By April Reese
University of Georgia
In the summer, mosquitos, biting flies and fleas can visit your
skin and leave behind itching bumps from their bites. Some
people, though, are haunted year-round by biting bugs that
aren’t
even there.
They suffer from something called delusory parasitosis, said
Nancy Hinkle, an entomologist with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“We’re finding it in all segments of the population — all age
groups, all socioeconomic levels,” Hinkle said. “And the
incidence seems to be very high.”
Delusory parasitosis is a real condition first described in
medical literature more than a century ago. Hinkle said the
illness isn’t uncommon at all.
Many medical causes
It can be caused by many other medical ailments — heavy metal
poisoning, exposure to toxins and diseases like AIDS, anemia,
carcinoma, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, lupus, lymphoma and
multiple sclerosis.
Nutritional deficiencies, allergies, drug reactions, menopause,
niacin overdose, rheumatoid arthritis, stress and even vitamin
overdoses are known to trigger it, she said.
Symptoms include the sensation of biting, stinging or itching on
the skin. Hinkle said people will often feel something crawling
inside their skin and will dig into the skin trying to find and
dislodge whatever’s causing it.
“Unfortunately, this can produce a lot of damage to the skin,”
she said.
Feels like …
Chigger bites are close to what sufferers might feel. People who
have been chigger-bitten can relate to the feeling that
something’s still in there. But delusory parasitosis sufferers
feel something different, she said, as if that something under
their skin is moving or crawling around.
People will treat the condition in a number of ways. “Some will
spend inordinate amounts of time washing and cleaning their
bodies and their homes, assuming the infestation is coming from
off the body as well,” Hinkle said.
“They will then treat their bodies with … gasoline, kerosene,
solvents, harsh cleaning compounds, even pesticides,” she said,
“which, of course, is very dangerous.”
See a doctor
She advises anyone who believes they’re suffering from the
condition to see a doctor.
“Delusory parasitosis is a medical condition, and (sufferers)
should seek medical attention,” she said. “Visit your physician
and explain the symptoms you’re experiencing. Allow the doctor
to
diagnosis the condition and prescribe medication. Don’t
self-medicate.”
To learn more about delusory parasitosis, visit
uga.edu/publications/delusory.pdf
to read Hinkle’s article in American Entomologist.
(April Reese is a student writer with the University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
