Tingling and Itching in cold weather and during exercise?!
Question: Since I was a child I have found that when i walk briskly in cold weather, although I feel warm, if my skin is cold on my legs, bum, hips and waist, I start to tingle and itch. It gets really bad so that I feel to literally scratch the skin off my body and when I try to suppress it (obviously I'm in public) I feel light-headed and faint. Every step makes it worse and sometimes I think I won't make it home. It takes every ounce of self control til I can take off my trousers and scratch my freezing legs. This also happens when I'm the treadmill (but no other equipment) in the gym.The minute I start to walk fast or run, even if the temp is normal, I start to itch and tingle all over and have to stop. I am overweight but not obese or anything. I have been to the doctors but they could not advise any reason why it should happen? Can anyone help? Why does it only happen in these situations?
Answers: Since I was a child I have found that when i walk briskly in cold weather, although I feel warm, if my skin is cold on my legs, bum, hips and waist, I start to tingle and itch. It gets really bad so that I feel to literally scratch the skin off my body and when I try to suppress it (obviously I'm in public) I feel light-headed and faint. Every step makes it worse and sometimes I think I won't make it home. It takes every ounce of self control til I can take off my trousers and scratch my freezing legs. This also happens when I'm the treadmill (but no other equipment) in the gym.The minute I start to walk fast or run, even if the temp is normal, I start to itch and tingle all over and have to stop. I am overweight but not obese or anything. I have been to the doctors but they could not advise any reason why it should happen? Can anyone help? Why does it only happen in these situations?
I get the same way when I jog or do inclines on the treadmill. when you are cold, your body's blood vessels constrict to give the blood supply to the core of your body to keep it warm. When you're working out, your body's blood vessels dilate as your blood pressure goes up and your heartrate increases. It's my theory (as I haven't ever gotten an accurate answer either) that as your blood vessels constrict and dilate that the itching feeling and tingling is the nerve response. I'll be walking/jogging on the treadmill, just scratching my legs and my sides and my belly. I noticed that if I stay well hydrated and drink a lot of water, that it's not quite as bad, but it still happens. I'm not sure how else to go away, but I just try not scratch nails-to-skin because MRSA (an antibiotic resistant organism) is VERY common on public or gym exercise equipment and it is not something you want to get (and you can get it through scratching and breaking open skin). Good luck you to! :)
i'm affected by this too so you've saved me asking a question.
Nothing i do seems to help so hope others have some ideas