If Your Skin Feels Like It Is Crawling You May Have This Rare Condition
What do you think the largest human organ is? Here's a hint: It is not the liver or the lungs. In fact, the largest human organ is not even inside your body. Believe it or not, skin is the largest human organ — and we have a lot of it, says WebMD.
Your skin accounts for nearly 16% of your body mass (via Healthline). According to National Geographic, an average adult can carry around 8 pounds and an unbelievable 22 square feet of skin. By comparison, Weight of Stuff says your skin may weigh as much as an average labrador puppy. Meanwhile, The Measure of Things explains that your skin may be almost twice the square footage of the average bath towel.
According to WebMD, there are three layers of skin. The bottom and middle layers both contain connective tissue, while the watertight outer layer protects us and gives everyone their skin color. While the skin serves many important functions — that range from protection to controlling internal temperature — it is not impervious to inflammation, irritation, or infection.
Some common skin conditions include acne, dermatitis, and hives. But did you know that there is a controversial skin condition that can make your skin feel like it is crawling (via Mayo Clinic)?
Skin crawling could be symptom of Morgellons disease
If you feel like your skin is crawling, or you notice strange fibers — colored red, green, blue, white, or black — underneath or sticking out from sores on the skin, you may have a rare and controversial condition called Morgellons disease (via Healthline). You may also feel sensations like burning, itching, or stinging on the affected area of the skin.
According to Mayo Clinic, there is no medical consensus on Morgellons disease. Some think it is related to a form of delusion, while others think there's more to it. A 2012 study on people with Morgellons-like symptoms, published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, came to a few conclusions:
- There was no common source of infection.
- The fibers from the skin were likely from an outside source like clothing.
- Symptoms were similar to delusional infestation — also known as delusional parasitosis — a rare psychiatric condition where people erroneously think they are infected by parasites (via Healthline).
However, others have come to different conclusions. A forensic scientist cross-referenced samples of Morgellons fibers in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's national database and found no match. The director of the lab that conducted the analysis told ABC News that "these fibers cannot be manmade and do not come from a plant. This could be a byproduct of a biological organism." Uncertainty surrounds this condition; the mystery continues.