10 Hepatitis B Symptoms
Reviewed: Dr. Mera
Symptom #7: Itchy Skin
Itching, or pruritus, is the sensation, urge, or reflex to scratch. It is an unpleasant sensory experience that researchers have likened to pain. While pain causes a withdrawal reflex, itching results in a scratch reflex.
The stimulus of an object on or underneath the skin causes the urge to remove it. Some causes of pruritus include autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, and drug reactions. In hepatitis, it is believed that the buildup of bile salts causes itching and jaundice when the liver is no longer able to eliminate waste.
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