“Keep calm and love rains” the saying feels deep. Like most people and me, you must love the rain. The feeling of raindrops falling on your skin sure is mesmerizing. But have you ever faced such a sensation without the rain?! “Why it feels like raindrops on my skin even though it’s not raining?”- have you ever asked such a question to yourself?
The feeling of water droplets on our skin without any actual water might result from a term called Paresthesia. Medics use this term to denote abnormal sensations in our bodies.
Do stick along if you have this type of sensation and are eager to discover the mystery. Let’s dive deeper into the realm of such an untypical feeling.
Feels Like Raindrops On My Skin Without Any Rain
Have you felt like a sudden itch or something crawling on the skin? Or felt like raindrops on your skin without any apparent reason? If so, you might have experienced an abnormal nervous activity.
Senses are just responses of our body sensors to the outside world interactions. These senses are then transported to our brain via the nervous system. Our brain catches the signal, and viola, we feel senses.
However, due to abnormal responses of your nervous system, your brain can get misinformation related to senses. “Why it feels like raindrops on my skin?” can be the result of such an action.
This abnormal nervous system activity in your body mainly occurs on your arms, legs, feet, or hands. You might also feel it in your other body parts as well.
However, what is that neurological condition is: is it Dysesthesia or Paresthesia? Let’s see what these conditions are and what is causing your raindrop sensations.
What Is Paresthesia?
Paresthesia is the painless feeling of tickling, burning, or feeling something crawling on your skin. People also use “pins and needles” to describe the temporary Paresthesia.
You can feel temporary Paresthesia due to putting pressure on your nerves. You can feel it if you have fallen asleep on your hand or if you have sat, placing stress on your legs.
But as the pressure is released, you will feel the tingling feeling disappear.
What Is Dysesthesia?
Dysesthesia is also similar to Paresthesia. It usually feels like painful burning or aching feeling. Besides your hands and legs, which are most commonly affected, you can also feel the effect on your chest or abdomen.
You can feel as if something is squeezing you tightly, almost as if you are being tightly hugged. For this reason, some people also refer to this as “MS hug.”
The painful feeling of Dysesthesia can be temporary. However, it can also stay for a couple of whiles. The pain can start from a normal change in your sensation. It can also come out of completely nowhere.
Though you feel the pain in your legs, arms, or other places, that’s not actually where the problem is. Like Paresthesia, this is also the result of your nervous system sending signals to your brain without apparent reason.
So, is Dystesthesia similar to Paresthesia? Let’s find out.
The Raindrops Sensation: Paresthesia VS. Dysesthesia
Feeling of water drops on skin anxiety results from the nervous system’s abnormal response. You can feel tingling, burning, itching, or feel like something is crawling on your skin.
Paresthesia is mostly a painless feeling which makes you feel the sensation of tingling or water droplets on your skin. You can feel it if you have put pressure on your legs, arms, etc.
The pressure on the nerves causes them to send an abnormal signal to your brain, and you feel the strange sensation. Most people face temporary Paresthesia. You might have figured that the feeling occurs with a pattern if you have noticed closely.
After sleeping on your arms or sitting with your legs under pressure, you might have felt the tingling, itching feeling. However, it fades away as you release the tension. The feeling is similar to “pins and needles” on the skin.
Dysesthesia, on the other hand, is a result of nerve damage. It also affects the legs, arms, and other parts of your body. However, unlike Paresthesia, the feeling is not painless. If you face the abnormality, you will feel burning, stabbing, or electrical sensations on your body parts.
Dysesthesia is also not temporary as Paresthesia but chronic. The severity is also higher in this case. Due to the severeness, it can affect your sleep and your day-to-day living quality.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Paresthesia and Dysesthesia are almost similar. You generally feel an abnormal sensation on your legs, arms, or feet.
The main similarity between the two abnormal nervous conditions is in the severity. Paresthesia is generally temporary, whereas Dysesthesia is quite chronic. You can also check symptoms to figure out which one you are facing.
