They also help narrow blood vessels where you apply it, cutting down on swelling. Corticosteroids, like hydrocortisone, lessen or stop the release of chemicals in the body that cause inflammation. The three main effects that help with itching include: Hydrocortisone cream works in many ways to help itching. Hydrocortisone cream can be used to relieve inflammation and itchy skin for many conditions. What conditions can OTC hydrocortisone cream treat? Stronger concentrations, such as 2% or 2.5%, require a prescription. Lower strengths (1% or less) of hydrocortisone cream are available OTC. Hydrocortisone cream is a corticosteroid medication that’s applied to the skin. This is because other inflammation signals besides histamine can cause itching. This is where Benadryl cream may come in.īut Benadryl cream doesn’t work for everyone. In some cases, this triggers allergy symptoms, like itchy skin. Our immune system releases histamine when it senses something potentially harmful. The diphenhydramine in Benadryl cream works by blocking histamine from attaching to different cells in your body. Rashes caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac It can be used to temporarily relieve itching caused by: People can use Benadryl cream to treat many minor conditions that cause itching. What conditions can Benadryl cream treat? But Benadryl cream can be used when you're having mild allergic skin reactions in certain areas. Many people take oral antihistamines to treat body-wide allergy symptoms, such as sneezing or hives. Benadryl cream is available over-the-counter ( OTC) and has generic versions available. Most topical (applied to the skin) Benadryl products also contain zinc acetate as a skin protectant. What is Benadryl cream?īenadryl cream is an antihistamine cream that contains the medication diphenhydramine. Read on to learn how these anti-itch creams compare. In this article, we’ll talk about two common creams that people use to treat itchy skin: Benadryl cream (diphenhydramine/zinc acetate) and hydrocortisone cream. This makes it a hard condition to treat for some people. These chemicals play an important role in our immune system by helping protect us from foreign invaders.īut there are other immune signals besides histamine that can cause itchy skin. Itching can be caused by chemical signals the body releases, like histamine. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise you.Bug bites, pollen, poison ivy - whatever the cause, itchy skin ( pruritus) is very unpleasant. This is the amount of cream you can squeeze onto your fingertip. As a general rule, a fingertip unit of cream should be enough to treat an area of skin that's double the size of the flat of your hand. For babies and children, the right amount of cream depends on their age. The amount of cream you're told to use is measured in fingertip units. If you use it twice a day, try to leave a gap of 8 to 12 hours between times. Most people only need to use hydrocortisone cream once or twice a day for a week or two. They will tell you how much to use and how often. Hydrocortisone creams are used on the skin to treat swelling, itching and irritation.įollow the instructions from your pharmacist, doctor or the patient information leaflet in the medicine packet. Corticosteroids are not the same as anabolic steroid. Hydrocortisone creams, ointments and lotions contain a type of medicine known as a corticosteroid or 'steroid'.
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