Why does scratching stop itching

Read on to discover some of the causes of…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M.

About Why scratching? Why itchiness? Why is it hard to resist? Prevention Takeaway Share on Pinterest. What is an itch? Why does scratching feel good?

Why do we get itchy? Why is it so hard to resist scratching an itch? How to stop scratching and prevent itching. The takeaway. Read this next. The 8 Best Remedies for Itching. Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. Itchy Skin at Night? Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Photo: The itch is an important evolutionary defence mechanism as it draws our attention to a possible problem on our skin, like the bite of a tick. Supplied: Stephen Axford. Video: Why does an itch move?

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The good news is that most earthly itches are in fact scratchable. Physical itchiness—whether it's from a wool sweater, a mosquito bite, or poison oak—is usually a temporary sensation. But while most itching resolves on its own, 10 percent of people suffer from some form of chronic itch during their lives. Scratching may provide temporary relief, but it also promotes more intense itching, which makes you scratch harder, which … you get the idea. Scientists call this the itch-scratch cycle, and they've only recently started to understand why it's so hard to resist.

Consider the difference between vigorously scratching an undamaged region of your skin versus one that happens to itch. The sensations you experience will likely be very different.

You can actually see that switch by looking at the areas of the brain that respond to scratching. In a study that looked at people scratching their itches in an fMRI machine, researchers noticed that while there wasn't any one identifiable "itch center" in the brain, scratching seemed to activate parts of the brain that are strongly associated with pleasure, reward, and craving.