Paresthesia
It generally happens when you put pressure on your limbs. Like most other people, you have fallen; you may feel it. If you have sat in an abnormal position, you can also feel uneasy. The symptoms include-
- Numbness
- Feeling like water droplets
- Tingling
- Itching
- Skin crawling
Paresthesia is usually painless. Since it occurs due to abnormal pressure on your limbs, the uneasy sensation disappears as you relax your muscles.
Dysesthesia
Dysesthesia is chronic primarily. Unlike Paresthesia, it is painful and can affect your day-to-day activities, including sleep quality.
It occurs due to nerve damage. The reasons may include-
- Autoimmune disease
- Diabetes
- Certain types of stroke
These can cause your nerves to get damaged and behave abnormally. The symptoms of Dsysesthesia are-
- Burning
- Ice cold
- Stabbing
- Prickling
- Pain with light or no touch
- Stabbing
Diagnosis
Paresthesia and Dysesthesia are first suspected to be fundamental skin problems as the skin on your limbs feels affected. However, that is not where the problem lies, and often it isn’t easy to figure this out in the first place.
Therefore, the diagnosis begins with essential skin checkups. After your doctor has crossed out all the dermatological diseases, you should diagnose the abnormal nervous activities.
The diagnosis begins with a blood test. Your doctor can refer you to different types of tests, including-
- Antinuclear antibody (ANA)
- Complement (C3, C4)
- Glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c)
- Viral hepatitis
- Heavy metal levels
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)
Your doctor would suggest you other physical exams as well, along with a thorough checkup of your medical history. Other diagnosis procedures might include-
- Skin biopsy
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and cervical spine
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
- X-rays of the cervical/thoracic spine
Treatment
If you are tired of asking yourself, “why it feels like raindrops on my skin without any rain?” you should start with your treatment ASAP. After confirming whether you are facing Paresthesia or Dysesthesia, you should move on with your treatment accordingly.
Your treatment can vary according to your symptoms and the place of occurrence. However, the primary treatment would include-
- Local anesthetic patches
- Topical amitriptyline 1% with ketamine 0.5% for forearm itching
- Propranolol
- Antiepileptics – Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Carbamazepine
- Capsaicin cream
Alongside these medications, your doctor might also refer-
- Physiotherapy
- Botulinum-A injections
- Physical constraints to prevent scratching and rubbing
- Narrow-band ultraviolet radiation
- Transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation (TENS)
Doctors at My Concierge, MD, are experts to guide you through all the procedures flawlessly.
Call +1-877-760-3558 Or Click Here to Send Us Email
Lifestyle Modification to Manage Raindrops Sensation
The feeling of raindrops on your skin occurs due to neurological conditions primarily. However, the issue originates mainly from an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Therefore, lifestyle modification can be your first step, controlling the troublesome sensation.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet, especially food containing anti-inflammatory substances – leafy greens, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.
- Avoid spicy, sugary, fatty, and fried foods – red meats, sweets, white flour, soft drinks, processed foods, etc.
- Hydration is crucial – a minimum of eight to ten glasses daily.
- Keep moving, exercise – especially aerobics or brisk-paced walking for thirty to forty minutes five days a week.
- Stress control is crucial – practice yoga, meditation, etc.
- Pay attention to sound sleep.
- Stay positive and pleasant – socially active, focused, and confident.
Final Words
Abnormal nervous responses are pretty common. They can be the obvious answer to the question, “why it feels like raindrops on my skin but no rain?”. Though the reason may sound complicated, it is not something to worry about.
With proper diagnosis and treatment, you can quickly get rid of the effects of Paresthesia and Dysesthesia.
Doctors at My Concierge, MD, are always ready to guide you to ensure you get the best treatment. So no need to worry anymore; maintain a healthy life and follow your doctor’s advice and be back in your flawless life in no time.
