Bumps on elbows can occur due to allergies, chronic skin conditions, and more.
Some, like the conditionkeratosis pilaris, are fairly common.
Others, such as gout, are a more systemic problem with symptoms affecting skin.
Illustration by Josh Seong for Verywell Health
Changes in diet often can help with gout, as well as other issues like the gluten allergy-relateddermatitis herpetiformis.
Knowing the cause can help to ensure you get the right treatment.
Illustration by Josh Seong for Verywell Health
1.
helivideo / Getty Images
Psoriasis
Psoriasisis a chronicautoimmunedisorder that causes raised areas of dry, itchy, scaly skin.
Plaque psoriasisis the most common form of the disease and affects about 3% of adults.
Plaque psoriasis speeds up the normal turnover of skin cells.
primeimages / Getty Images
Another jot down of psoriasis that can affect the elbows isguttate psoriasis.
Symptoms include round, scaly, droplet-like skin lesions that are typically itchy.
Treatment
Thetreatment of psoriasisdepends on the specific jot down you have and the severity of your symptoms.
gokhanilgaz / Getty Images
Where it occurs on the body, such as the elbows, also is a factor in treatment.
helivideo / Getty Images
2.
Eczema causes splotchy, cracked skin that can itch intensely.
Suvit Maka / Getty Images
Around 20% of people will have eczema at some point in their life.
Children are most commonly affected, including infants.
Over 15 million adults and children in the United States are thought to be affected by eczema.
Boy_Anupong / Getty Images
What Is the Difference Between Eczema and Psoriasis?
Eczema can, but doesn’t always, cause scaly leathery patches of skin.
This along with other symptoms means it can mimic psoriasis.
joloei / Getty Images
But psoriasis scales tend to be thicker with more well-defined edges.
Thetreatment of eczemais focused on relieving dry, cracked, itchy skin and tempering the inappropriate immune response.
Common treatments for eczema include:
primeimages / Getty Images
3.
Symptoms can include itching, dryness, bumps, rash, blisters, or swelling.
Contact dermatitis can occur on any part of the body, including the elbows.
Thetreatment of contact dermatitiscan vary based on whether the symptoms are triggered by an allergen or an irritant.
The main approach is the avoidance of known triggers.
Other treatment options for contact dermatitis include:
gokhanilgaz / Getty Images
4.
It is one of the possible symptoms of celiac disease.
Males are slightly more affected than females.
The risk also is higher in people with autoimmune disorders likelupusor jot down 1 diabetes.
The treatment for dermatitis herpetiformis starts with the avoidance of gluten as well as life-long adherence to agluten-free diet.
Other treatments are focused on relieving the rash and the intense itchiness.
These include oral antibacterial, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Aczone (dapsone) is generally considered the first-line drug option.
Suvit Maka / Getty Images
5.
This common dry skin condition is sometimes called “chicken skin” due to its characteristic bumps.
It mostly affects children and adolescents, and the bumps usually go away as the young person gets older.
The bumps tend to get worse in cold weather but improve when it gets warm.
The bumps are not usually itchy or painful.
Sometimes, a hair from the clogged follicle is caught inside the bump.
There is no cure for keratosis pilaris, so treatment involves managing symptoms.
While treatment may improve the appearance of the bumps, they tend to return as soon as treatment stops.
Fortunately, keratosis pilaris symptoms typically get better with age, even if left untreated.
Boy_Anupong / Getty Images
6.
Gout is triggered by the build-up ofuric acidin the body which crystallizes in joint spaces.
At times, crystals can form beneath the skin, causing hardened bumps known astophi.
In severe cases, whitish or yellowing crystals can form on the surface of the skin.
Tophi are usually painless but can be irritating and itchy, particularly on the elbows and fingers.
Around 4% of people have gout, predominantly adults.
Males are more vulnerable than females and typically develop symptoms in their 30s and 40s.
Females are more likely to do so after menopause.
Gout treatmentis focused on underlying causes of inflammation and uric acid accumulation.
Your provider will determine which prescription treatment is right for treating the underlying cause.
It’s also likely that you will require continued care and monitoring.
They also may be resulting from cysts, warts, lymph deposits, or other treatable skin conditions.
Summary
Itchy bumps on elbows can be aggravating but there is relief.
If over-the-counter or home therapies fail to provide relief, contact a healthcare provider.
2024 Dec;35(1):2389174. doi:10.1080/09546634.2024.2389174
American Academy of Dermatology Association.What does psoriasis look like?
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Psoriasis: diagnosis and treatment.
Kapur S, Watson W, Carr S.Atopic dermatitis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol.
2018;15(6).
2019 Feb;80(2):77-85. doi:10.1111/cod.13119
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dermatitis herpetiformis.
Cedars-Sinai.Keratosis pilaris (KP).
2022 May;33(3):1231-1242. doi:10.1080/09546634.2020.1818678
American College of Rheumatology.Gout.
2020 Jun;72(6):744-60.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Everyday care.
Vaishya R, Kapoor C, Agarwal AK, Vijay V.A rare presentation of ganglion cyst of the elbow.Cureus.
2016 Jul 1;8(7):e665.
