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 ...

I don’t know about you, but when I get a mosquito bite, I can’t help but immediately scratch. It feels so good … until it doesn’t. Am I imagining things—or does scratching end up prolonging the misery ...

There are a number of ways to stop scratching, from medicines to mental tricks. By Elizabeth Passarella I’m one of the unfortunate souls who, for reasons still only loosely explained by science, seems ...

When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels "enough," is not accidental. Scientists have now identified a key molecular and neural ...

Mom knew what she was talking about after all: Scratching really does make the itch worse. Good as it feels, the burst of ecstasy you get from clawing your irritated skin only prolongs a vicious ...

Your parents were right: Scratching an itchy rash really does make it worse. Now we know why, thanks to new research published today in the journal Science that uncovers how scratching aggravates ...

Scratching an itchy rash can feel sooo good — that’s because the rubbing creates a mild pain sensation that distracts the brain from the itch. The pain triggers the brain to release serotonin, the ...

If you’ve got an itch somewhere on your body, it’s probably best not to scratch it. New research suggests that scratching an itch, while satisfying in the moment thanks to the release of the ...

The brain’s appetite for a good scratch is insatiable, and scientists are starting to understand why. Mom knew what she was talking about after all: Scratching really does make the itch worse. Good as ...