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 ...

It’s a universal childhood admonition: resist the urge to scratch that irritating bug bite or rash, lest you exacerbate the problem. Yet, the immediate relief scratching provides often makes this ...

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 ...

Despite the saying “happiness is having a scratch for every itch,” itching often makes the itchy skin condition worse. So why is the instinct so strong? In a study with mice, researchers from the ...

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 ...

You’ve likely heard it since childhood: Don’t scratch that bug bite or rash, you’ll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad? A lot of things can cause itchiness, sometimes ...

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have uncovered new insights into the dual nature of scratching an itch, indicating that while it can worsen skin inflammation, it can also boost immune ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Relief from a good scratch, in evolutionary terms, is positive feedback (Getty/iStock) It's a universal childhood admonition: ...

The Independent and Yahoo will earn a commission from purchases made via links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change. It’s a universal childhood admonition: resist the urge ...