When you've got an itch to scratch, sometimes your fingernails just won't do, especially if it's that annoying part of your back that you can never reach. It's times like these when you need one of ...

When you’ve got an itch, you probably want to scratch it. But whether it’s from a mosquito bite, chickenpox, or chronic skin issue like eczema, any relief from scratching will be short-lived. And too ...

Scratching an itch can bring a contradictory wave of pleasure and misery. A mouse study on scratching, reported in the Jan. 31 Science, fleshes out this head-scratching paradox and could point out ...

What’s common between a scratchy sweater, a mosquito bite, and poison ivy? A brush with any of them guarantees an itchy spot on the skin. Scratching that itch is extremely tempting because of how ...

Russell has a PhD in the history of medicine, violence, and colonialism. His research has explored topics including ethics, science governance, and medical involvement in violent contexts. Russell has ...

Journalist Annie Lowrey has a rare disease that causes a near-constant itch that doesn't respond to most treatments. She likens the itchiness to a... Chronic itch is miserable. Scientists are just ...

How does the body know when to stop scratching an itch? New research is giving us more insight. Scientists have long known about the itch-scratch cycle. When an irritant gets on your skin, a ...

Scratch that itch, and you won’t ditch it. Instead, it will get worse, thanks to a chemical messenger called serotonin. Scratching spurs the brain to release serotonin, best known for its role in ...

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to scratch an itch — in both the real and figurative sense. Although scratching an itch provides immediate (albeit temporary) relief, it may actually trigger ...

Three hundred and fifty years ago, German physician Samuel Hafenreffer defined the itch as an “unpleasant sensation” that makes people want to scratch. We itch on our skin and in our throat, but ...