the most known drugs This group includes no-spa, drotaverine and papaverine.

These drugs have varying effectiveness and duration of action, much depends on the individual susceptibility of the body to active components these medications. If the prescribed remedy does not help, you must notify your doctor so that he can choose another one. You cannot change medications on your own, so as not to provoke possible complications.

Ortofen ointment: instructions for use

If the patient has increased irritability, insomnia, it is recommended to take it simultaneously with painkillers sedatives- tinctures of motherwort and valerian, tablets “Alora”, “Glycine”, “Dormiplant”. In some cases, when there are signs of depression, a specialist may prescribe antidepressants (Afobazol, Azafen).

Important! At drug treatment It is very important to strictly adhere to the prescribed dosage and duration of administration. About any side effects must be reported to the doctor to avoid negative consequences for the body.

Other techniques

In addition to taking medications, painful skin on the back can be eliminated using physiotherapeutic procedures, reflexology, and dry heating. The type of treatment is selected depending on the cause of the disease and taking into account existing contraindications. All procedures must be performed by an experienced specialist. If the problem is caused by disorders in the spine, good effect gives physical therapy, but you need to exercise with caution, excluding intense loads.

Important! Massage and manual therapy usually in such cases are not used, since they imply active influence on the skin of the back. If the skin hurts even with light touches, then it is easy to imagine what the patient will experience during a back massage. In addition, this can cause inflammation in the tissues and significantly worsen your health.

Another method of therapy is medicinal baths- coniferous and herbal. They are taken 2-3 times a week, the duration of the procedure is no more than 20 minutes. The water must be at a comfortable temperature, which promotes relaxation and reduction pain. To prepare a pine bath, you need to take several young pine branches, boil them for about half an hour in 2 liters of water and let them brew. One bath requires 0.5 liters of decoction. For herbal bath take equal parts of chamomile, nettle, calendula, sage and brew with boiling water at the rate of 50 g of the mixture per 2 liters of water.

Before using such treatment, you should consult a doctor. If you feel discomfort during or after the procedure, the skin on your back hurts more, itches, this therapy should be abandoned.

Video - Skin on back hurts

We are all confident that we understand perfectly well what a person feels who is in pain, because, as a rule, in a similar situation we feel the same painful sensations. However, most likely, not every one of us can imagine what a person feels when his skin hurts when touched, because this pain syndrome is quite rare. And yet this pathology exists. In this article we will tell you about why the skin hurts when you touch it.

Why does the skin hurt when you touch it: reasons

So, this pathology in medicine has its own precise definition, namely allodynia, and the essence of this disease consists of soreness of the skin in the absence of any external irritants, for example, a burn or bruise. During certain scientific research experts concluded that this disease can be conditionally divided into several subtypes, where each individual group is manifested by certain painful sensations. Next we will talk about these subspecies in more detail:

Static, mechanical allodynia. With this type of disease, painful sensations occur when the skin is firmly touched or when there is slight pressure on them.

Warm allodynia. In this situation, a person experiences painful sensations when there are temperature changes;

Dynamic, mechanical allodynia. With this type of disease, painful sensations occur when trying to cleanse the skin. For example, pain can occur even when wiping the skin with a cotton pad or when washing;

Tactile allodynia. With tactile allodynia, painful sensations occur when palpating and simply touching the skin.

As we have already said, most of us cannot imagine what a person experiences when their skin hurts when touched, which makes everyone curious about how intense the pain is with allodynia. As for the intensity of pain, in this situation it is difficult to say anything definitely, because this factor depends primarily on the sensitivity of the skin itself. So, for example, someone is bothered by tingling, burning and itching; Sometimes patients admit that they often have the feeling that something is moving along the skin itself.

Perhaps most of us have often felt something similar, which immediately raises the thought of the possible presence of this disease in ourselves. In order to understand whether you have signs of allodynia, you can conduct one simple experiment. Take a small piece of cotton wool and let it fall freely onto the exposed area of ​​skin. If you feel any discomfort, then in this situation this is a sign of the presence of a disease such as allodynia.

Another way to check whether this ailment applies to you is as follows: touch an open area of ​​skin with an ice cube; if painful sensations occur, then again, these are all signs of the presence of allodynia.

As for the nature of the occurrence of this disease, allodynia develops as a result of the presence of the most various factors. Below we will give you a list of reasons due to which allodynia develops:

Previously suffered first or second degree burns. By the way, prolonged exposure to the sun also often leads to the fact that in the future the sensitivity of the skin increases and a person experiences painful sensations when touched;

Early exposure to chickenpox can also cause the development of allodynia. Many will probably ask what the connection is here, however, in fact, everything is quite logical. If chickenpox occurred in a complex form, then often in such situations it became the cause of an illness such as shingles, which in turn leads to the development of rashes and blisters on certain areas of the skin. It is thanks to these factors that in the future these areas of the skin lose their sensitivity, which ultimately leads to the fact that a person experiences pain when touched;

Migraine is another reason that causes a disease such as allodynia; and if it was migraine that caused this illness, then the person, as a rule, experiences quite intense painful sensations even with basic combing of hair. Also, quite often in this situation, it is not possible for “victims” of allodynia and migraine to use any jewelry, because their “contact” with skin brings quite intense pain;

Various diseases of the nervous system can also cause pain when touching the skin. And this is due to the fact that with such diseases, as a rule, the myelin sheath is damaged, which in turn covers all our nerve cells. Fibromyalgia is another disease of the nervous system that causes pain when touching the skin;

Various diseases of the spine, which lead to damage to the spinal cord and dysfunction of nerve endings, also cause increased skin sensitivity;

Diabetes mellitus;

Skin hurts when touched: treatment

As you already understand, allodynia can develop against a background of very dangerous diseases, which is why if the above symptoms occur, it is necessary to mandatory consult with a specialist who, after examining and passing all necessary tests will establish a diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. As a rule, when treating allodynia, the patient is prescribed the following medications:

analgesic drugs to relieve pain;

antidepressant drugs that have a relaxing effect and also help relieve irritation;

sedatives that help fight insomnia and that relieve nervous tension and nervous excitability;

anticonvulsants general action which relieve muscle tension.

In addition to taking the medications themselves, the specialist also prescribes courses of reflexotherapy and physiotherapy, and acupuncture. In some cases, sessions with a psychotherapist may be prescribed.