Itching in Spanish

What it means

Itching is an irritating sensation that makes you want to scratch your skin. MedlinePlus says that it can sometimes feel like pain but is different, and that you often feel itchy in one area of the body, although sometimes you may feel itching all over. A rash or hives may come along with it. Itching is a symptom of many health conditions. The common causes MedlinePlus lists include allergic reactions to food, insect bites, pollen, and medicines; skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin; irritating chemicals and cosmetics; parasites such as scabies and lice; pregnancy; and liver, kidney, or thyroid diseases. MedlinePlus states that most itching is not serious, and its encyclopedia lists pruritus as an alternative name.

Itching in Spanish

Spanish term: Picazón
Gender and article: feminine: la picazón
Pronunciation: pee-kah-SOHN

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
comezón	General	MedlinePlus en español uses it in the same summary as picazón, for itching felt all over the body.
prurito	General	Title of the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article, which writes "el prurito o picazón".

Picazón is the title of the MedlinePlus en español health topic, which writes it as a feminine noun: La picazón es una sensación irritante que despierta la necesidad de rascarse la piel. The same summary also uses comezón, and the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article is titled Prurito and gives Picazón (rasquiña, comezón) under its alternative names. The Real Academia Española dictionary lists picor, prurito, comezón, desazón and escozor as synonyms or related words of picazón.

The verb is picar: MedlinePlus en español writes siente que le pica una parte del cuerpo, and to scratch is rascarse. Words that appear with it on the same page are sarpullido (rash), urticaria (hives), piel seca (dry skin), picaduras de insectos (insect bites) and sarna (scabies). The encyclopedia's wording for generalized itching is prurito generalizado, and for itching all over the body it writes picazón en todo el cuerpo.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have had itching on my arms and back for about two weeks.	Tengo picazón en los brazos y la espalda desde hace unas dos semanas.
Clinician	Do you feel the itching in one area, or all over your body?	¿Siente la picazón en una sola zona o en todo el cuerpo?
Patient	It started on my legs, and now I itch all over.	Empezó en las piernas, y ahora me pica todo el cuerpo.
Clinician	Do you also have a rash or hives?	¿También tiene sarpullido o urticaria?
Patient	I don't see a rash, but my skin is very dry.	No veo ningún sarpullido, pero tengo la piel muy seca.
Clinician	When did the itching begin, and do you have it all the time or only at certain times?	¿Cuándo empezó la picazón, y la tiene todo el tiempo o solo en ciertos momentos?
Patient	It is worse at night, and I scratch without noticing.	Es peor por la noche, y me rasco sin darme cuenta.
Clinician	Have you started any new medicines, or do you have any allergies?	¿Ha empezado a tomar algún medicamento nuevo, o tiene alguna alergia?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Itching
Spanish (Español)	Picazón
Chinese (中文)	搔癢
Korean (한국어)	가려움증
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Ngứa
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pangangati
Portuguese (Português)	Coceira
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	คัน
Japanese (日本語)	かゆみ

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recorddermatology note

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: L29 → Pruritus

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Skin, hair and nails

All terms in this area: Skin, hair and nails — Piel, cabello y uñas

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.