With the arrival of summer comes more time spent outdoors — which also means a greater risk of itchy skin conditions. Bug bites and stings are naturally more prevalent in the warmer weather, which brings out more insects, according to the National Institutes of Health. Also, exposure to skin-irritating plants — most notably, poison ivy — increases during the summer months.
Often, the most skin damage is done from aggressive scratching, which will cause more itching and inflammation.' If over-the-counter creams and gels don’t stop the itching, there are other, stronger medicines to try. 'Oral antihistamines can help with ongoing or recurring itchy skin problems, but be cautious about dosing and drug interactions,' said Loafman with Cook County Health. It’s also important to be mindful of sun exposure, experts noted.