Why does scratching an itch only make it worse? As it turns out, a brain-signaling chemical released in response to scratching has some unintended effects, scientists say. Scratching an itch provides ...

We've all had bug bites, or dry scalp, or a sunburn that causes itch. But what if you felt itchy all the time — and there was no relief? Journalist Annie Lowrey suffers from primary biliary ...

Medical science has deciphered many of the body’s workings, down to the level of the gene, and isn’t too far from using stem cells to repair its hobbled organs. But in many ways, the human body ...

Every dog and cat knows that scratching relieves an itch. But for ages, not even neuroscientists knew why. Now, a new study shows that scratching turns off activity in spinal cord nerves that transmit ...

PITTSBURGH — When you feel that irresistible urge to scratch an itch, you’re activating an evolutionary defense system. New research from the University of Pittsburgh reveals a fascinating paradox: ...

People tend to scratch itchy parts of their body, but this actually makes the itching worse. A group of researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis offers a plausible ...

Scratching an itch can be really satisfying but also annoying at times. You often find yourself mindlessly scratching your ...

Itching can be uncomfortable, but it’s a normal part of your skin’s immune response to external threats. When you’re itching from an encounter with poison ivy or mosquitoes, consider that your urge to ...

Itch is the unpleasant sensation that creates the urge to scratch. This simple definition was given in the seventeenth century by Samuel Hafenreffer, the author of the first dermatology textbook. Max ...