When You Can't Scratch Away An Itch

Nothing is more annoying than a really bad itch. But imagine an itch you could never scratch away. Scarily, it's a real thing. Anthony explains a possible treatment for chronic itchiness, and the fascinating way our body processes that 'itchy' sensation.

Read More:
Scientists Unravel Mechanisms in Chronic Itching
"Anyone who has suffered through sleepless nights due to uncontrollable itching knows that not all itching is the same."

Why We Itch
"Itchy skin fires up nerves and drives sufferers to scratch themselves raw, some even in their sleep. But the mechanisms behind aggravating itches are not entirely understood, and a new finding makes the whole problem seem even more complex."

Nociceptor
"A nociceptor is a sensory receptor that sends signals that cause the perception of pain in response to potentially damaging stimulus."

Why do we itch?
"As bodily defense mechanisms go, pain makes sense: put your hand on a hot stove and your body screams "Get out of here!" But what's the purpose of itching? Chicken pox, mosquito bites, hemorrhoids, and rashes: why do we instinctively react by scratching?"

Solved! The Mystery of the Maddening Itch
"O.K., so it doesn't quite rank up there with unraveling the cause of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. But with mosquito and poison-ivy season on the way, plenty of folks would be grateful for an answer to a more mundane question: What is the neurological basis of the pruritic response? Or in plain English: Why do we itch?"

Spiders! Ants! Did that make you itchy? Here's why
"WARNING: Reading the following post will make you itchy."

Why Kissing Is Fun:
Test Tube Wild Card:
Why Your Brain Needs Sleep:

____________________

DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos twice daily.

[MetallicBrony]

i have an itch that feels like i have a itch under my skin and it wont go away

[kylethescientist]

He didn't answer the ear-mouth question and I'm a little disappointed.

[zinarmagadan]

*itches the whole time I'm watching the video*

[KENCHANECO]

Every time it's hot I feel like needles are poking my skin and it feels itchy

[LizLovesLollipops]

I think the worst place to have an itch is in the throat because it's so damn hard to relieve it.

[Monotone]

Maybe another reason why we feel itchy when it's mentioned is because some stimulus for itching is so subtle that we don't notice it until we start thinking about it. There are a lot of things our bodies build a tolerance to, like clothes rubbing on our skin all day and our hair flowing around our face and neck. We may not register these things until we are consciously aware of them by talking about them.

[snowcake]

"When we yawn after someone else yawns" *yawns* I just had to yawn didn't I.

[Aranara]

I had an itch the whole night I couldn't sleep and I still have it

[cherieobrien]

I have been suffering from intense and chronic itching since 2013. You are definitely right about diseases that cause or attribute to itching. I have 3 medical conditions that all cause itching. Medications and creams are all that the medical community is able to give you. I am hoping that acupressure or acupuncture may be able to help!

[danielbishop]

I have an itch but it's inside my foot I can't get it help me

[mekhithomas]

My arm is itching my head is itching my body is itching my thighs are itching my mustache is itching

[caterscarrots]

I sometimes have an itch on my back that I just can't get rid of. I hate it when I get an unscratchable itch.

[shadowhorse]

As someone with psoriasis, it's nice to get some recognition. It seems this topic goes unnoticed a lot. Chronic itching is awful. At the worst times I end up scratching until I bleed during my sleep. Not fun for sure. I'm glad to hear there's new research being done, maybe help is coming soon.

[Zauten]

Well this wasn't very informative at all

[zQuestionsleep]

They did a video about this too. They think people yawn as a social thing, to demonstrate who may be tired and therefore weakened or not at their physical and mental best.

[keeconah]

This damn video made me scratch everywhere

[Lumpyrox]

I have a situation with my arm as a result of several medical procedures that ultimately saved the functionality of my right hand. Its physically twisted as a result and the movement in my arm is limited in terms of moving the joints about. So what sucks the most is when i get an itch from my arm thats tucked in the twist i have to torturously just sit through it because my arm can't move on the joint where the itch is.

[bbdragonemoji]

The fact that there is not a single direct and simple answer on the internet as to how to get rid of an itch that you cant find, is one of the saddest truths in our world.

[MozartJunior]

I yawned exactly when you said the word "yawn".

[taltoltal]

Seriously, I can't stop itching.